History Study Unit 1 [5b]
Russia in Revolution: 1905-17
Lesson One: Russia and the major world powers in 1900
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the course content and form of assessment.
2. To develop essential contextual knowledge and vocabulary.
3. To develop understanding of the key characteristics of the major world powers in 1900.
4. To provide essential background information on the Russian Empire, focusing primarily on
geographical factors.
Resources
Course outline
Glossary
World Powers card sort
Russia in 1900 task sheet
Map of Russia in 1900 (consumable)
OHT of Russia in 1900
Bare Essentials: Imperial Russia information and task sheet
Activities
1. Distribute books, course outline and glossary. The outline and glossary should be attached to
books. It is a good idea to leave a number of pages spare at the back of books to add further
definitions as the course progresses. Remind students that they will be tested on the meaning of
such terms and concepts.
2. Before focusing on Russia, it is important that students understand the international scene in
1900. Who were the dominant powers? Which nations/empires were in decline? What were
relations like between the world powers? Before distributing the cards, see if students can
identify who the major world powers would have been. What do they think constitutes a major
world power? Complete card sort activity. Students match each country to the appropriate
description and ruler. This information should then be copied into books in the form of a table.
3. Turn now to examine Russia in 1900. Bare in mind that our students have very little background
knowledge of Russia. The GCSE course does little more than mention the 1917 Revolution in the
context of World War I. A good place to start is therefore to examine the geographical nature of
Imperial Russia. Use the OHT and wall maps to emphasise the size of the Empire. Move onto the
task sheet. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of controlling a country of this size.
Students should also be given their own copy of the map to keep.
4. Extension/Homework The Bare Essentials: Imperial Russia worksheet should be completed.
, History Study Unit 1 [5b]
Russia in Revolution: 1905-17
Lesson Two: The Tsarist system of government
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the concept of Tsardom and emphasise the differences between this and the British
concept of monarchy.
2. To develop the ability to interpret historical sources.
3. To examine differing attitudes towards the tsarist system of government
4. To develop note taking skills.
Resources
Russian Society card sort and A3 diagram (consumable)
‘The Tsarist System of Government’ source and task sheet
Copies of both sources (consumable)
OHT of Source One
G. Darby, The Russian Revolution
Questions to accompany Darby chapter
OHT’s of first pages of chapter
Activities
1. Go over student’s answers to the Bare Essentials questions set last lesson. Focus on task 4 – the
structure of Russian society. Emphasise the hierarchical nature of Imperial Russia and the fact
that the Tsar had virtually no limits to his power. Distribute the Russian society card sort at this
point. Students must first match each statement to the correct group. They then have to
determine where each group belongs on the diagram. The Church runs right through as it had its
own hierarchy; from the Tsar, who chose the Head of the Church, right down to the local village
priest. The diagram is not drawn to scale and be sure to highlight this fact. The peasantry were
so large a group that they would dominate the entire diagram, making it difficult to add
descriptions of the other groups. The middle class were also very small, although growing
throughout the period but they belong above the urban workers and below the nobility.
2. Move on to examine the sources on Tsardom. Discuss the different attitudes towards Tsardom
expressed in each source. Use the OHT and encourage students to annotate their own copies of
each source. They should then attempt the tasks independently. Give them a set time to
complete this activity. The examination is source based so it is important that students are given
A Level standard sources and practice of writing in timed conditions from the start.
3. Distribute the copies of Darby, The Russian Revolution and the questions on Alexander II and
Alexander III. They will need to refer to pages 20- 27. Although our course focuses only on the
reign of Nicholas II, contextual knowledge of Nicholas’ predecessors will aid students
understanding of the dilemmas Nicholas faced and the course of action he adopted. Students will
find the tasks difficult due to the language contained in the chapter. Advise them on note-taking
skills. They should not copy huge chunks of text. Nor should they copy anything they don’t
understand. They should use a dictionary and add words to the glossary sections of their books.
Use the OHT’s provided to answer the first few questions together.
