Social Justice or Control? Communism - When Justice Becomes Control
- Balance Learning Resources
- Sep 14
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
Grade Level: 7-8
Duration of video 1: 15 minutes, 26 seconds
Duration of video 2: 3 minutes, 52 seconds
Duration of video 3: 18 minutes, 10 seconds
Themes: Propaganda vs. justice, Communism, authoritarian control, manipulated language, media literacy, moral responsibility
Description:
This lesson uses historical case studies of authoritarian regimes to help students tell the difference between authentic justice movements and propaganda movements that use justice-themed language to hide censorship, control, or oppression. Students will analyze how governments in Soviet Russia, Maoist China, and Communist Cuba used powerful ideas like “equality,” “liberation,” and “protection” — not to empower people — but to brainwash, punish dissent, and silence truth.
Students will then apply a critical framework to modern-day movements to evaluate whether they uplift society or manipulate it. This lesson builds historical awareness, media literacy, and moral responsibility in the face of propaganda disguised as justice.
Video 1: What is Communism and How It Took Hold in Russia? (15:26)
Video 2: Mao’s Little Red Book (3:52)
Video 3: Cuba in Crisis: Communist Cuba on the Brink of Collapse (18:10)
Lesson Plan:
🎯 OBJECTIVES (SWBAT):
By the end of this lesson, students will:
Identify propaganda techniques used in authoritarian regimes.
Analyze how language can disguise injustice as “equality” or “unity.”
Compare tactics like censorship, shame, and fear across history and today.
Evaluate modern media and activism using a “red flag” framework.
🧰 MATERIALS:
DAY 1: Propaganda in History - Learning from the Past
Warm-Up Discussion (10 min)
Write on the board:
“When Justice Becomes Control: Can ‘Good’ Words Hide Bad Agendas?”
Ask students:
What does “real justice” look like?
Can people or governments lie while using good-sounding words?
Why do people fall for propaganda?
Introduction to Video 1: What is Communism And How It Took Hold in Russia? (15:26)
Say: “We’re going to learn how Communism spread in Russia by promising justice and equality. But behind those promises were lies, fear, and punishment.”
Distribute Student Worksheet 1: Red Flag Checklist.
Encourage students to take notes using the checklist while they watch.
Watch Video 1: What is Communism and How It Took Hold in Russia? (15:26)
Small Group Discussion (10-15 min)
Students discuss:
What red flags did they notice?
How did the government hide control behind the word “equality”?
How did propaganda silence or punish people?
DAY 2: Propaganda in China and Cuba - Youth, Censorship, and Control
Watch Video 2: Mao’s Little Red Book (3:52)
Say: “In this video, students just like you were told they were heroes fighting for justice. But they were actually trained to silence and bully others.”
Pause and discuss:
What did the youth believe they were doing?
How were people shamed or punished for thinking differently?
Was this real justice? Why or why not?
Watch Video 3: Cuba in Crisis: Communist Cuba on the Brink of Collapse (18:10)
Ask students to continue completing Student Worksheet 1: Red Flag Checklist.
Whole Class Debrief (15–20 min)
Use guiding questions:
What similarities do you see between Russia, China, and Cuba?
What role did fear and censorship play in each case?
Why is truth so dangerous to false justice movements?
DAY 3: Modern Connections - Analyzing Today’s Messages
Group Activity: Student Worksheet 2: Red Flag Chart (20–25 min)
Hand out the following to students: Student Worksheet 2: Red Flag.
In small groups, students complete the worksheet.
Prompt: “Think about a modern movement you’ve seen online or in school. Does it allow questions — or punish people for disagreeing?”
Encourage students to give examples - but focus on tools and tactics, not political labels.
Written Reflection (Optional or Homework)
Answer both:
“Why is it important to ask: ‘Is this really justice — or is it propaganda?’”
“What are some signs of a message you shouldn’t trust — even if it sounds nice at first?”
🧠 Teacher Notes
Avoid naming specific modern movements unless students bring them up.
Focus on tactics and red flags: censorship, bullying, shame, “one truth only” claims.
Remind students:
Not all social movements are propaganda.
But all social movements should be questioned and evaluated.
Questions to Reinforce:
Does this movement allow debate?
Are people silenced for disagreeing?
Does it seek truth — or just control?
🧭 Final Message to Students
Justice isn’t afraid of truth. But propaganda always is. If a movement uses fear, shame, censorship, or violence — even if it says it’s for a good cause — that’s a red flag.
Further Study: Analyzing Other Historical Movements:
Teach the following lessons about other historical movements, where students will analyze each movement using the 10 criteria:
© 2025
All materials on this website are available for educational use under Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Educators may download and share the content with attribution, for non-commercial use and instructional purposes, and without modification. Embedding any materials within any website-whether educational, institutional, public, or private-is prohibited without prior written consent of Balanced Learning Resources. Unauthorized embedding or redistribution may violate copyright and licensing terms.