Regional Studies - Russia/China: February 2006 Archives

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February 28, 2006

Lesson #28 - Yeltsin's Russia

Today will be the last "Russia" day for this unit. We'll get you up through Boris Yeltsin's rule, and we can spend any remaining time reviewing and preparing for the exam. Don't forget that there is the separate blog entry with test information...

Final VIPs:
2nd Hour: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Boris Yeltsin

In 4th hour, we'll take a look at Gorbachev's rule first, since we didn't get to that last time. The Gorbachev notes (they were also on yesterday's blog) will be helpful.

Today's big questions:

Why does communism fail in the Soviet Union?
How does communism fail in the Soviet Union?

In addition, we'll bring the conflict in Chechnya into the picture...

Boris Yeltsin's Life and Career - Timeline

Conflict in Chechnya has a page of good background information from the Christian Science Monitor on the crisis there...

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 27, 2006

Lesson #27 - Gorbachev and the Fall of the Soviet Union

REMINDERS: There is a separate blog entry that contains the information for Friday's test on the "20th Century Russia and China" unit. Don't forget that your "take-home" essay is due no later that 3:30 on Friday, March 3rd. (You should email it to me as an attachment.)

RUSSIA VIP PRESENTATIONS

2nd hour
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Baryshnikov

Catch-up: Nicholas II, Andrei Sakharov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn
(Tuesday - Boris Yeltsin)

4th hour
Mikhail Gorbachev

Catch-up: Andrei Sakharov

Gorbachev and the Fall of the Soviet Union

For those of you who like to go into a little more depth, here are a copy of some of my Khrushchev and Brezhnev notes.

Our main focus today will be on the impact of Mikhail Gorbachev and his reforms on the Soviet Union. We'll talk about this together, but you might also find these Gorbachev notes useful for review and test preparation.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 24, 2006

Lesson #26 - Mao's China

I hope you are all well rested from yesterday's Long March. 6000 miles will take a lot out of you...

It looks like the choir schedule might mess us up today, so we'll see what we can do to minimize the disruptions. Remember, there's a separate blog entry with all the information for the exam that will be a week from today. It would be a good idea to start you preparations for that.

Monday, we'll meet Mikhail Gorbachev and Mikhail Baryshnikov in the Russia VIPs. (Plus, we'll catch up on a couple.) Tuesday, 4th hour has Boris Yeltsin, but that's the end of them.

World War II and the Chinese Civil War: We will touch briefly on several of the key events from these two periods. Of course, we already did much of this via the China - Chronology assignment.

We'll also take a few minutes to look at events surrounding the "Rape of Nanking". I've compiled accounts of these events from two sources, an independent account and one from Japan. You can download those here.

Mao's Rule over China: You'll get a copy of the Mao Zedong chapter from our textbook that we have used a bit. Pair up or work on your own to complete the Mao study guide. Be sure you work productively on this.

Some of you may want to look at the pictures in my book, The Chinese Century. It might help your understanding of the events.

When we return to China, we'll take a closer look at the Cultural Revolution. The Morning Sun website has a lot of very interesting exhibits and activities related to this important and complex period. Feel free to check some of them out.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 23, 2006

Lesson #25 - The Long March

REMINDER: All of the information for next week's test was posted on Lesson #24's blog entry... I also copied it into a separate blog entry so that you can easily access it.

Today, we'll get back to China and go on the "Long March" together...

China - From Revolution to Civil War: First, we need to complete this note guide that I "borrowed" from Ms. Murr...

Now, it's time for The Long March... You'll receive a written summary of this, so don't worry about taking notes or anything. your job is to come along, follow orders and not disturb others who might be in class.

Tomorrow, we'll look at Mao's years as ruler of China...

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

20th Century Russia and China - Exam information

Twentieth-Century Russia and China - Exam format: This exam will be next Friday. There will be three "in-class" components: multiple choice, identifications and Russia VIPs. In addition, you will have a "take-home" essay due no later that 3:30 PM on Friday, March 3rd.

Multiple choice: There will be somewhere between 20 and 30 questions again. I'll divide them as evenly as possible between Russia and China.

Identifications: You will write on your choice of 6 of the 8 identifications that appear on the exam chosen from the list below. You may have 10 words of "notes" for each of the 16 possible identifications during the exam. You will need to turn in these notes, and I reserve the right to count symbols, acronyms, etc. as one or more words.

