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Russia's regions and roles

A compelling case can be made for studying Russia as part of KS3 geography. Quite simply, geography is the study of the world and Russia is the world’s largest country!

  • Key Stage Three,
  • Module,
  • Landscape systems,
  • Global perspectives, geopolitics and development,
  • Natural resources and energy
  • Overview
  • Russia, Europe, Asia and the Ural Mountains
  • Russia’s big biome map
  • Russia is the home of soil science
  • Russia is a powerful place
  • Russian resources
  • How developed is Russia?

In this self-contained six-lesson module, students will develop an understanding of how Russia is a globally significant place and home to a diverse range of landscapes and environments. In the first few lessons, students will explore Russia’s varied physical regions, as defined by their landforms, climate, vegetation and soils. They will analyse enormous spatial variations, from hot desert to icy tundra, not forgetting the marine environment of the Arctic Ocean - large parts of which Russia claims ownership over. Students will learn about the role that geological, climatic, ecological and human processes have all played in Russia's history and the different timescales for the changes that these processes bring to places. For instance, not only will students be made aware of tectonic movements taking place hundreds of millions of years ago, they will also examine how contemporary climate change may be affecting Russian ecosystems.

In later lessons, the emphasis shifts from Russia’s regions towards its role in the world. Russia has always exerted enormous influence on a planetary scale. Past rulers built a global empire, followed by a soviet super-state. Today, Russia is a so-called ‘BRIC’ economy and a G8 nation. Fossil fuel sales to neighbouring countries in Europe, as well as China, provide Russia with wealth, power and influence. As they explore this relationship, students will learn how finite supplies of natural resources can result in global interdependency between different places. Students will also analyse how Russia’s unique story has produced a country whose population is hard to categorise, both economically and demographically. According to most economic and social indicators of development, Russia is a developed country like the UK or France. However, once students begin to explore the data, they will discover facts that may not fully support this view.

Students will also develop their geographical skills while studying this module. They will be immersed in a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams and aerial photographs. In one lesson, they will analyse a range of data gathered through the use of a ‘virtual’ fieldwork transect across Russia; in another, they will gain spatial awareness using historical maps that chart the changing boundaries of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. They will create and construct charts, choropleth maps and proportional arrows, amongst other techniques.

Finally, students will communicate geographical information through the completion of written KS3 assessments at regular intervals. These have been written by a GCSE chief examiner, with an eye on progression towards GCSE.

View our Subject Knowledge Animation: Russia

Russia Europe Asia and the Ural Mountains

Russia's big biome map

Russia is the home of soil science

Russia is a powerful place

Russian resources

How developed is Russia?
 

About the author

Dr Simon Oakes has taught geography since 1991 both at school and undergraduate levels. He currently teaches at Bancroft’s School in Essex. He is Chief Examiner in diploma geography for the International Baccalaureate and a GCSE Chief Examiner. Simon is the author of several course text books, an associate editor of Geography Review magazine and was the lead writer of the Royal Geographical Society’s Geography in the News service for ten years.

This resource won a Geographical Association Publishers' Silver Award in 2015
This resource has been developed as part of the Rediscovering London's Geography project, funded by the GLA through the London Schools Excellence Fund. It seeks to improve the quality of teaching and learning of geography in London’s schools, in addition to encouraging more pupils to study geography

 

Downloads

  • Russia's Regions and Roles Module Overview (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Module Overview (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Module Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Module Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 How Big Is Russia? (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Eurasia (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Main Activity (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Making A Map (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 The Story of the Urals (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Teacher's Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 1 Teacher's Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 What Is A Biome? (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Russia Vegetation Zones (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Arctic Ambitions (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Teacher Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Teacher Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Images (Maps) (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 2 Images (Landscapes) (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 What Is Soil? (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Russian Soils A4 Activity (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Russian Soils A3 Activity (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 A Postcard From Russia (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Teachers Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Teachers Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 3 Images (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 From Russia With Love (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Russian Revolutions (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Russian Maps (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Moscow On The Thames (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Teacher Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 4 Teacher Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Fossil Fuels (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Russia's Energy Pathways (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Who Benefits? (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Russia's Teacher's Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Russia's Teacher's Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 5 Images (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Lesson Plan (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Lesson Plan (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Classifying Russia (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Measuring Russia's Development (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Top Five Facts About Russia (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 What Did We Learn About Russia's Geography? (.ppt)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Teacher's Notes (.doc)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Teacher's Notes (.pdf)
  • Russia's Regions and Roles Lesson 6 Images (.ppt)
  • Download all

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