A Guided Tour of Moscow is a curated photo essay for use in middle and high school social studies classrooms. The essay offers a brief, completely non-comprehensive overview of Russian history and culture circa 2017 and is meant to present these topics in an unconventional way – that is, as if the student were travelling through, wandering, and exploring Moscow on their own. Explore Red Square and Gorky Park, commute through the Moscow Metro, and participate in the 2017 Victory Day celebrations commemorating the end of World War II.
Suggested Activities:
- Choose any topic described in a photo or caption in this album – the Moscow Metro, Red Square, the Kremlin, Victory Day, Russian art, Soviet propaganda, McDonald’s in Russia, St. Vladimir, Russia-Ukraine history, glastnost, or anything else you see here that sparks your curiosity. Do some deeper reading and research on that topic, creating a 500 word post to share in the comments section on your course website.
- Research and plan a realistic travel itinerary through modern-day Moscow that focuses specifically on its unique history and culture. Explain the historical or cultural relevance of your choices. Present the final itinerary with photos and estimated costs (in Russian rubles) for the whole trip.
Find more free lessons on Russia at Openendsocialstudies.org.
There are also plenty of free lessons featuring other nations currently in the news.
THIS LESSON WAS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH GENEROUS SUPPORT AND COOPERATION FROM Фонд исторической перспективы and Русская гуманитарная миссия.
Portions of this text have been adapted from open sources.
open ended social studies 