Capitalism, socialism, communism ... these may seem like a whole bunch of isms to your scholars. High schoolers won't  confuse them after completing an informative resource. Your class masters how to use primary sources to critically...

The 18th and 19th centuries saw so many political revolutions around the world that it's difficult to consider the importance and influence of the revolutions that affected each country differently: the agricultural and industrial...

Clarifying the differences between Capitalism, Communism, and Socialism, as well as describing the historical contexts for each, this video will help viewers understand the meaning of Communist and Capitalist countries. This resource...

The countless deaths of the Great War are often unimaginable to young learners. Examining the life and writings of Louis Barthas, however, paints a picture of life in the trenches. Show your pupils what life was like as a poilu, or...

While Benito Mussolini made his mark as the Italian fascist dictator during World War II, his experiences during the Great War formed his beliefs. An informative video traces the complex narrative, covering Mussolini's early life, his...

The Election of 1912: an election with four competitive opponents. Pupils get to know the candidates with informative reading passages that provide context to the election. Then, the class engages in a debate and answers questions as one...

Friedrich Hayek's 20th century work The Road to Serfdom warns readers against classical socialism and its tendency to stem from good intentions into total tyranny and control. A brief video explains Hayek's points about socialism and...

Discover the ways that the exploited class has influenced our modern lives with a short study of Eric Hobsbawm's The Age of Revolution: 1789 - 1848. High schoolers discuss the Marxist perspective of how the Industrial Revolution and the...

Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes held different beliefs about economic systems that evolved from their predecessors, and then shaped by their countries' economic situations. A video from Crash Course Economics explains the...

What works better: a planned economy or a market economy? Join the global debate with a Crash Course video about macroeconomics and the differences between economic systems. With quotes from Adam Smith and Karl Marx guiding instruction,...

The avant-garde movement is explored through a sociopolitical lens. Learners analyze the work of Jan Rothuizen by considering several critical-thinking questions and the cultural context of each piece. They then create a drawing based on...

Trace the industrial changes and shifts in world power occurring between 1850 and 1900. This is an extensive, well-organized, and complete look at the social and political events leading up to the turn of the century. A great resource to...

The Industrial Revolution brought many changes to American and European economy and politics. Cover the causes and effects of social reforms after the rise of Industrialization. Topics include laissez-faire, economics, socialism,...

Europe was in a state of transition and upheaval that spanned a time of 60 years, beginning in 1850 and running through the first World War. Uncover the wars, key players, politics, and social movements that marked this time period in...

Comparing and contrasting Capitalism and Socialism, this lecture outlines many nuances between the two economic systems, including the ideas of meritocracy and "fairness." A discussion about the effects of either system gone "unchecked"...

This three-part series concludes with primary source quotes, film from the time, and a real news narration that describes the rise of the Bolsheviks. Learners will be able to understand how difficult it is to maintain a peaceful...

Covering the main topics of the Cold War, including some excellent discussion points on the methodologies of the Soviet and Eastern Bloc nations versus the US and Western Democracies, this presentation is a good way to introduce the...

Students identify and explain the Tiananmen Square incident of June 1989. Studentsl compare what it is to be an American Citizen (Democracy) vs. Chinese Citizen (Communism). Students identify and define various vocabulary terms,...

Young scholars explore the U.S. form of government and illustrate other forms of government found throughout the world. They explain the similarities and differences between the U.S and other governments.

Part two of this three-part series on the Russian Revolution begins with the fall of the Russian czars. Take a peek into the rise of socialism and the promise of a new Russia. The Soviets, the idea of democracy, and the conflict that...

The Industrial Revolution continues today in some parts of the world, and it's up to your class to think about why that is true. They compose three short answers related to socialism, industry, and the postindustrial economy. A great...

Students investigate the Sacco-Vanzetti trial and develop a basic understanding of the issues involved. Then they write an essay taking a stance on the Sacco-Vanzetti trial: was the trial fair? were the two men falsely accused? Finally,...

High schoolers conduct Internet research on China's economic development and use a worksheet to organize their findings. They participate in class discussion and compare and contrast the economies of the U.S. and China.

Progress through various aspects of the  "The Beautiful Era" in this presentation. Political, technological, and scientific contexts surround the time of innovation and change in the world landscape. The short length of this slide show...