The Holocaust & Genocide
Students investigate the systematic persecution and extermination of Jews and other groups during the Holocaust, and its implications for human rights.
Key Questions
- Analyze the factors that enabled the Holocaust to occur.
- Explain how the Holocaust challenged the world's understanding of human rights and international law.
- Evaluate the responsibility of individuals and nations in preventing and responding to genocide.
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
About This Topic
This topic examines the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Students analyze the internal and external factors that led to the fall of communism in Eastern Europe, including the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev (Glasnost and Perestroika), the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland, and the economic stagnation of the Soviet system. The curriculum explores the unintended consequences of these reforms and the rapid disintegration of the USSR.
Grade 12 students investigate the impact of the Soviet collapse on global politics, leading to a 'unipolar' world dominated by the United States. They analyze the challenges of the transition to democracy and market economies in former communist states. This topic comes alive when students can participate in a 'Crisis in the Kremlin' simulation, where they must navigate the competing pressures of reform and hardline resistance during the final years of the Soviet Union.
Active Learning Ideas
Simulation Game: The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Students represent different groups in East and West Germany, as well as the US and Soviet governments, on the night of November 9, 1989. They must react to the breaking news and decide how to manage the sudden opening of the border.
Inquiry Circle: Glasnost and Perestroika
Small groups research the specific goals and outcomes of Gorbachev's reforms. They create a 'Cause and Effect' chart showing how 'openness' and 'restructuring' led to increased demands for independence in the Soviet republics.
Think-Pair-Share: Was the Collapse Inevitable?
Students read two competing historical arguments: one that the USSR was doomed by its own economic flaws, and another that specific leaders and events triggered the collapse. They discuss with a partner which argument they find more persuasive.
Watch Out for These Misconceptions
Common MisconceptionThe Soviet Union collapsed because of a US military invasion.
What to Teach Instead
The collapse was primarily due to internal economic and political factors, as well as peaceful revolutions in Eastern Europe. A 'Internal vs. External Factors' sort can help students see the primary role of domestic issues in the fall of the USSR.
Common MisconceptionThe end of the Cold War meant the end of all global conflict.
What to Teach Instead
While the superpower rivalry ended, the collapse of the USSR led to new ethnic and regional conflicts in places like Yugoslavia and the Caucasus. Analyzing a 'Post-Cold War Conflict Map' can help students see these new challenges.
Suggested Methodologies
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was 'Glasnost'?
What was 'Perestroika'?
How did the 'Solidarity' movement in Poland influence the fall of communism?
How can active learning help students understand the fall of the USSR?
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