Students should be familiar with a timeline of events before, during and after the revolution of 1917, including the first riots in February, and a second rebellion in October of the same year. Create a class timeline on a bulletin board or allow students to create a picture timeline using slide presentation software or other programs. Discuss the conditions that caused the Russian people to reject their monarch. Consider the first revolution of 1905 when Tsar Nicolas II was forced to create a duma, or parliament. Did conditions improve? What role did the war play in Nicolas’ inability to rule his country effectively?
Introduce students to new words that relate to the revolution, communism and poverty, such as, Bolsheviks, parliament, autocracy and industrialization. Use vocabulary exercises that build on root words, prefixes and suffixes. Consider using vocabulary squares and ask students to study a word by defining it, drawing a picture, listing antonyms and using the word in sentences. If time allows, learn a few native Russian words.
Once students understand the basic causes and effects of the Russian Revolution, build on that knowledge by exploring 20 Century artwork created by Russians during this tumultuous period. This will help students get a sense of the mood during the revolution and the war in Europe. Many Europeans and their governments were profoundly disturbed, even fearful of the events that took place in Russia. Allow students to create their own artwork based on the event or encourage them to express their impressions in writing.
To further immerse students in Russian culture, study clothing worn during the 20 Century including royal attire and peasant garb. Allow students to dress up and reenact a scene from the Russian Revolution or have them create their own. And what better way to experience a culture than by tasting its food? Cook something up in class or ask a parent to bring something from home. Russians eat more fish than many other cultures. Fish is included in the traditional sweet pie called a “piroghi,” often eaten with hot soup and tea, or share some “bliny.” Russians traditionally eat these thin pancakes before lent.
Students will enjoy books based on the Revolution including “Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess,” from the Royal Diaries series, or “Angel on the Square,” a story about a young girl in the Russian Royal court. “The Fetch,” a fantasy about the imperial children, and “A Countess Below Stairs,” about a Russian countess who escapes to become an English housekeeper, are examples of revolutionary historical fiction. Suggestions of biographical novels for young adults include: “From the Broken Windows: A Story of Survival,” about a Jewish family whose town was attacked by Russian armies and bandits; “The Bloody White Baron: The Extraordinary Story of the Russian Nobleman Who Became the Last Khan of Mongolia;” or “The Turbulent Tide: A Historical Novel of the Russian Revolution.”