How the War in Ukraine Changed the World

1. Set Focus
Pose these essential questions to guide discussion: For a country, what is worth going to war over? What prompts ordinary citizens to support a war and even take up arms?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• negotiators (p. 14)
• cease-fire (p. 15)
• authoritarianism (p. 15)
• aggression (p. 16)
• amassing (p. 16)
• dissent (p. 17)

3. Engage
Invite volunteers to share one concern or question they have about the war in Ukraine. After the lesson, have students discuss how the article and class discussion affected their concerns and answered their questions.

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: How the War in Ukraine Changed the World, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear below, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• What is the author’s main purpose with the first two paragraphs of the article? (Author’s purpose, text structure) (The author’s main purpose is to show how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has affected everyday people. The author does this through an anecdote about a young Ukrainian who had been working as a computer programmer but has now taken up arms to help defend his country. Beginning the article this way also helps set up a central idea of the article—that the Ukrainians have resisted fiercely and are now more unified than ever.)

• According to the article, what reason does Russian President Vladimir Putin give for attacking Ukraine? What do experts say is the reason? (Cause & effect, compare & contrast) (Putin says he attacked Ukraine to protect Russia. He says that the presence of NATO troops and weapons in countries along Russia’s border threatens Russia’s security. Experts say that Putin’s real goal is to reclaim the international status his country had when the Soviet Union was one of the world’s two great superpowers.)

• In the article, Erica Frantz says, “I see this as a pivotal moment for the future of democracy.” What does she mean? Do you agree with her? Explain. (Make inferences) (She means that the world’s democracies coming together to stop Russia’s aggression is a positive sign that democracy is still strong and valued in the world. In the past decade, the number of liberal democracies in the world has dropped from 42 to 34. Authoritarianism has been on the rise. But some experts believe that the unity of response from democracies in this crisis could help reverse that trend.)

• What does the section head “A Dramatic Miscalculation?” indicate the section will discuss? What are some details the author includes in this section to develop this idea? (Central ideas, key details)(The section head indicates that this part of the article will discuss that Putin made a mistake by not adequately considering all the possible ramifications when choosing to invade Ukraine. Details about Russia not having a quick win as well as details about Russia’s economy suffering as a result of sanctions suggest that Putin did not realize how much resistance he would face not only from Ukraine but from the rest of the world.) 

• What are some ways people in Russia have protested the war? How has Putin responded to this dissent? Do you agree with Dmitry Aleshkovsky that “nothing will hold [Putin] back anymore”? Explain. (Problem & solution, make inferences)(A state television employee held up a protest sign during a live broadcast. People are protesting in the streets. And thousands of Russians have left the country. Putin has responded by shutting down independent news outlets and making it illegal to mention “war” on social media or in news broadcasts and articles. Opinions will vary.) 

• In the last section, Eliot Cohen says, “I think Russia’s going to be a pariah state.” What is a pariah state? (If needed, confirm meaning with a dictionary.) Do you agree with his assertion? Explain. (Word meaning, evaluate arguments)(A pariah state is a country considered by world leaders to be an outsider and not part of the global community. Assessments of Cohen’s assertion will vary.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research articles that argue that the way to bring peace between Ukraine and Russia is for Ukraine to become a neutral state. Do you agree? Explain in a brief essay.

7. Video
Watch the video. What does it add to your understanding of the war in Ukraine?

8. Classroom Debate
Should the world take action to remove Putin from power?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension.