About This Lesson
Help students explore how authoritarian regimes rise and maintain power with this two-day, standards-aligned lesson for grades 10–12. Through real-world case studies, collaborative group research, immersive simulations, and critical reflection, students will analyze the characteristics and consequences of authoritarian rule across the 20th and 21st centuries. The lesson addresses historically and civically sensitive content (including repression, propaganda, and state violence) but is intentionally designed to avoid U.S. partisan framing. Includes differentiation supports for ELL and IEP students, extension tasks for advanced learners, and a multimedia project rubric. A strong fit for civics, world history, or global studies classrooms.
