History of Russia, Part 1: Ethnogenesis
Grade 6-8 level

Description

In this lesson students will be able to answer the essential questions of inquiry: What is ethnogenesis? How did state formation occur among the Slavic peoples? What led to the decline of the Kyivan Rus’? Students will be able to analyze and understand primary and secondary sources. Students will be able to connect previous homework (Ibn Fadlan and Khazaria) with this slide show.

Materials

Main Aims

  • To provide review and clarification of language used for changing identities in the context of early east Slavic state formation.

Subsidiary Aims

  • To provide practice of language used for demographic discourse in the context of early Rus' society.

Procedure

Warmer/Lead-in (3-5 minutes) • To set lesson context and engage students

Sts are allowed to take notes on their computers. It shouldn't take more than a minute or two, but this seems to be taking longer than usual. Slide 1 Letting sts know what we are going to be talking about and prepare their notes accordingly.

Exposure (8-10 minutes) • To provide a model of production expected in coming tasks through reading/listening

Slide 2 The essential questions are reviewed from the last lesson. Standards are shown Time permiting, students read the esstential questions and standards. Slide 3 What is ethnogenesis? Students have the opportunity to give examples of different groups of people with differing foundation myths.

Useful Language (8-10 minutes) • To highlight and clarify useful language for coming productive tasks

Slide 4 Linguistic, geographical and social contexts of the first east Slavic state. Keywords: peasantry, aristocracy, merchants, Church, marginalized people. Teacher elicits what the keywords mean with example from history or now in the modern day. Pictures will be utilized to explain how communal and individual identities change through time.

Productive Task(s) (15-18 minutes) • To provide an opportunity to practice target productive skills

Slide 5 Analyzing primary sources: 1. Abbasid embassy to Volga Bulgaria, Ahmad ibn Fadlan first to describe the Rus'. Expectations: Hopefully some will have done the homework. 2. Primary Chronicle from the 12th century, Nestor the Chronicler Rurikid dynasty and the first east slavic state. Expectations: Students will be able to develop a better idea of how ambiguous state formation can be.

Exposure (10-15 minutes) • To provide a model of production expected in coming tasks through reading/listening

Slide 6 and 7 Establishment of first east Slavic state and its multiple ethnic, linguistic and social foundation. Connecting to present day nation-states of Russia and Ukraine. Expectaions: Hopefully some will have completed the assignment "Khazaria" Turkic Rhadanite Jewish state of the Pontic Steppe. (very low) Teacher note: Must give sts time to develop note taking skills.

Feedback and Error Correction (5-8 minutes) • To provide feedback on students' production and use of language

Students have a chance for any clarification and develop further threads of thought. Introduce ethnogenesis project, time permitting.

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