Russia and Ukraine lessons

Download our free teaching resources for students aged 10-16. We cover the biggest topical issues of our time to help students to learn, think critically and talk about the issues affecting their lives.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the conflict has regularly made headlines. But with so much at stake, and so many lives involved, it can be hard to know how to teach students about such a complex and ever-changing event. What is conscription? How has propaganda be used and what role do NATO play in negotiations? 

Explore the answers to these questions, as well as a host of conflict-related queries, in your classroom.

Ready-to-teach lessons about Russia and Ukraine

Our lessons save you time, so you can focus on the teaching.

Collage of pages from our Russia and Ukraine conflict resources

Each lesson contains:

  • Ready-to-use, clear teacher instructions that are easy to follow and get started with
  • An accessible PowerPoint that's colourful, clear and student-friendly
  • Printable, engaging resources with instructions for how to present them
  • Keywords and definitions to break down new or challenging vocabulary
  • Icon sharing opinions and oracy

    Oracy-focused activities about power and conflict 

  • Video camera icon

    Bitesized, reliable information about propaganda and the media

  • Star icon

    Innovative ways to develop critical-thinking and communication skills: speaking, listening, problem-solving and creativity

  • What if I don't feel confident to teach these kinds of lessons?

    We know that it might be daunting to have conversations in your classroom about war and conflict. We've created a guide that gives practical tips on how to handle them with confidence, including:

    • Ensuring all important perspectives are fairly represented, though some arguments might need more exploration, more time, or more challenge
    • Championing facts and challenging misinformation
    • Considering informing parents
    • Being comfortable without an answer for everything

    Read the tips here

Content you can trust

Our lessons are produced by experienced teachers, with support from The Economist's senior editors and fact-checkers. That means you can trust our resources to give an accurate and balanced picture for your students to unpick. Learn more

Resources