Stalin Builds a Totalitarian StateClose Read

Standards Alignment

Text with Close Read instructions for students

Intended to be the initial read in which students annotate the text as they read.  Students may want to circle unfamiliar vocabulary, underline key ideas, or 

comment on the information presented.

Standards Alignment

California State Standards for Grade 10

• 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War. 

– 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course 

and outcome of the war. 

• 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. 

– 3. Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values 

that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians. 

• 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I. 

– 1. Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin’s use of 

totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag). 

– 2. Trace Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic 

policies, political policies, the absence of a free press, and systematic violations of human rights 

(e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine). 

– 3. Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and 

Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common and 

dissimilar traits. 

Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:

– RH 1 ‐ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, 

attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

– RH 2 ‐ Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an 

accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

– RH 3 ‐ Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events 

caused later ones or simply preceded them. 

– RH 4 ‐ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including 

vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.

– RH 5 ‐ Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or 

analysis.

Common Core Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:

– WHST 4 ‐ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style 

are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

– WHST 9 ‐ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Directions:  As you read, circle unfamiliar vocabulary, underline key ideas, and comment on 

the information presented.

Building a Perfect Communist Russia

Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state in Russia. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He began building his totalitarian state by destroying his enemies—real and imagined. 

Russian Police TerrorWhat did Stalin do to maintain his power?

Stalin built a police state to maintain his power. Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. Even children told authorities about disloyal remarks they heard at home. Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so‐called traitors.

In 1934, Stalin turned against members of the Communist Party. In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of old Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps in Siberia called the gulag for “crimes against the Soviet state.” 

When the Great Purge ended in 1938, Stalin had gained total control of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for 8 million to 13 million deaths.

Russian Propaganda and CensorshipWhat was the purpose of Stalin’s censorship?

Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, radio, and other sources of information. Many Soviet writers, composers, and other artists also fell victim to official censorship. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state.  Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs. 

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Directions:  As you read, circle unfamiliar vocabulary, underline key ideas, and comment on 

the information presented.

Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda explained the purpose of art: “Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.”

Russian IndoctrinationHow did education change?

Under Stalin, the government controlled all education from nursery schools through the universities. Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment. 

Party leaders in the Soviet Union lectured workers and peasants on the ideals of communism. They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State‐supported youth groups trained future party members.

Russian Religious PersecutionWhy was religion challenged in Russia?

Communists aimed to replace religious teachings with the ideals of communism. Under Stalin, the government and the League of the Militant Godless, an officially sponsored group of atheists, spread propaganda attacking religion. “Museums of atheism” displayed exhibits to show that religious beliefs were mere superstitions. Yet many people in the Soviet Union still clung to their faiths. 

The Russian Orthodox Church was the main target of persecution. Other religious groups also suffered greatly. The police destroyed magnificent churches and synagogues, and many religious leaders were killed or sent to labor camps.

Achieving the perfect Communist state came at a tremendous cost to Soviet citizens. Stalin’s total control of society eliminated personal rights and freedoms in favor of the power of the state.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Standards Alignment

Reading Text

Analytical Questions Response Sheets

Standards Alignment

California State Standards for Grade 10• 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War. 

– 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war. 

• 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. – 3. Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values 

that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians. • 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I. 

– 1. Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin’s use of totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag). 

– 2. Trace Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic policies, political policies, the absence of a free press, and systematic violations of human rights (e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine). 

– 3. Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common and dissimilar traits. 

Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:– RH 1 ‐ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, 

attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.– RH 2 ‐ Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an 

accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.– RH 3 ‐ Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events 

caused later ones or simply preceded them. – RH 4 ‐ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including 

vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.– RH 5 ‐ Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or 

analysis.

Common Core Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:– WHST 1 ‐Write arguments focused on discipline‐specific content.

• c.  Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

– WHST 4 ‐ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

– WHST 9 ‐ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Building a Perfect Communist Russia

Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state in Russia. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He began building his totalitarian state by destroying his enemies—real and imagined. 

Russian Police TerrorWhat did Stalin do to maintain his power?

Stalin built a police state to maintain his power. Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. Even children told authorities about disloyal remarks they heard at home. Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so‐called traitors.

In 1934, Stalin turned against members of the Communist Party. In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of old Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps in Siberia called the gulag for “crimes against the Soviet state.” 

When the Great Purge ended in 1938, Stalin had gained total control of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for 8 million to 13 million deaths.

Russian Propaganda and CensorshipWhat was the purpose of Stalin’s censorship?

Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, radio, and other sources of information. Many Soviet writers, composers, and other artists also fell victim to official censorship. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state.  Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs. 

Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda explained the purpose of art: “Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.”

Russian IndoctrinationHow did education change?

Under Stalin, the government controlled all education from nursery schools through the universities. Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment. 

