Books and classroom kits
Cheese and Honey: Folk Tale Selections From the Slavic Center
Four Slavic folk tales including Chukchi, Latvian, Polish and Czech tales. Published by the Center for Slavic and East European Studies at the University of California at Berkeley, 1992, 28 pp.
Enchantment of the World: Hungary
By Ann Stalcup. 2005. This book offers geography for a new generation. It is an invaluable resource for facts and figures, and a fascinating, highly visual introduction to Hungary. Full-color photos, original maps, interactive, browser-friendly sidebars, handly fast facts, and an authoritative "to find out more" section, including Internet resources.
Faces: The Magazine About People
The Baltics (one copy)
Bosnia (three copies)
Georgia (seven copies)
The Gypsies (one copy)
Serbia (one copy)
Ukraine (six copies)
Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia
By James Mayhew, Kingfisher Books, 1993, 80 pp. The author has retold five of the most famous Russian fairy tales in contemporary English. The tales are woven together by the cat Koshka, a wise old story-telling cat, who is narrating to a banished Tsaritsa. They are accompanied by full color, full page illustrations, also by Mayhew.
Our Global Village: Poland
Written by Don McKay and illustrated by Kathy Mitter, Milliken Publishing Company, 1994. Introduction to Polish history and culture including daily life, holidays, foods, stories, games, and basic language expressions.
Our Global Village: Russia
Written by Susan J. Williams and illustrated by Kathy Mitter, Milliken Publishing Company, 1993. Introduction to Russian history and culture, including daily life, holidays, foods, stories, games and basic language expressions.
Peter and Catherine: Two Russian Greats
By Rosalie F. and Charles Baker. May/June 1997 Calliope World History for Young People. Both Peter and Catherine introduced reforms designed to make Russia a world power. As a result, they changed the course of their country's history.
Religions of the World Series: I am Eastern Orthodox
Written by Philemon D. Sevastiades. 1996. A teaching book highlighting the basics of Eastern Orthodoxy from the point of view of Anastasia, an Orthodox child living in Chicago, with simple texts and color photographs. Grades 1-4.
Russia: A Literature-Based Multicultural Unit
Written by Betsy Franco, 1993. A book of reading and classroom activities on Russian culture, language appropriate for grades 1-3. Topics include folk tales, matryoshka dolls, and Peter and the Wolf.
Russia: The Lands, Peoples, and Cultures Series
A Bobbie Kalman Book. Crabtree Publishing Company, 2000. A full-color three-book series.
A Visit to Russia and Ukraine
Story by Mary Packard and illustrated by Benrei Huang. A Golden Book, Western Publishing Company, 1995.
ACCESS Issue Packet on Bosnia-Herzegovina
1996, 149 pp. Provides an introduction to ethnic conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina and includes basic information on the area, a description of NATO's role in the conflict, documents such as The Dayton Peace Accord, maps, and an extensive list of sources.
The Balkans Ethnic Conflict
Jackdaw Publications, 2000. This activities and information packet provides a history of the Balkans up to 1918. The packet contains maps, historical essays and exercises related to the Balkans.
Collapse of a Multinational State: The Case of Yugoslavia
1994. Published by SPICE, this unit is designed for world history and contemporary issue courses. It explores the concept of nationalism within a European context by examining the dynamics of nationalistic sentiments in the former Yugoslavia. A reader's theater, mapping exercises and primary source materials will help students gain a better understanding of the concept of nationalism and the dynamics occurring within the former Yugoslavia.
Crisis in Kosovo (CRI)
Produced by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc. VHS housed with Russian and East European Institute film collection. Accompanying materials housed with Russian and East European Institute outreach materials.
Life in War-Torn Bosnia
by Diane Yancey, 110 pp. 1996. A part of the "The Way People Live" series, this book describes the recent violence in Bosnia and the historical background behind it.
The Struggle for Peace in Bosnia: Considering U.S. Options
1993. Created by the Brown University Center for Foreign Policy Development, this Choices for the 21st Century curriculum unit consists of four divergent options for the US towards the Bosnia conflict, a brief account of Yugoslavia's history, and an introduction to events of the 20th century contributing to the conflict in the region.
Teaching Modern Southeast European History: Alternative Educational Materials
Written by the Center for Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe (CDRSEE) in 2006. The four history books included in the packet are: The Ottoman Empire; Nations and States in Southeast Europe; The Balkan Wars; and The Second World War. The workbooks contain original source material from 11 countries of Southeast Europe.
Comparative Lessons for Democracy
By John Fischer and Dawn Shinew. 1997. The lessons in this book have been developed and field tested for use in American middle and secondary schools. The lessons have been developed through a collaborative process involving educators and scholars from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Russia, and the United States.
