Karl Marx: The Father of Communism

Karl Marx: The Father of Communism

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson, you will be able to describe the life and ideas of Karl Marx, including communism and dialectical materialism.

Introduce the objective of the lesson to the students.

What do you already know about Karl Marx?

Who was Karl Marx?

Karl Marx was a German philosopher, economist, and revolutionary socialist. He was born in Trier, Germany in 1818 and died in London, England in 1883.

Introduce Karl Marx and his background to the students.

Marx's Ideas

Marx believed that capitalism was a system that was doomed to fail because it created wealth inequality and exploited the working class.

Introduce Marx's ideas about capitalism to the students.

Communism

Marx believed that communism was the solution to the problems created by capitalism. Under communism, there would be no private property and all resources would be shared equally among the people.

Explain the concept of communism and how Marx believed it could address the issues with capitalism.

The Communist Manifesto

Marx and his collaborator Friedrich Engels wrote The Communist Manifesto, which was published in 1848. It is one of the most influential political texts in history.

Introduce The Communist Manifesto and its significance to the students.

Dialectical Materialism

Marx developed the concept of dialectical materialism, which is a way of understanding history and society through the interactions between opposing forces.

Explain the concept of dialectical materialism and its relationship to Marx's ideas.

Class Struggle

Marx believed that history was defined by class struggle between the ruling class and the working class. He believed that the working class would eventually overthrow the ruling class and establish a communist society.

Explain Marx's ideas about class struggle and how it relates to his overall philosophy.

Legacy

Marx's ideas have had a profound impact on the world, inspiring countless political movements and shaping the course of history.

Discuss Marx's legacy and the impact of his ideas on the world.

Discussion

What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of Marx's ideas? Do you think communism could work in practice?

Engage the students in a discussion about Marx's ideas and their practicality.

Conclusion

Karl Marx was a philosopher, economist, and revolutionary socialist who developed the ideas of communism and dialectical materialism. His ideas have had a profound impact on the world and continue to shape political discourse today.

Summarize the key points of the lesson and reinforce the learning objective.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.