History Resource Cupboard – lessons and resources for schools

History Resource Cupboard - lessons and resources for schools

Should your history department spend money on Lenin artefacts?

LeninShould your history department spend school money on Lenin artefacts?

Lets face it, many left leaning teachers past and present have purchased Soviet memorabilia and proudly display it either at home or at school.

This fantastic enquiry exploits this fact and asks whether your history department should spend its money on Lenin artefacts. Was the Soviet Union’s founder a friendly father of the nation type who did his best for people, or an evil dictator who unleashed terror onto millions?

The class will look at two conflicting interpretations of Lenin’s rule as Soviet leader. They will go on to overview Lenin’s brief ‘reign’ and plot key facts on a clever two way graph.

Does the evidence suggest that Lenin was a man who we should still celebrate and remember, or is it wrong to spend money on images and statues of The Soviet Union’s first leader?

Your students will decide, and write to your head teacher explaining whether buying Lenin artefacts is a good use of the school’s history budget.

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  • Lesson presentation: PowerPoint
  • Lesson write-up: PDF
  • Resource 1: PDF
  • Worksheet 1: PDF

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