Laws and Decrees as Instruments of Tyranny

Organization: Central Valley Holocaust Educators’ Network (CVHEN)
Common Core Domain: History-Social Science, History-Social Science: Principles of American Democracy, Reading: Informational Text, Speaking and Listening
Grade Level: Grades 6-8
Duration: 120-180 Minutes
Three class periods
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1, 7, 8 HSS 8.2.2

In this interdisciplinary lesson, students use Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny to explore how authoritarian regimes gain power and how individuals can protect democratic institutions. Through historical case studies, media analysis, and discussion, students examine propaganda, conformity, and civic courage. The lesson supports California standards in history, ELA, and social-emotional learning.

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