Activity Context:
This activity uses Jamboard as a graphic organizer. I created a venn diagram for students to fill in with various traits of fascism and communism.
Target Student Group:
9th grade Modern World History students who are beginning a unit on WWII. This lesson is also designed for a virtual classroom during Comprehensive Distance Learning.
Instructions for Students:
- You will be split into 3 groups in breakout rooms.
- Each group will work on a different page of the Jamboard to drag and sort the “clues” in the venn diagram and figure out the key similarities of fascism and communism.
- You can use these sites for reference in addtion to our class slides:
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism
- https://www.britannica.com/topic/communism
- You will have 10 minutes to work.
- Be prepared to have 1 member explain how you sorted your clues. We will discuss each group’s findings as a whole class.
Goal for this Lesson:
Students will be able to define fascism and communism. Then, students will be able to compare and contrast key traits of fascism and communism by completing the venn diagram accurately.
Jamboard will help my students achieve this goal because it provides an easier platform for them to drag and drop the key traits in an online setting. If we were in person, I would cut out pieces of paper for my students to arrange in their respective circles in the venn diagram, but the challenges of online learning make this task more difficult to adapt to a group setting. Jamboard allows multiple students in a group to work on each page of the Jamboard and collaboratively arrange the traits. They will do this by dragging the sticky notes on the page to the correct circle, indicating that it is a trait of fascism, communism, or both.
The Jamboard Activity
Link to this activity on Jamboard
Group 1’s Page:
Group 2’s Page:
Group 3’s Page:
Great use for Jamboard – allows students to explore the two terms from multiple perspectives in a Jig saw- like lesson. Fixed background keeps everything in order. Well-documented post makes it easy for other teachers to replicate or modify activity.
I like how with this, as you introduce other political ideologies you could add them, and increase the diagram, and increase the awareness of all of the overlaps within politics. I like how it also is something that is harder and more thought provoking than just reading about it in a chapter. I also like how each group has different things to sort, so when they come together you have each group teaching the others a little something.