QR Challenge: How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?
Teacher Notes
A. Prior to the lesson:
1. Arrange students into groups. Each group needs at least ONE person who has a mobile device.
2. If their phone camera doesn't automatically detect and decode QR codes, ask students to
- Download a QR reader (e.g. I-Nigma | NeoReader | Kaywa) onto their mobile devices
- Bring these devices into the lesson.
3. Print out the QR codes.
4. Cut them out and place them around your class / school.
B. The lesson:
1. Give each group a clipboard and a piece of paper so they can write down the decoded questions and their answers to them.
2. Explain to the students that the codes are hidden around the school. Each team will get ONE point for each question they correctly decode and copy down onto their sheet, and a further TWO points if they can then provide the correct answer and write this down underneath the question.
3. Away they go! The winner is the first team to return with the most correct answers in the time available. This could be within a lesson, or during a lunchbreak, or even over several days!
C. TIPS / OTHER IDEAS
4. A detailed case study in how to set up a successful QR Scavenger Hunt using this tool can be found here.
Questions / Answers (teacher reference)
Question | Answer |
| 1. Alexander II is seen as Tsar Liberator of Russians and Bulgarians in Bulgaria as he ‘liberated’ them from the Ottoman Turks in the Russo-Turkish war in 1877. | Bulgarians
|
2. The upper class people of Latvia and Estonia (also called the Baltic Germans) were dealt with liberally. There were rising nationalism in both states in the middle classes. They campaigned for social and economic equality between all Estonians but their newspaper, Sakala, made it clear they supported the tsarist regimes in Russian. | Balkans
| 3. Alexander II allowed some Jews to love outside the Pale of Settlement. (merchants and doctors) | Jews
| 4. In 1876 an official commission was set up to investigate separatist activity in the Ukraine. | Ukraine
| 5. 1863 forbade publications and imported books in Ukrainian. | Ukraine
| 6. This had been a rebellious part of the empire since the 1830s. | Poland
| 7. Russian artillery squads based in Poland were not directly issued with shells to prevent them from getting in to rebel hands. | Poland
| 8. 1863 Revolt - Poles wanted freedom as they saw the Emancipation of serfs in Russia. Wielopolski PM of Poland 1862 seen as a Tsarist lapdog, reforms on the basis of Polish national identity with Russia's approval. There was an attempted assassination including him and his viceroy, the Grand Duke Konstantin. | Poland
| 9. The new recruits failed to cooperate and fled into the woods to make rebel groups. Guerrilla warfare, supported by Land and Liberty and Russian military officers. Jaroslaw Dabrowski was an officer trained in the Russian army. He became the rebel leader. | Poland
| 10. The rebellion did not have the support of the peasants. The countryside faced some disruption and destruction. The Russian army had to step in and regain control. They captured and executed rebel leaders. | Poland
| 11. Gorchakov (Foreign Minister) wanted Poland to be ruled by Polish aristocracy under the Tsar. Milyutin (War Minister) wanted Polish gentry to be purged and Russian officials to be brought in Wielopolski fled the country and Milyutin in charge. | Poland
| 12. Peasants were given the freehold rights to their land when they were emancipated and then made payments through a tax system. This put them in a better position than the peasants in Russia. All landowners had to pay tax, not just the peasants. | Poland
| 13. Rural councils (similar to zemstva) were set up and there were representatives from all sections of society. | Poland
| 14. Russian became the official language of governance and administration. It was taught in schools. | Poland
| 15. The Catholic Church was not allowed to communicate with the Vatican as it was believed that a number of bishops were sympathetic to the rebels. | Poland |
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Alexander_II_is_seen_as_Tsar_Liberator_of_Russians_and_Bulgarians_in_Bulgaria_as_he_‘liberated’_them_from_the_Ottoman_Turks_in_the_Russo-Turkish_war_in_1877.
Question 1 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=The_upper_class_people_of_Latvia_and_Estonia_(also_called_the_Baltic_Germans)_were_dealt_with_liberally.__There_were_rising_nationalism_in_both_states_in_the_middle_classes._They_campaigned_for_social_and_economic_equality_between_all_Estonians_but_their_newspaper,_Sakala,_made_it_clear_they_supported_the_tsarist_regimes_in_Russian.
Question 2 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Alexander_II_allowed_some_Jews_to_love_outside_the_Pale_of_Settlement._(merchants_and_doctors)
Question 3 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=In_1876_an_official_commission_was_set_up_to_investigate_separatist_activity_in_the_Ukraine.
Question 4 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=1863_forbade_publications_and_imported_books_in_Ukrainian.
Question 5 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=This_had_been_a_rebellious_part_of_the_empire_since_the_1830s.
Question 6 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Russian_artillery_squads_based_in_Poland_were_not_directly_issued_with_shells_to_prevent_them_from_getting_in_to_rebel_hands.
Question 7 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=1863_Revolt_-_Poles_wanted_freedom_as_they_saw_the_Emancipation_of_serfs_in_Russia._Wielopolski_PM_of_Poland_1862_seen_as_a_Tsarist_lapdog,_reforms_on_the_basis_of_Polish_national_identity_with_Russia's_approval.__There_was_an_attempted_assassination_including_him_and_his_viceroy,_the_Grand_Duke_Konstantin.
Question 8 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=The_new_recruits_failed_to_cooperate_and_fled_into_the_woods_to_make_rebel_groups._Guerrilla_warfare,_supported_by_Land_and_Liberty_and_Russian_military_officers.__Jaroslaw_Dabrowski_was_an_officer_trained_in_the_Russian_army._He_became_the_rebel_leader.
Question 9 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=The_rebellion_did_not_have_the_support_of_the_peasants._The_countryside_faced_some_disruption_and_destruction._The_Russian_army_had_to_step_in_and_regain_control._They_captured_and_executed_rebel_leaders.
Question 10 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Gorchakov_(Foreign_Minister)_wanted_Poland_to_be_ruled_by_Polish_aristocracy_under_the_Tsar._Milyutin_(War_Minister)_wanted_Polish_gentry_to_be_purged_and_Russian_officials_to_be_brought_in_Wielopolski_fled_the_country_and_Milyutin_in_charge.
Question 11 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Peasants_were_given_the_freehold_rights_to_their_land_when_they_were_emancipated_and_then_made_payments_through_a_tax_system.__This_put_them_in_a_better_position_than_the_peasants_in_Russia.__All_landowners_had_to_pay_tax,_not_just_the_peasants.
Question 12 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Rural_councils_(similar_to_zemstva)_were_set_up_and_there_were_representatives_from_all_sections_of_society.
Question 13 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=Russian_became_the_official_language_of_governance_and_administration.__It_was_taught_in_schools.
Question 14 (of 15)
How far did Alexander II ignore the needs of the minorities in the Russian Empire?: QR Challenge
https://www.classtools.net/QR/decode.php?text=The_Catholic_Church_was_not_allowed_to_communicate_with_the_Vatican_as_it_was_believed_that_a_number_of_bishops_were_sympathetic_to_the_rebels.
Question 15 (of 15)