Russia
Karl Marx
March Revolution
Great Purge
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Sputnik
de-Stalinization
glasnost
Chernobyl

China
Sun Yat-sen
Nationalists
Long March
Rape of Nanking
"Hundred Flowers"
Great Leap Forward
Cultural Revolution
Tiananmen Square

Russia VIPs You will be provided with a "name bank" and written descriptions of all 20 of the Russia VIPs. You simply match the name to the description. You do not use any notes on this portion of the test. Here are the 20 names if you want to do a little review...

Ivan the Terrible
Peter the Great
Elizabeth
Catherine the Great
Leo Tolstoy
Nicholas II
Alexandra
Rasputin
Karl Marx
Vladimir Lenin
Leon Trotsky
Joseph Stalin
Sergei Eisenstein
Nikita Khrushchev
Leonid Brezhnev
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Andrei Sakharov
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Boris Yeltsin

"Take-home" Essay: You will write on your choice of ONE of the questions from the list below. You will need to write this essay outside of class time. The essay must be typed, using the Times or Times New Roman font, 12-point. The essay should be double-spaced (or space and a half) and should not be more than two pages. (You won't be penalized for being "too long" unless you go beyond three pages...) The essay is due NO LATER than Friday, March 3rd at 3:30 PM.

CAUTION: You must be writing in your own words. If you don't understand what constitutes plagiarism, you need to ask. The questions are designed to be answered in your ideas and words, not those of Wikipedia or anyone else. If you are using a direction quotation, it must be correctly cited. Otherwise, it is the same as plagiarizing. Here's a simple test. "Copy" a section of your writing (maybe a phrase or sentence) into Google and search. If that search leads you back to where you "took notes from," that is plagiarism.

You can answer any ONE of these questions:

A. Identify major consequences of three decades of Stalin's rule upon the Soviet Union in its domestic policy, foreign policy, and economic situations. How should history remember Joseph Stalin?

B. Explain and evaluate the impact of at least three specific events in the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Is the United States justified in its claim to have "won" the Cold War?

C. Explain at least one economic, social, and political factor which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. Would the Russian people be better off if communism had remained in place? Why or why not?

D. Identify major consequences of almost three decades of Mao's rule upon China in its domestic policy, foreign policy, and economic situations. How should history remember Mao Zedong?

E. Explain the major impacts of the Long March, the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution on communism and Mao's rule in China. Which of the three do you believe made the greatest impact? Why?

F. Explain at least on economic, social, and political factor that you believe led to China retaining its system of communism while the Soviet Union and others abandoned that system. Do you believe China would be better off if communism had not remained in place? Why or why not?

Posted by mvergin at 07:59 AM | Comments (0)

February 22, 2006

Lesson #24 - Communism in China

OK, so the title is a bit of a lie... We'll get to China part way through the hour.

NOTE: The information for next Friday's test can be found at the bottom of this blog entry...

First, we can take some time to talk about Current Events. Remember, you should print out your second batch of these before you turn them in. These are worth 20 points.

Russia in the Cold War:Let's make sure that you understand the basics of these important Cold War events.

Marshall Plan
Sputnik
Berlin Airlift
U2 incident
Korean War
Berlin Wall
Hungarian uprising
Cuban Missile Crisis

For each event, you should understand the following:

* When did it happen?
* Where did the event happen?
* What happened?
* How did the event affect US/ Soviet relations?
* Was there a "winner" or "loser"? Why?

China - From Revolution to Civil War: Let's quickly get up to the Long March so we can go on it tomorrow. Download this note guide that I "borrowed" from Ms. Murr...

Multiple choice: There will be somewhere between 20 and 30 questions again. I'll divide them as evenly as possible between Russia and China.

Russia
Karl Marx
March Revolution
Great Purge
Nazi-Soviet Pact
Sputnik
de-Stalinization
glasnost
Chernobyl

China
Sun Yat-sen
Nationalists
Long March
Rape of Nanking
"Hundred Flowers"
Great Leap Forward
Cultural Revolution
Tiananmen Square

You can answer any ONE of these questions:

A. Identify major consequences of three decades of Stalin's rule upon the Soviet Union in its domestic policy, foreign policy, and economic situations. How should history remember Joseph Stalin?

D. Identify major consequences of almost three decades of Mao's rule upon China in its domestic policy, foreign policy, and economic situations. How should history remember Mao Zedong?

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 21, 2006

Lesson #23 - The Soviet Union in the Cold War

Remind me that we need to decide whether or not to do the Long March tomorrow... We're heading back to China. My vote is that we do a scaled-down version where we wander around the building but don't have to go outside.

Remember that you have a batch of Current Events due on Wednesday, February 22nd. That's tomorrow.

We'll take our second unit exam next Friday, March 3rd. There will be identifications and multiple choice, much the same as last time. In addition, you will write one essay (take-home) that is due before break. You will have 4-6 questions to choose from. You'll have all this information by Thursday of this week.