The Democratic Process: Promises and Challenges
By the American Forum for Global Education, 2003. Includes essay and short lessons on the democratization process in Eastern Europe and Russia from the fall of communism to 2003.
Destination: Lithuania
Prepared by World Wise Schools and the United States Peace Corps. 1994. Accompanies the video "Destination Lithuania." The activities described in the guide are divided into three parts. Part I provides background information on the Peace Corps and Lithuania. Part II contains supplemental activities divided into three grade levels: 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12. Part III provides resources—worksheets, maps and a bibliography. The goal of the guide and video are to present basic information on the culture and geography of Lithuania. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Destination: Poland
Prepared by World Wise Schools and the United States Peace Corps. 1994. Accompanies the video "Destination Poland." The activities described in the guide have been written for three grade levels: 3-5, 6-9 and 10-12. The goal of the guide and video are to present basic information on the geography of Poland; political and economic changes currently taking place in Poland; and to introduce two aspects of Polish culture: history and symbols. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Eastern Europe: Captive Lands
1992. 50 pages of handouts and lesson plans for secondary teachers. Includes topics on the Cold War and collective economies.
Eastern Europe: Dissidence Censored
1992. Nearly 40 pages of handouts and lesson plans for secondary teachers on dissidence movements under Communism and its censorship.
Eastern Europe: The Unfinished Revolution
1992. 50 pages of lesson plans and handouts for secondary teachers about the restructuring of Eastern Europe after the Cold War.
International Biographies: Eastern Europe
The Center for Learning, 1992. If you are considering lessons and activities based on important and influential figures in Eastern European history, this may be the book for you. Covering such famous personalities as Alexander the Great, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Tito, each study has a reading and classroom activity as well as teacher's notes and suggestions for effective teaching of the topics. Appropriate for grades 4, 5, and 6.
Mapping Europe
A curriculum unit for grades six to ten developed by The Europe Project, Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 1992, revised 2004. Includes information on the European Union.
A Survey of World Cultures: Europe
By Ann Chatterton Klimas. 2001. Includes chapters on Europe as well as separate chapters on Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Germany, Poland and Romania, with sections on geography, climate, history, language, the arts, as well as a spotlight story for each country.
The Holocaust
Part of the World History Series. 1998. Using visual materials as historical documents, this set enables students to study cartoons, drawings, and photographs as the basis for guided discussion and follow-up work. It contains 12 black-and-white transparencies and a 20-page resource booklet containing four lessons with background data for each illustration, plus multiple questions and activities. Grades 7-12.
Life in the Warsaw Ghetto
By Gail B. Stewart, Lucent Books, 1995, 112pp. This book examines how people lived under the government of the Third Reich in German-occupied Poland. Establishing the historical background, the book depicts the lives of Jews in Warsaw with the aid of photographs and selections from memoir accounts.
The Routledge Atlas of the Holocaust
Third Edition. By Martin Gilbert. 2002. The harrowing history of the Nazi attempt to annihilate the Jews of Europe during the Second World War is illustrated in this series of 320 highly detailed maps. The horror of the time is further revealed by shocking photographs. The maps do not concentrate solely on the fate of the Jews; they also set their chronological story in the broader context of the war itself and include historical background, the beginning of the violence, the spread of the horrors, and the relief from the atrocities.
Atlas of Russian History: From 800 B.C. to the Present Day
By Martin Gilbert. 1993. Surveying more than 2000 years of Russian history, this atlas presents maps on an extraordinary range of topics, including examinations of rebellion and exile, famine, the anarchists of Russia, the growth of revolutionary activity before 1917, the Revolution itself, Lenin's return to Russia, the early years of Communism, the Cuban missile crisis, relations with China, trade, and military strength. This second edition also features new maps charting the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe, the changing names of Russian cities, the emerging Asian republics, and the individuals and institutions of the new Russia.
Crossroads of Continents
Various articles, a map, and an instructional guide discuss the cultures of both Siberia and Alaska. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
The Democratic Process: Promises and Challenges
By the American Forum for Global Education, 2003. Includes essay and short lessons on the democratization process in Eastern Europe and Russia from the fall of communism to 2003.
The Fall of the Soviet Union
By Miles Harvey, Children's Press, 1995, 31 pp. Grades 3-6. Describes the events of 1991 and their political and social legacy. Includes a glossary and time-table.
Inside the Kremlin: Soviet and Russian Leaders from Lenin to Putin
From the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 217 pp., includes accompanying lectures on DVD. 2004. Inside the Kremlin introduces students to key elements of Soviet and Russian history through the philosophies and legacies of six of its leaders—Vladimir Lenin, Iosif (Joseph) Stalin, Nikita Khrushchev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Each of the six lessons features a 30-minute lecture about one of the leaders, given by a Stanford University professor. Individual and group activities utilize a variety of materials including primary source documents, statistics, political propaganda posters, and quotes.