4. Extension/Homework Completion of the Darby chapter.
Russia in Revolution: 1905-17
Lesson One: Russia and the major world powers in 1900
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the course content and form of assessment.
2. To develop essential contextual knowledge and vocabulary.
3. To develop understanding of the key characteristics of the major world powers in 1900.
4. To provide essential background information on the Russian Empire, focusing primarily on
geographical factors.
Resources
Course outline
Glossary
World Powers card sort
Russia in 1900 task sheet
Map of Russia in 1900 (consumable)
OHT of Russia in 1900
Bare Essentials: Imperial Russia information and task sheet
Activities
1. Distribute books, course outline and glossary. The outline and glossary should be attached to
books. It is a good idea to leave a number of pages spare at the back of books to add further
definitions as the course progresses. Remind students that they will be tested on the meaning of
such terms and concepts.
2. Before focusing on Russia, it is important that students understand the international scene in
1900. Who were the dominant powers? Which nations/empires were in decline? What were
relations like between the world powers? Before distributing the cards, see if students can
identify who the major world powers would have been. What do they think constitutes a major
world power? Complete card sort activity. Students match each country to the appropriate
description and ruler. This information should then be copied into books in the form of a table.
3. Turn now to examine Russia in 1900. Bare in mind that our students have very little background
knowledge of Russia. The GCSE course does little more than mention the 1917 Revolution in the
context of World War I. A good place to start is therefore to examine the geographical nature of
Imperial Russia. Use the OHT and wall maps to emphasise the size of the Empire. Move onto the
task sheet. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of controlling a country of this size.
Students should also be given their own copy of the map to keep.
4. Extension/Homework The Bare Essentials: Imperial Russia worksheet should be completed.
, History Study Unit 1 [5b]
Russia in Revolution: 1905-17
Lesson Two: The Tsarist system of government
Aims and Objectives
1. To introduce the concept of Tsardom and emphasise the differences between this and the British
concept of monarchy.
2. To develop the ability to interpret historical sources.
3. To examine differing attitudes towards the tsarist system of government
4. To develop note taking skills.
Resources
Russian Society card sort and A3 diagram (consumable)
‘The Tsarist System of Government’ source and task sheet
Copies of both sources (consumable)
OHT of Source One
G. Darby, The Russian Revolution
Questions to accompany Darby chapter
OHT’s of first pages of chapter
Activities
1. Go over student’s answers to the Bare Essentials questions set last lesson. Focus on task 4 – the
structure of Russian society. Emphasise the hierarchical nature of Imperial Russia and the fact
that the Tsar had virtually no limits to his power. Distribute the Russian society card sort at this
point. Students must first match each statement to the correct group. They then have to
determine where each group belongs on the diagram. The Church runs right through as it had its
own hierarchy; from the Tsar, who chose the Head of the Church, right down to the local village
priest. The diagram is not drawn to scale and be sure to highlight this fact. The peasantry were
so large a group that they would dominate the entire diagram, making it difficult to add
descriptions of the other groups. The middle class were also very small, although growing
throughout the period but they belong above the urban workers and below the nobility.
2. Move on to examine the sources on Tsardom. Discuss the different attitudes towards Tsardom
expressed in each source. Use the OHT and encourage students to annotate their own copies of
each source. They should then attempt the tasks independently. Give them a set time to
complete this activity. The examination is source based so it is important that students are given
A Level standard sources and practice of writing in timed conditions from the start.
3. Distribute the copies of Darby, The Russian Revolution and the questions on Alexander II and
Alexander III. They will need to refer to pages 20- 27. Although our course focuses only on the
reign of Nicholas II, contextual knowledge of Nicholas’ predecessors will aid students
understanding of the dilemmas Nicholas faced and the course of action he adopted. Students will
find the tasks difficult due to the language contained in the chapter. Advise them on note-taking
skills. They should not copy huge chunks of text. Nor should they copy anything they don’t
understand. They should use a dictionary and add words to the glossary sections of their books.
Use the OHT’s provided to answer the first few questions together.
4. Extension/Homework Completion of the Darby chapter.