Here are the VIPs scheduled for today... No more until next weekend.
Nikita Khrushchev - Asha, Robert
Leonid Brezhnev - Tom, none in 4th
Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Alex, John
Andrei Sakharov - Will, Roerick

Our "topic" for today will be the Soviet Union's involvement in the Cold War. You should understand the basics and significance of the events listed below. Work in a group of two or three, and look up at least four of the events. Use your text and any Internet resources you think might help. We'll chat briefly about these tomorrow.

Remember that this information will directly help you with one of the essay questions...

Marshall Plan
Sputnik
Berlin Airlift
U2 incident
Korean War
Berlin Wall
Hungarian uprising
Cuban Missile Crisis

For each event, you and your group should understand the following:

* When did it happen?
* Where did the event happen?
* What happened?
* How did the event affect US/ Soviet relations?
* Was there a "winner" or "loser"? Why?

CNN.com has a great website called, suprisingly enough, Cold War. Check it out.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 16, 2006

Lesson #22 - The Soviet Union in World War II

We'll start today by looking at some of the images Stalin had altered and/or taken out of context. "Now You See Him, Now You Don't" [U.S. News & World Report, July 9, 2001] tells the story of the book, The Commissar Vanishes.

Here's an on-line collection of images from "The Commissar Vanishes."

We will also watch some of the video clips on Stalin's early years and World War II. Be sure to ask any questions you have. You'll watch up through the events on World War II.

Here are some of my own World War II notes.

Remember that you have a batch of Current Events due on Wednesday, February 22nd. We meet a lot of VIPs on Tuesday. Here's the list.

Tuesday, February 21st
Nikita Khrushchev - Asha, Robert
Leonid Brezhnev - Tom
Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Alex, John
Andrei Sakharov - Will, Roerick

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2006

Lesson #21 - Stalin's Russia

Reminder: You have a second batch of Current Events due NEXT Wednesday. That's February 22nd.

We can take any additional questions or comments on the basics of communism. Next, let's look at some of the posters that you found interesting. Here are the links again...

Collections of Communist Propaganda Posters
Soviet Posters - International Institute of Social History
Stefan Landsberger's Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages

RUSSIA VIPs for today: Joseph Stalin and Sergei Eisenstein

Today, we'll take a look at the Soviet Union under the leadership of Joseph Stalin. There are a ton of things we could be looking at from his three decades in power, but we'll pick and choose.

Several times this week, we'll show a few minutes of clips from the Stalinist era in the Soviet Union. I'll probably wait until tomorrow to begin that.

Stalin's impact is so great that it will be felt over several days. We will look at his foreign policy, World War II, and the Cold War over the next several class periods. Today, we will focus on events closer to home. These Stalin- notes would be a good place to start.

Related links: These are some of the resources I have used in the past that you might find useful and/or interesting.

* CNN Profile of Joseph Stalin
* a biography of Stalin with a number of links to photos and resources
* "Hymn to Stalin" taught to Russian schoolchildren

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 14, 2006

Lesson #20 - Communism: An Introduction

Since it is Valentine's Day, here's a link to a Foreign Policy magazine feature. "Who Do You Love?" looks at a poll taken by World Public Opinion, a polling organization. Let's look at it a bit.

Although we'll use examples from both Russia and China, today's lesson isn't really "part" of one particular nation. Instead, we'll look at the idea of communism. We'll define some of its main ideas and discuss some of its strengths and weaknesses.

We will definitely add more specifics as we go back to our studies of Russia and China... Let's start with an introduction to some of the ideas and terms of communism. I have a "real" handout for you. None of those fancy link things for this one...

Collections of Communist Propaganda Posters
Soviet Posters - International Institute of Social History
Stefan Landsberger's Chinese Propaganda Poster Pages

Questions for discussion:

What do you think of capitalism? Are there any problems with this system? If so, what are they?

What do you think of communism? What are its advantages? Disadvantages?

Can a truly communist state exist? Would it work? Why or why not?

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2006

Lesson #19 - The Russian Revolutions of 1917

Welcome back. We're moving into our second historical unit, and it will focus on the 20th century and the communist eras in both Russia and China. The test on this unit will be the day before spring break begins.

I'll hand back some work and go over the tests. Next, we'll go with the VIP presentations. We have Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky scheduled for today.

Our other goal for the actual lesson today is make sense of 1917, which is probably the pivotal year in the history of Russia. The year begins with Czar Nicholas II in charge, and it ends with the Bolsheviks in charge of much of the country. I think it is easiest to look at the two revolutions in contrast with each other. You should download this Russian Revolutions of 1917 matrix.

