19th Century Russia Lesson Plans

Eleventh graders discover that many of the issues the United States faces today elicit the same type of political, philosophical and moral debate that has divided the country in the past.

Students compare and contrast 2 primary sources regarding slavery. In this historical perspectives activity, student analyze and compare Abraham Lincoln’s American Emancipation Proclamation and Alexander II's Russian Emancipation Manifesto. Students also compare slavery conditions in America and Russia when the documents were written.  

Students consider how the location of Korea has contributed to outside influences. In this Korean history lesson, students investigate the influence of China, Japan, and Russia on the people and governments of the Korean peninsula in different historical time periods.

Eighth graders role play as a poor immigrant family moving from the Old World to the New World in search of the American Dream. They create a portfolio and journal of their travels.

Students complete a variety of activities as they examine the historical significance of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Golden Spike Ceremony in Promontory, Utah, which honored its completion. In one activity they plan and recreate a grander, more appropriate Golden Spike ceremony.

Students explore past U.S.-Cuban relations, by researching key events in the past century and creating a class timeline, in order to evaluate restrictions in policy on Cuba and the potential for exhibition baseball games.

Students explore the Cuban society, politics, culture, and economy. As a class, they take a look at the Bush administrations policy on Cuba after reading "Embargo Remains Until Cuba Alters Policy, Bush Says" from The New York Times. Students also research topics related to Cuba including tourism.

Students explore the social classes that formed in the feudal systems of the Roman Empire, medieval Europe and feudal Japan. In small groups they research and present the historical context behind the development of horse calveries in each civilization.

Learners evaluate the moving of buildings, then read a news article about one town relocating building to save their economy. For this economics and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, then student read the news piece and participate in a think-pair-share discussion. Lesson includes interdisciplinary follow-up activities.

Students work together to analyze United States Census data on immigration. They compare and contrast the data and determine how immigration numbers have changed over time. They calculate percentages and make their own conclusions about the data.