Russia and Ukraine: three years on

February 24th 2022 marked the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Three years on, the war is still making headlines – but how well do these reports reflect the reality of those living through it?

Collage of pages from the “Russia and Ukraine: three years on” teaching resource showing the cover and lesson plan

Published 07 February 2025

This one-hour lesson offers your students a chance to dive deeper into the human side of the conflict. They will explore first-hand accounts from those directly affected by the war, compare these personal stories with statistics in the news and reflect on how the media shape our understanding of conflict.

This resource was created for Topical Talk Festival 2025. See student discussions on this lesson here.

About this lesson

Use this one-hour lesson to help your students:

  • Understand how the Russia-Ukraine war began and how it has progressed
  • Hear from those impacted by the war
  • Think critically about the role of journalism in war reporting

Skills and knowledge

Every lesson has a skill and knowledge focus. Click to see this lesson's focus and some of the questions students will answer 

  • Listening skill

    • Step 5: I show I am listening by how I use eye contact and body language
      Did you share ideas within your group for each poster or slide?
    • Step 6: I show I am listening by using open questions to deepen my understanding
      Did you ask questions about the experiences you heard?
    • Step 12: I listen critically and think about where differences in perspectives come from
      Did you think about why the people from Russia and Ukraine might have had similar or different experiences?

  • Knowledge

    I know how people in Russia and Ukraine have been affected by war and can compare how different information helps to tell their stories.

    What are some of the stories you heard from the people from Russia and Ukraine in this lesson?

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