An Introduction to Russian Literature
1975. Teaching and discussion material, background material, and instructions for presentation precede the film script, to be used in conjunction with it. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Living in Russia Today
VHS videocassette (25 minutes), resource guide, 25 copies of newspaper, teacher's guide. interviews, location footage, good graphics, and infectious music, this engaging program is organized into segments: people, places, history, customs, business, diversity, art, and more. Viewers meet, for example, a descendant of Tolstoy and the American manager of a youth hostel; visit a dacha; and learn about the siege of Leningrad from a survivor. Included with the video are a Teachers' Guide with six lessons; a reproducible 19-page resource guide with facts and websites; and 25 copies of an eight-page newspaper. Grades 7 and up. Color. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Mapping Russia: Geographic and Cultural Diversity
Developed by Dr. Arthur Khachikian. 2001. Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE). Includes a lesson on Russia, the Northern Caucasus, and Siberia. Each lesson includes an introduction, objectives, list of materials needed, teacher preparation, time, procedure, transparency, multiple handouts or fact sheets and a teacher answer sheet, if required.
The Newly Independent States of Eurasia
By Stephen and Sandra Batalden, 233 pp. 1993. The second edition provides even more current information on the states of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine. The Bataldens provide general information, including economic and demographic statistics, on every country in the regions listed above. Bibliographic information is also provided.
The Origins of the Cold War
Part of the World History Series. 1998. Using visual materials as historical documents, this set enables students to study cartoons, drawings, and photographs as the basis for guided discussion and follow-up work. It contains 12 black-and-white transparencies and a 20-page resource booklet containing four lessons with background data for each illustration, plus multiple questions and activities. Grades 7-12.
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Russia
By John Channon. 1995. This atlas follows the fortunes of what is still the world's largest land-based empire, from Kievan Rus to Yeltsin's Russia. It takes in the rise of Muskovy, the creation of the new capital of St. Petersburg, territorial expansion under Catherine the Great, the ordeal of 1812, the exploration of the "Wild East," the liberation of the serfs, and the revolution of 1917.
People and Power: Russia 1914-1941
Standard Grade History by David Armstrong, junior high level, 1993, 80 pp. This book examines the Russian revolutions of 1917 and the turbulent years that followed through the motives and personalities not only of the Tsar and the revolutionary leaders, but also of many of the ordinary people whose lives were affected by this period of upheaval. The text is supplemented by an engaging range of source material. Exercises, including role play and group work, are designed to provide a variety of learning experiences.
The Routledge Atlas of Russian History
Martin Gilbert, 2002. The complex and often turbulent history of Russia over the course of 2000 years is brought to life in a series of 169 maps. This atlas covers not simply the wars and expansion of Russia but also a wealth of less conspicuous details of its history—from famine and anarchism to the growth of naval strength and the strengths of the river systems. From 800 B.C. to the fall of the Soviet Union, this indispensable guide to Russian history examines war and conflict, politics, industry, economics, transport, society, trade, and culture. Middle/High School.
Russia: Facing the Future
A report of Carnegie Corporation of New York. By Adam N. Stulberg. 2001. Video documentary and scholarly report on Russian society today. With words and pictures, the package paints a vivid portrait of Russia's economic, political, military and social upheaval, as well as Russian anxieties about national security, fueled by the West's sometimes warm, sometimes cold, welcome. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Russia and the "Near Abroad."
By MindSparks, 2003. A teachers' resource booklet with lesson plans and reproducible student activity assignments. This booklet covers topics on the legacy of Communism, democratization, and Russia's neighbors and includes several transparencies of photographs and political cartoons. High School level.
Russia and the Other Former Soviet Republics in Transition
Produced by Julia Johnson-White and Peter Klemm-White. Excerpts from the SCIS Peabody Award-winning series of programs, together with news and historical footage. 2001. A six-part videotape featuring excerpts from the 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, and 1997 meetings with the former Secretaries of State and former Secretaries of Defense, and excerpts from videotapes interviews with foreign and US experts on Russia. Companion videos are available in the Russian and East European Institute video lending library.
Russia, The Eurasian Republics, and Central/Eastern Europe
9th ed. By Milton Goldman. Global Studies Series, McGraw-Hill/Dushkin 2002.
Russia in Ruins
By Knowledge Unlimited, 1999. An 18-minute videotape is accompanied by a teachers' guide. The teachers' guide contains commentary and reproduceable activities for students. The video looks at why this nation has failed to adapt easily to capitalism. Eight exercises are designed for students to organize and complete on their own; the others are designed for classroom participation and teacher presentation.
