The educational package on Russia and the Other Former Soviet Republics in Transition covers the rise of the newly independent states in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Both the instructional guide and videotape are divided into six corresponding chapters covering the following subjects:

1. An Overview
   The materials give a broad overview of the region's geography, its people, the religions, the history from the time of the Czars to the end of the Soviet Union, and the emergence of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
2. Politics and Government
   This section covers the creation of democratic governments within some of the 15 former republics. Students identify possible threats to these democratic movements, such as the rise of ultranationalism and communism. The other nondemocratic republics are examined with attention given to the rise of Islamic parties and authoritarian regimes.
3. Economics
   Students examine the problems of moving from a government-directed economy to a market-oriented deregulated economy. Students are introduced to basic macro-economic concepts such as market reform, privatization and deregulation, and their effects on the economies of Russia and the other republics. Students address current environmental problems, a legacy of the Soviet Union, and the solutions being pursued today.
4. Society, Culture, and the Environment
   Students examine the enormous changes to society, culture and the environment as a result of the breakup of the Soviet Union. Issues covered are the liberalization of the press, deterioration of social services, the rise of religion and the impact of organized crime.
5. Foreign Policy Issues
   The instructional guide offers extensive coverage of how foreign policy issues have dramatically changed as Russia and the other republics pursue different and sometimes conflicting national interests. Specific issues discussed are: the Near Abroad, the rise of the CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States), NATO enlargement, and the role of Central Asian states.
6. U.S. Interests
   Students look at the change in U.S. policy from confrontation with the Soviet Union to a more cooperative effort. Topics are: reducing the nuclear threat, increasing cooperation between NATO and Russia, providing economic assistance, and establishing trade agreements.

Each topic is featured on the accompanying videotape which contains historic and current news footage as well as excerpts from the SCIS television programs of former Secretaries of State and Defense, former world leader and former ambassadors to the UN. The news footage and the issues discussed by the secretaries are directly related to the instructional manual and the lesson plans. The instructional manual contains 239 pages and the videotape is 1.5 hours long. Both are divided into 6 segments.

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Free Downloads and Other Resources
NCSS Correlation Chart [PDF-format file]	Correlation of this package to NCSS standards. Explains which skills are developed in each lesson and the appropriate grade level for each lesson.
GPS Correlation Chart [PDF-format file]	Correlation of this package to Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) standards.
Index [PDF-format file]	Index to the Instructional Guide.
Updates	Updates to this package, additional activities and other resources, available in PDF.
Timelines	Timelines of recent events in this region and the world.
Infolinks	Other web sites with information about the former Soviet Union and other regions of the world.

The updates are presented in PDF format, which requires the free Adobe^® Acrobat ^® Reader ^TM. Download Acrobat ^® here.