Area (size) in Russia – MI6thGradeClass.com

In Russia, we will explore the big idea of size
(or area) and some of its consequences.

Size has obvious economic effects,
including the likelihood of finding resources
and the cost of transportation and communication.

These materials explore some consequences of size,
using examples from Russia, the largest country
in the world. This Unit could go before Unit 6,
about Resources in Southwest Asia.

Day 1: Since land changes temperature
more rapidly than water (“higher specific heat”),
a large landmass like Russia tends to have more
extreme temperatures, as this activity illustrates:

BI7A Russia Size and Temperature Range
- BI7S Russia Climagraph scaffold activity

One could use the clickable map to trace some
consequences of the interaction between size
and northern position. One important effect is
the large area of soil that is permanently frozen
below a thin surface layer that melts in summer.

Day 2: A large area is also likely to have
great geologic complexity, which often means
more mineral and energy resources:

Use the clickable map to show that a large part
of Russia’s oil and mineral deposits are located
in the permafrost area, far from industrial centers
or ocean ports. Operating mines in permafrost regions
can be very difficult, and transporting heavy minerals
to the world market can also be difficult (depending
on where the minerals are within the large area).

Day 3: A large area with few natural barriers
allowed Russians to spread across Siberia
and reach the Pacific (a process of conquest
similar to “Manifest Destiny” a few centuries
later in North America!). In this mapping activity,
students create a symbol map and/or an area map
to make the pattern easier to see on a map of dates:

Option: A large area with few natural barriers
also presents a complex military challenge
for the rulers of an expanding empire.
A large area is expensive to protect, and at the
same time it is relatively easy to choose weak spots
to invade and pillage. This fact is reflected
in the history timeline of Moscow (the capital),
Astrakhan (a strategic city on the lower Volga),
and many other cities in the region.

Note: Some teachers have linked this long history
of frequent invasions, epidemics, and natural disasters
with a pervasive theme of fatalism in Russian literature
(Dr. Zhivago being a well-known example,
as quoted in these close-reading activities).

Day 4: The great size and cold winters of Russia
helped defend the country against invasions
by some of the most powerful countries
in the world. In this activity, students recreate
the famous “Minard Map” of Napoleon’s
ill-fated invasion of Russia. The presentation
includes a copy of this map, along with a number
of contemporary paintings (primary documents)
for teachers to incorporate in their own presentations.

Day 5: In the 20th century, the great size and northern
position of Russia also posed challenges for Communist
planners. They tried to plan for the use of land that was
much less productive than the American Corn Belt,
and at the same time had much higher costs
of transportation and communication. This is
well illustrated in a computer-assisted simulation
from the Association of American Geographers
(displayed on www.aag.org and in the CD
Teaching Geography (Guilford Press, 2014)).

Post-Soviet Issues: After the fall of the Soviet Union,
the underlying issue of huge size continued to have
an influence on economic activities in Asia. This can
be illustrated by looking at the problem of getting
oil to world markets from new discoveries north
of the Caspian Sea:

Summary: At the end of the unit, students
should be able to explain how Russia’s great size
and northern position can help us understand
important features of its history and economy.
This information can also provide perspective
for a capstone project about a current-event topic
such as the difficulty of transporting oil from Siberia,
the low yields of Russian farms, separatist movements
in parts of Russia, the global balance of economic
or military power, or the role of Russia in conflicts
in Ukraine, Georgia, and elsewhere.