REMINDER: Your second batch of current events will be due on Wednesday, February 22nd. Same format as the first, and I already sent you a template via email last Friday.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 10, 2006

Lesson #18 - Ancient and Imperial Russia and China Exam

Obviously, today's focus will be on the exam. It is worth 50 points. Each of the 20 multiple choice questions are worth one point, and the six identifications are each worth five points.

There's no specific homework over the weekend, but we do meet a number of Russia VIPs on Monday and Wednesday. Be sure you are ready for your day.

Your second batch of Current Events will be due on Wendesday, February 22nd. It's the same format as the first, and I will be emailing you another template that you can use. NOTE: A number of you have yet to turn in the first batch of Current Events. That would be a "0" out of 20 points. However, provided you turn them in to me by Monday, I'll allow you to receive up to half credit for them. Clearly, that is better than a "0".

Have a good weekend.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 09, 2006

Lesson #17 - The End of Imperial China

This is our last lesson before the test on Ancient & Imperial Russia and China. We'll take you through China's final few centuries of imperial rule. We'll pick up the story of China as a republic and later a communist state next week.

We'll be sure to set aside time for questions and review as well.

REMINDER: The "Ancient & Imperial Russia and China" exam will be on Friday. There will be twenty multiple-choice questions, and you will write 6 identifications. Here are the identification lists reprinted for your convenience... 8 total will appear on the exam, and you may write on any 6 of those 8. You are allowed to bring in 10 words of notes for each of the 16 possible identifications.

Russia Identifications
Primary Chronicle
Cyril
Golden Horde
Ivan III (the "Great")
Time of Troubles
oprichnina
Pugachev
"Bloody Sunday"

China Identifications
Confucius
Taoism
Shi Huang Di
Kublai Khan
Ming Dynasty
Manchus
Taiping Rebellion
Opium War

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 08, 2006

Lesson #17 - The Fall of the Romanovs

This is our last Russia lesson before Friday's exam. We'll take China through its imperial period tomorrow.

Cleaning up: We need to see Nicholas II in 2nd hour and the China presentation in 4th...

Remember: You can bring in 10 words of notes on each of the 16 possible identifications. That must all be on a piece of paper (typed or written), not your computer. (They can be found on a number of blog entries, including yesterday's...)

Today's lesson will pick up with the outbreak of World War I in Russia. We'll take you up through the death of Rasputin, the abdication of Czar Nicholas II and the fate of the Romanovs. We'll use a couple of clips from Nicholas & Alexandra to bring this to life for you...

Here is a Nicholas II - note guide if you want additional information about this time period.

Here is an interesting web site: Nicholas and Alexandra - The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia. This accompanied an exhibit from Russia that toured the United States a couple years ago.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 07, 2006

Lesson #16 - The Last Czars

We're heading back to Russia for the next two days as we take it up to the fall on Imperial Russia and the end of the Romanov dynasty.

Today, we have either 4 or 2 VIP presentations, depending on which class you are in...

Russia VIPs scheduled to appear: Leo Tolstoy, Nicholas II, Alexandra, Rasputin

Our last major topic for Russia in this unit will be Nicholas II and the end of Imperial Russia. Here's some information to bring us up to the reign of Nicholas II. The Last Czars - note guide

Nicholas and Alexandra is the other film I use in teaching parts of the Russia unit. You will see some clips from this both today and tomorrow. We will pause at different places to discuss what is happening. Some of the events you will see include:

* Nicholas and Alexandra meet Rasputin
* the discovery of Alexei's hemophilia
* Bloody Sunday and the Revolution of 1905
* early actions of the Bolsheviks (Lenin, Trotsky, and others)
* Russia's involvement in World War I
* the assassination of Rasputin
* the Czar's abdication in the March Revolution of 1917

Tomorrow, we will see what happens with the Romanov family after they are taken into custody.

REMINDER: The "Ancient & Imperial Russia and China" exam will be on Friday. Here are the identification lists reprinted for your convenience... 8 total will appear on the exam, and you may write on any 6 of those 8.

Russia Identifications
Primary Chronicle
Cyril
Golden Horde
Ivan III (the "Great")
Time of Troubles
oprichnina
Pugachev
"Bloody Sunday"

China Identifications
Confucius
Taoism
Shi Huang Di
Kublai Khan
Ming Dynasty
Manchus
Taiping Rebellion
Opium War

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2006

Lesson #15 - Ancient & Imperial China presentations - Day #2

We'll finish the presentations today. You probably should have already read that chapter ("The History of Russia to 1917") by now. I'll give you the China reading today.

