End of the Cold War Lesson

In this lesson, students will examine the economic and social forces that caused the collapse of the Soviet Union, tracing developments from the structural weaknesses of the planned economy through to the independence movements of the late 1980s and early 1990s. They will also explore how Gorbachev’s reform programs of perestroika and glasnost, alongside events such as the Chernobyl disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall, contributed to the final dissolution of the Soviet state in December 1991. Students will have the opportunity to achieve this through choosing their own method of learning, from reading, source analysis, and research options, as well as the chance to engage in extension activities. This lesson includes a self-marking quiz for students to demonstrate their learning.