Global History - Capitalism v. Communism
standards: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2
Love
Focus – Did socialism/communism provide a realistic way to end the problems created by capitalism?
Objectives – #1 analyze the positive and negative results of the Industrial Revolution.
#2 define capitalism, socialism, communism, laissez-faire
#3 compare and contrast capitalism and communism
#4 analyze political cartoons dealing with socialism/communism and capitalism
#5 analyze positives and negatives of capitalism and socialism/communism
Start Up – Who benefited most from the Industrial Revolution? Who benefited least? Explain
your answers.
Activities - #1 discuss start up answers and make a t chart of positives and negatives of the Industrial
Revolution
#2 We will discuss the Capitalism vs. Socialism/Communism T Chart at the top of the handout (titled the
same as the focus)… We will discuss capitalism first and use the Industrial Revolution ‘start up’ chart to
highlight positives and negatives of a capitalist society. We will then discuss ways to fix the problems
created by the Industrial Revolution which will lead into the socialism part of the chart.
#3 political cartoons and pictures showing the negatives of socialism and capitalism.
#3A class will work collectively in pairs to work on capitalism vs. socialism statements. I will model the
first question and the pairs will answer the rest. We will discuss the answers as a class
Final Summary – Which of these economic policies do you think is better and why? EXPLAIN your
answer!
Homework – www.castlelearning.com assignments
Global History - Capitalism v. Communism
3.2
standards: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1,
Love
Focus – Did socialism/communism provide a realistic way to end the problems created by capitalism?
Objectives – #1 analyze positives and negatives of capitalism and socialism/communism
#2 explain which economic system they would want to a society they were part of to use
#3 identify Karl Marx and Adam Smith; define proletariat, laissez-faire,
#4 analyze the writings/beliefs of Marx and Smith
#5 compare and contrast Marx & Smith as well as capitalism & socialism/communism
Start Up – Do you think the U.S. government should be able to force people to purchase a health care
plan or any other product? Why or why not? Do you think the new health care plan signed by
president Obama is a form of socialism? Why or why not?
What is the main difference between capitalism and communism?
Activities - #1 discuss start up answers; re-define socialism and communism
#2 Which of the economic policies that we discussed yesterday (capitalism or socialism/communism) do
you think is better and why? EXPLAIN your answer in sentence form!
#3 we will read a fictional dialogue between Adam Smith and Karl Marx aloud as a class and analyze the
conversation. As the students read, they should be highlighting/underlining for understanding. They
should read the questions on the handout first so they know what will be asked of them before the
reading starts. The class will answer the questions in pairs and then we will discuss.
#4 We will view a political cartoon and photos on the Smartboard discussing and comparing capitalism
to communism/socialism… We will answer questions and take notes and discuss the main points of
each system
Final Summary - Is it against the competitive nature of humans to live in a society without
classes? Why or why not?
Homework – www.castlelearning.com assignments
Name -
Date –
Why didn’t Communism catch on in industrialized Western nations?
Marx predicted the misery of the proletariat would set off a world revolution (“workers of the
world unite!”)
Instead of this happening, by 1900 the standard of living of working class improved (due to
many reforms made to help the poor working class throughout Europe)
As a result, Marxism lost much of its appeal in industrialized western nations
Also, workers of world did not unite! Nationalism of people too strong
8. Why didn’t Marx’s prediction of a worldwide revolution by poor factory workers occur?
9. What does nationalism mean?
Is it against the competitive nature of humans to live in a society without classes? Why or
why not?
Name -
Date -
Communism vs. Capitalism Debate
Directions – Read the following discussion between Lisa Simpson and Adil, a foreign exchange student
who stayed with the Simpson family, about capitalism.
Adil: How can you defend a country where five percent of the people control ninety-five percent of the
wealth?
Lisa: I’m defending a country where people can think and act and worship in any way they want!”
Adil: Can not!
Lisa: Can too!
Adil: Can not!
Lisa: Can too!
Homer: Please, please kids stop fighting. Maybe Lisa’s right about America being the land of
opportunity and maybe Adil has a point about the machinery of capitalism being oiled with the blood of
the workers.
1. Which person is defending a capitalist system of government?
2. Which person is accusing the capitalist system of being unjust for the people? Why does this
person feel that way?
3. Which person would defend how the United States economy operates and why?
4. What does Adil mean when he says, “How can you defend a country where five percent of the
people control ninety-five percent of the wealth?”
Capitalism - an economic system in which the
means of production (businesses) are privately
owned and operated for profit
Communism - an economic system in which the
government owns and operates all businesses
Socialism - a system in which the people as a
whole group, rather than private individuals
own and operate all businesses
Laissez-Faire – a policy that allows businesses
to operate with little or no government
interference… Pro-capitalist belief
Global History - Capitalism v. Communism
standards: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2
Love
Focus - How has communism/socialism impacted the world?
Objectives – (SWBAT) #1 – define key tier II & III vocabulary terms such as communism,
socialism, capitalism, laissez-faire economics, proletariat, propaganda, etc.
#2 compare & contrast the main beliefs behind each system (communism/socialism to
capitalism)
#3 analyze the impact of communism and socialism throughout history (since the beginning of
the Industrial Revolution)
#4 analyze photos and political cartoons about capitalism and communism/socialism
Start Up - #1 Make a KWL chart about communism/socialism and answer the K (what do you
know about communism/socialism) section.
Activities – #1 discuss the ‘start up’ answers and make a list of facts about
communism/socialism on the Smartboard under the K section of the KWL chart
#2 We will view photos on the Smartboard comparing living conditions in a communist society
to a capitalist society and answer the questions that accompany them. Are these photos an
example of propaganda? Why or why not? We will also view a political cartoon that portrays
socialism in a negative way. Is this a fair cartoon? Is this an example of propaganda? Why or
why not?
#3 The students will view a video clip about the impact of communism/socialism and complete
the L section of the KWL chart… They can fill out the W section before and after the video so we
can discussany remaining questions in the next lesson.
Final Summary - Is it against the competitive nature of humans to live in a society without
classes? Why or why not?
homework - www.castlelearning.com assignments; have a safe and happy vacation
The capitalism/communism lesson is due after the break.