Party leaders in the Soviet Union lectured workers and peasants on the ideals of communism. They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State‐supported youth groups trained future party members.

Russian Religious PersecutionWhy was religion challenged in Russia?

Communists aimed to replace religious teachings with the ideals of communism. Under Stalin, the government and the League of the Militant Godless, an officially sponsored group of atheists, spread propaganda attacking religion. “Museums of atheism” displayed exhibits to show that religious beliefs were mere superstitions. Yet many people in the Soviet Union still clung to their faiths. 

The Russian Orthodox Church was the main target of persecution. Other religious groups also suffered greatly. The police destroyed magnificent churches and synagogues, and many religious leaders were killed or sent to labor camps.

Achieving the perfect Communist state came at a tremendous cost to Soviet citizens. Stalin’s total control of society eliminated personal rights and freedoms in favor of the power of the state.

Reading Questions

1. Explain The Great Purge.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.  How did Stalin promote his regime?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.  How did Stalin address the youth?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4.  Why was religion targeted by the government and what were the consequences? 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State ‐ Reading Questions

Explain The Great Purge.

• non

How did Stalin promote his regime?

How did Stalin address the youth?

Why was religion targeted by the 

government and what were the consequences?

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State Textand Text Dependent Questions

Standards Alignment

Text with Questions

Standards Alignment

California State Standards for Grade 10• 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War. 

– 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war. 

• 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. – 3. Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values 

that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians. • 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I. 

– 1. Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin’s use of totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag). 

– 2. Trace Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic policies, political policies, the absence of a free press, and systematic violations of human rights (e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine). 

– 3. Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common and dissimilar traits. 

• Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:– RH 1 ‐ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, 

attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.– RH 2 ‐ Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an 

accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.– RH 3 ‐ Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events 

caused later ones or simply preceded them. – RH 4 ‐ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including 

vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.– RH 5 ‐ Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or 

analysis.

• Common Core Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:– WHST 1 ‐Write arguments focused on discipline‐specific content.

• c.  Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

– WHST 4 ‐ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

– WHST 9 ‐ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Directions:  Answer the text dependent questions as you read.

What was Stalin’s goal when creating a 

Communist state?

How did Stalin maintain his power?

Why were families afraid?

Explain the Great Purge.

What did Stalin do to Bolsheviks?

How many people were affected in the Great 

Purge?

How did people get their information?

Describe censorship under Stalin.

Building a Perfect Communist Russia

Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state in Russia. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state. He began building his totalitarian state by destroying his enemies—real and imagined. 

Russian Police TerrorWhat did Stalin do to maintain his power?

Stalin built a police state to maintain his power. Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. Even children told authorities about disloyal remarks they heard at home. Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so‐called traitors.

In 1934, Stalin turned against members of the Communist Party. In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of old Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps in Siberia called the gulag for “crimes against the Soviet state.” 

When the Great Purge ended in 1938, Stalin had gained total control of the Soviet government and the Communist Party. Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for 8 million to 13 million deaths.

Russian Propaganda and CensorshipWhat was the purpose of Stalin’s censorship?

Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, radio, and other sources of information. Many Soviet writers, composers, and other artists also fell victim to official censorship. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state.  Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs. 

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Directions:  Answer the text dependent questions as 

you read.

How was art controlled by the Communist 

Party?

Why did Stalin target education?

What were the consequences for those who 

questioned the Party?

Explain the ideals of the Party.

Why did Communists target religion?

What did the  Militant Godless group 

attempt to do?

How were the Russian Orthodox treated?

What did the Communist state cost the 

Soviet citizens?

Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda explained the purpose of art: “Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.”

Russian IndoctrinationHow did education change?

Under Stalin, the government controlled all education from nursery schools through the universities. Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment. 

Party leaders in the Soviet Union lectured workers and peasants on the ideals of communism. They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State‐supported youth groups trained future party members.

Russian Religious PersecutionWhy was religion challenged in Russia?

Communists aimed to replace religious teachings with the ideals of communism. Under Stalin, the government and the League of the Militant Godless, an officially sponsored group of atheists, spread propaganda attacking religion. “Museums of atheism” displayed exhibits to show that religious beliefs were mere superstitions. Yet many people in the Soviet Union still clung to their faiths. 

The Russian Orthodox Church was the main target of persecution. Other religious groups also suffered greatly. The police destroyed magnificent churches and synagogues, and many religious leaders were killed or sent to labor camps.

Achieving the perfect Communist state came at a tremendous cost to Soviet citizens. Stalin’s total control of society eliminated personal rights and freedoms in favor of the power of the state.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State Dialectical Journal

Standards Alignment

Quotes Analysis Guide

Text quotes with student directions

Standards Alignment

California State Standards for Grade 10 • 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War.

– 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war.

