Lesson Overview
Featured Article: “Can the West Stop Russia From Invading Ukraine?” by Dan Bilefsky
In recent weeks, tensions between Russia and the West have heightened as President Vladimir V. Putin has mobilized about 100,000 troops near Russia’s border with Ukraine. The move signals an attempt to redraw the post-Cold War boundaries of Europe and, potentially, to draw Ukraine back into Moscow’s orbit by force, if necessary.
In this lesson, you will learn the background of the crisis: what Mr. Putin wants, how the United States is responding and what is at stake for Europe and the world. Then you will do your best to explain the situation to a specific audience with a mini-project of your choice: writing a tweet, putting together a presentation, designing a one-pager or making a concept map.
Warm-Up
Part 1: Understand Key Terms
Before reading the featured article, get familiar with some key terms related to the history of international relations among Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Europe:
Write down what, if anything, you know about each of these terms. Then click on the link and read at least the first paragraph of each term’s entry in the Britannica Encyclopedia. Add any other relevant information to your definition, including how Russia, Ukraine, the United States and Europe are, or are not, involved.
Part 2: Learn About Ukraine and Russia
What do you know about the two nations at the center of this conflict, Ukraine and Russia? Test your knowledge, or learn something new, with our related geography quizzes below. Then write down or discuss with your classmates the ways in which these two countries are similar to and different from one another.
Questions for Writing and Discussion
Read the article, then answer the following questions:
1. What does the current conflict look like between the United States, Russia and Ukraine? Summarize it in your own words.
2. What are some of the potential consequences of a military invasion by Russia into Ukraine?
3. What events in 2014 and 2015 contributed to current tensions between Ukraine and Russia?
4. According to the article, what does it seem Mr. Putin wants? How could his plan and current demands backfire?
5. What actions has the United States taken? How might the Biden administration continue to act going forward?
6. How does the current conflict affect Europe? Why is Europe at greater risk than the United States of losing more if sanctions are imposed against Russia?
7. What is your reaction to the situation between Ukraine and Russia? How worried are you about what happens next? Why?
Going Further
Using the information you learned in the warm-up activity and the featured article, create something to help educate others on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Here are some options:
Write a 280-character tweet about what is happening. Use catchy and clear language to communicate the essential issues and players.
Teach a fifth grader about the conflict. In five minutes or less, help someone younger than you understand the conflict. You might want to use maps, photographs or colorful paper and pens to help communicate the information.
Design a one-pager to share what you learned with another student or an adult in your life. Using illustrations, quotes from the articles, key words and names of important political figures, design a visually compelling summary of the crisis.
Create a concept map to illustrate the situation. Generate a list of key words, places, organizations and people related to this conflict. Then create a map to show how they are related to one another.
If you would like to go further, read one or more of the following articles, or find recent updates on the Russia-Ukraine tensions here. Consider adding the new information you learn to your explainer.
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