Russian Faces: Languages and People
Developed by the Center of Russian Language and Culture with the American Council of Teachers of Russian. 1998. Filmed entirely on location in Russia, this video program brings authentic, everyday Russian into the beginning Russian classroom. Divided into 20 segments of approximately five minutes each, Russian Faces: Languages and People follows the lives of four Moscow students, at school and at home, interacting with their friends, families, and members of the community. A perfect supplement to any first-year course, the dialogues in Russian Faces mirror situations likely to be encountered by those learning the language, while its cultural segments present a lively tapestry of Russian images and traditions. An accompanying 125 page Teacher Resources book includes a side-by-side Russian-English script, a teaching guide, and master copies of student activity sheets. Located in Russian and East European Institute Reading Room with teacher resources.
The Russian Revolution: A Collection of Contemporary Documents
Compiled by Anthony Cash. 1975. Examples of propaganda, photos, and map—to teach about the Russian Revolution.
The Russian Revolution
By Walter A. Hazen and Kathryn Wheeler. 2000. A resource of student activities and background information that brings history to life through fictional "eyewitness" accounts. Lessons are introduced through a fictitious letter, postcard, or diary entry written by an "eyewitness," incorporating historical facts. Thought-provoking discussion questions and suggestions for extending the lesson are also included.
The Russian Revolution I: The Bolshevick Takeover + The Russian Revolution II: The Bolshevicks and the World
1999. Part of the World History Series. Using visual materials as historical documents, these sets enable students to study cartoons, drawings, and photographs as the basis for guided discussion and follow-up work. Each set contains 12 black-and-white transparencies and a 20-page resource booklet containing four lessons with background data for each illustration, plus multiple questions and activities. Grades 7-12.
A Survey of World Cultures: Russia and the Former Soviet Republics
By Ed Brandt. 2001. Includes information on Russia's geography and climate, history, arts and sciences, and government.
Teaching Russian Studies: Geography, History, Language, Culture, Art
Center for Teaching International Relations, University of Denver, 1996. Sections on global perspectives and cross-cultural awareness, Russian studies, and Russian arts, crafts, music and dance.
Through Russian Eyes
(THR) 1999. This secondary school curriculum for teaching about Russia was designed and written by 15 Russian educators for their American counterparts. After teaching for five months in American schools, the educators compiled this book, including everything American secondary teachers need for introducing their students to Russian history, culture, society and art. Includes 10 lesson plans on literature, recent economic and political changes, folk customs, history, the arts, architecture, the Russian character and more. This curriculum is designed to take 2 to 4 weeks of class time. A full-color, bilingual wall map, 17 slides, and nearly a dozen handouts are included.
World History Series: The Rise and Fall of Soviet Communism
By Phil Giltner. 2004. Lessons titled The Communist Manifesto, The Russian Revolution, Stalinism and the Totalitarian State, Failure of the Soviet System, and Reform and Collapse. Each has a teacher page and student worksheet. Includes culminating activity, answer key, rubrics, related websites, and suggested additional curriculum materials.
World History Series: Russia of the Tsars
James E. Strickler, 1998. A book for high school students regarding Russia's history in relation to the tsars. Organized into separate readings on related topics.
Davai
This Russian language periodical includes brief articles and Western cartoons translated into Russian. Suitable for elementary though intermediate language classes.
Djel'somino
Abridged and annotated by Claire Walker. 1974. This abridgement of the original consists of excerpts from the Russian text. A few of the most interesting parts of the story are retained here, with any necessary transitions supplied in brief English passages. This reader assumes a knowledge of basic Russian grammar, numerals, and a high school-level list of 600 vocabulary words.
The First Thousand Words in Russian
By Amery, Kirilenko and Cartwright. 1983. Includes pronunciation guide.
Russko-angliiskii Slovar' v Kartinkakh (An Illustrated Russian-English Dictionary)
Krattli, Zelenov and Richardson Publications, 1994, 232 pp. A book of over 700 full-color illustrations and over 5000 terms and phrases. This book covers 23 themes and 350 subjects, from the natural world to the cosmos to the human body, as well as mechanical and technical subjects.
Russian Picture Word Book
By Svetlana Rogers and Barbara Steadman, Dover Publications, 2003, 33pp. Each of the 15 scenes illustrated in this book contains dozens of familiar objects, all clearly identified by Russian words. By studying the pictures, students can learn over 500 terms for a variety of household items, clothing, foods, furniture, animals, parts of the body, types of stores and public buildings, and other subjects. A complete list of Russian words and their English translations is located at the back of the book. Altogether, the result is an attractive and useful language resource that will appeal to any student of basic Russian, child or adult.
Teach Me Russian
Includes audiocassettes and accompanying teacher's guide.
Teach Me More Russian: A Musical Journey Through the Year
For children ages 2-12. By Teach Me Tapes, Inc. Over 35 minutes of popular songs in Russian and English. Travel through the year. Visit a beach and farm, enjoy a picnic and birthday party, explore museums and celebrate holidays. Twenty-page book, with a 45-minute audio cassette.