What's included
8 live meetings
8 in-class hoursHomework
2-4 hours per week. Students will be required to read 3 novels, some primary source documents, and watch a film, outside of class. I recommend they begin reading the novels ASAP as they are discussed concurrently. Students will also write an essay or alternatively prepare a presentation about a topic of their choosing.Grading
Holistic grade based on participation & the final essay can be furnished upon request.Class Experience
US Grade 9 - 12
Intermediate Level
Fascism is a topic that is frequently discussed, but also frequently misunderstood. When asked, many can only name Nazi Germany as a fascist nation, when in fact there were many other countries who were fascist, such as Spain, Italy, Argentina, and Brazil. This class seeks to gain a deeper understanding of what fascism is by exploring recent popular media as well as primary source documents from the founder of fascism himself- Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy, as well as related documents. In this class, we understand fascism is a 20th century phenomenon borne out of World War I fears that liberal governments were outdated and the only way to survive the future was by preparing for endless war in which only the strongest would survive. Students will read three novels, watch a film, and read primary source documents outside of class. We will discuss all of them throughout the class. Students will be encouraged to evaluate what fascism is and identify the different ways it presents itself through different media analyzed throughout the class. For the end of class, students will write an essay about a topic relating to fascism of their choosing. We will discuss student interests and I will help guide them to a suitable topic. The essay should be at least 5 paragraphs and argue a point about fascism. Required Texts: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Required Film: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022 (available on Netflix) Students must acquire the above books and film on their own. I will also provide a reader of primary source documents that students can print out or read digitally. Class Schedule: Week 1: World War I -Major social divides -Nationalist movements -Trench Warfare and Shell Shock HW: Read the documents on Italian fascism (provided) Week 2: Mussolini -His origins -His rise -Discuss what he identified as the problems in Italy (based on the texts) and his approach to fixing them -Mussolini's definition of fascism HW: Watch Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022 (available on Netflix) Week 3: Fascist Education -Indoctrination of children -Specifically discuss Fascist Italy & Nazi Germany's approach to education -Guillermo del Toro's fascination with fascism and how he approaches it in his work HW: Read All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Week 4: Fascist Priorities -Weimar Republic, briefly -Werner Pfenning's life from Weimar to Nazi Germany -Discuss why the Nazi's chose Werner despite his humble origins & how this reflects fascist priorities HW: Read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Week 5: Dystopia -Discuss what Dystopia literature is and seeks to accomplish -Suzanne Collins' background and approach to writing THG -The purpose of the Hunger Games within the context of Panem -Discuss what elements of fascism exist within the universe HW: Read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins Week 6: Endless War -Discuss the theory of Endless War and how it benefits a government like Panem -In Groups and Out Groups: how does status look among the most privileged in a fascist state? -Discuss Coriolanus Snow's character growing up with high status but low means after a war and how that shaped his perspective HW: Submit essay topic Week 7: -Discuss: Is fascism zero sum? Can a country or government have fascist elements without being fascist? -Discuss essay topics Week 8: Closing Discussion -Students will discuss the main points of their essay arguments
Learning Goals
Students will identify what fascism is.
Students will analyze literature and film about fascism to understand different elements of the political system.
Students will
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
World War I
-Major social divides
-Nationalist movements
-Trench Warfare and Shell Shock
HW: Read the documents on Italian fascism (provided)
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Mussolini
-His origins
-His rise
-Discuss what he identified as the problems in Italy (based on the texts) and his approach to fixing them
-Mussolini's definition of fascism
HW: Watch Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022 (available on Netflix)
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Fascist Education
-Indoctrination of children
-Specifically discuss Fascist Italy & Nazi Germany's approach to education
-Guillermo del Toro's fascination with fascism and how he approaches it in his work
HW: Read All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Fascist Priorities
-Weimar Republic, briefly
-Werner Pfenning's life from Weimar to Nazi Germany
-Discuss why the Nazi's chose Werner despite his humble origins & how this reflects fascist priorities
HW: Read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Fascism is an inherently violent political system that includes and excludes based on physical characteristics that view humanity as a machine. This class seeks to understand what exactly that means through primary sources, literature, and film.
Under no circumstance will discrimination of any kind being tolerated during this class. This includes but is not limited to discrimination based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ability, social or economic status, etc.
Students making statements that are pro-fascist (eg. Hitler was right) or make otherwise disparaging remarks against others (whether present in the class or not) will be removed from the class and not offered a refund.
Pre-Requisites
Students should be knowledgeable about world history, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Supply List
Required Texts: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr Required Film: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, 2022 (available on Netflix) Teacher will supply a reader of documents prior to the first day of class.
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from CUNY College of Staten Island
Bachelor's Degree in English from CUNY Brooklyn College
I have a Master's of Adolescent Social Studies Education. Much of my coursework discussed fascism in some way. I took a class called "Europe in the 20th century" that discussed the development of fascism in depth, far beyond the typical discussions that focus on Nazi Germany.
This class is structured like a "lite" version of a university seminar, which I have extensive experience with. Many of my classes currently offered are discussion based.
I have experience teaching about political topics to both teenagers on Outschool and in person, and to adults at community centers.
Reviews
Live Group Course
$112
for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-10 learners per class