If you're looking ahead to the test on Friday, I believe we have already touched on these Russia "identifications" that are in bold:

Primary Chronicle
Cyril
Golden Horde
Ivan III (the "Great")
Time of Troubles
oprichnina
Pugachev
"Bloody Sunday"

Ancient and Imperial China Presentations

2nd hour presentation schedule

Monday, February 6th
Buddhism and Taoism in China - Abby, Katharine, Kelsey, Josh
Science and Technology - Alex, Alicia, Souriya
Architecture - Andrew C., Bobby, David O.

4th hour presentation schedule

Monday, February 6th
The Mongols - Kevin
Art and Culture - Hannah, Karee, Morgan, Natalie
Religion and Philosophy (of some kinds) - Jackie, Robert, Veronica
More on Architecture??? - Roerick

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 03, 2006

Lesson #14 - Ancient & Imperial China presentations - Day #1

We'll start the presentations today. There's no additional assignment over the weekend, so you should read that chapter ("The History of Russia to 1917") over the weekend if you haven't gotten to it yet.

If you're looking ahead to the test next Friday, I believe we have already touched on these Russia "identifications" that are in bold:

Primary Chronicle
Cyril
Golden Horde
Ivan III (the "Great")
Time of Troubles
oprichnina
Pugachev
"Bloody Sunday"

Ancient and Imperial China Presentations

2nd hour presentation schedule

Friday, February 3rd
Confucius/Confucianism - Brand, Chris, Tom
Military and War - Andy L., David J., Will
Art and Culture - Ann, Asha, Christina, Layne

4th hour presentation schedule

Friday, February 3rd
Science and Technology and Military - Geoff, Amit, Bryan
Architecture - AJ, John, Roerick

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 02, 2006

Lesson #13 - Imperial Russia - Peter to Catherine

Rumor has it that Ms. Murr's is checking the blog out to see what we're up to... We'll see how long it takes her to post a comment. Maybe I should threaten to reveal one of her secrets...

We'll continue our look at Russia's Imperial period. We'll see another clip from Peter the Great during the class today.

Reminders:
You should be reading that chapter that I handed out on Monday.
Be sure you know when you are presenting for your Russia VIP. (Schedule/rubric on Lesson #5)
We start the Ancient and Imperial China presentations tomorrow. (Schedule on Lesson #9)
We'll have the test on the Ancient & Imperial Russia and China units on Friday, February 10th. (You can find the identifications list on Lesson #10.)

Impact of Peter the Great- This list is by no means complete, but it shows the timeline of some major events from the time of Peter the Great.

1695-96 capture of Azov
1695 beginning of Russian navy
1697-98 Peter's "Grand Embassy" to the West
1698 Streltsy revolt crushed
1700 suspension of patriarchate, new calendar
1700-21 Great Northern War with Sweden
1709 victory in Battle of Poltava
1713 capital moved to St. Petersburg
1718 Tsarevich Alexis killed
1721 treaty with Sweden- new lands acquired
1722 Table of Ranks established, succession law
1725 death of Peter the Great

How did Peter alter the future of Russia?

* Westernization campaign- "Window to the West"
* modernization of military
* bringing of industry and technology to Russia
* introduction of Russia navy
* ends mestnichestvo- system of precedence
* secularization of Russian state and culture
* spiritual regulation- seizure of lands, suspends the Patriachate
* "Truth of the Monarch's Will"- attempts to end question of succession
* establishment of St. Petersburg

From Peter to Catherine - These notes will help you understand the transition between the two "greats."

Following the VIP presentation, we can take a look at these notes on Catherine the Great.

That's enough for today. We'll head back to China for the next couple days.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)

February 01, 2006

Lesson #12 - The Early Czars of Russia

Today, we'll be starting with the VIP presentations. I shouldn't need to remind you that I will expect the audience to be on their best behavior during presentations. Remember that there WILL be a 20-point quiz on these VIPs later in the quarter. I will describe each, and you will name them from a word bank you are provided. (You cannot use notes.)

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you:

Ivan the Terrible
Peter the Great

We're going to do something different today with Ivan the Terrible. Here's a copy of my notes on him... We can talk about some of the specific things from both the presentation and some other things you might find interesting.

Next, we'll act out the Time of Troubles as a group. No note-taking allowed. Just watch, participate, and see why it is well named...

With Peter the Great, we'll watch some clips today and tomorrow. That should help give you a much better picture of the Russia of the time. We'll continue with the Imperial Period tomorrow.

VIPs for tomorrow: Elizabeth and Catherine the Great.

Posted by mvergin at 08:00 AM | Comments (0)