• 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. – 3. Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values that

resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians. • 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I.

– 1. Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin’s use of totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag).

– 2. Trace Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic policies, political policies, the absence of a free press, and systematic violations of human rights (e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine).

– 3. Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common and dissimilar traits.

• Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:

– RH 2 - Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

– RH 3 - Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.

– RH 4 - Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.

– RH 5 - Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis. – RH 8 - Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims.

• Common Core Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students: – WHST 1 - Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

• a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

• c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

– WHST 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.

• b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.

• c. Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

• d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic and convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers.

– WHST 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

– WHST 9 - Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Read to Analyze Quotes

The purpose of a dialectical journal is to analyze significant quotes from the text to make authentic connections between the text and other related concepts. After reading the quote and locating it in the document, write a response that shows your ability to question, analyze, interpret, evaluate, reflect, or predict. Response Starters to help start journal feedback:

– Asking Questions • I wonder why… • What if… • How come…

– Revising Meaning/Analyzing • At first I thought, but now I… • My latest thought about this is… • I’m getting a different picture here because…

– Forming Interpretations • What this means to me is… • I think this represents… • The idea I’m getting is…

– Evaluating • I like/don’t like… • This could be more effective if… • The most important message is…

– Reflecting and Relating • So, the big idea is… • A conclusion I’m drawing is… • This is relevant to my life because…

– Predicting • I’ll bet that… • I think… • If, then…

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State - Dialectical Journal

Quote from Reading: - “Stalin aimed to create a perfect Communist state in Russia. To realize his vision, Stalin planned to transform the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state.” - “Stalin’s secret police used tanks and armored cars to stop riots. They monitored telephone lines, read mail, and planted informers everywhere. - “Every family came to fear the knock on the door in the early morning hours, which usually meant the arrest of a family member. The secret police arrested and executed millions of so-called traitors.” - “In 1937, he launched the Great Purge, a campaign of terror directed at eliminating anyone who threatened his power. Thousands of old Bolsheviks who helped stage the Revolution in 1917 stood trial. They were executed or sent to labor camps in Siberia called the gulag for “crimes against the Soviet state.” - “Historians estimate that during this time he was responsible for 8 million to 13 million deaths.” - “Stalin’s government controlled all newspapers, motion pictures, radio, and other sources of information. Stalin would not tolerate individual creativity that did not conform to the views of the state.” - “Soviet newspapers and radio broadcasts glorified the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs.”

Student Response (Question, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate, Reflect, Predict)

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State - Dialectical Journal

Quote from Reading: - “Under Stalin, the arts also were used for propaganda. In 1930, an editorial in the Communist Party newspaper Pravda explained the purpose of art: “Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.”

- “Schoolchildren learned the virtues of the Communist Party. College professors and students who questioned the Communist Party’s interpretations of history or science risked losing their jobs or faced imprisonment.” - “They also stressed the importance of sacrifice and hard work to build the Communist state. State-supported youth groups trained future party members.” - “Under Stalin, the government and the League of the Militant Godless, an officially sponsored group of atheists, spread propaganda attacking religion. “Museums of atheism” displayed exhibits to show that religious beliefs were mere superstitions.” - “The Russian Orthodox Church was the main target of persecution. The police destroyed magnificent churches and synagogues, and many religious leaders were killed or sent to labor camps.” - “Stalin’s total control of society eliminated personal rights and freedoms in favor of the power of the state.”

Student Response (Question, Analyze, Interpret, Evaluate, Reflect, Predict)

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian State

Text Summary Worksheet with student directions

Standards Alignment

California State Standards for Grade 10• 10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War. 

– 3. Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war. • 10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War. 

– 3. Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians. 

• 10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I. – 1. Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin’s use of totalitarian means to seize and

maintain control (e.g., the Gulag). – 2. Trace Stalin’s rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic policies, political policies, the absence of a 

free press, and systematic violations of human rights (e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine). – 3. Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet 

Union, noting especially their common and dissimilar traits. 

• Common Core Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:

– RH 1 ‐ Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

– RH 2 ‐ Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.

– RH 4 ‐ Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, oreconomic aspects of history/social studies.

• Common Core Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Science for Grades 9 & 10 Students:

– WHST 1 ‐Write arguments focused on discipline‐specific content.

• c.  Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

– WHST 4 ‐ Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

– WHST 5 ‐ Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

– WHST 9 ‐ Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian StateDirections:  As you read the text, take notes on the events and significance of the actions by Stalin and the Communist Party in Russia

Police Terror

Propaganda and Censorship

Indoctrination

Religious Persecution

Stalin Builds a Totalitarian StateDirections:  As you read the text, take notes on the events and significance of the actions by Stalin and the Communist Party in Russia

Police Terror

Propaganda and Censorship

Indoctrination

Religious Persecution