Resistance from Aristotle to Star Wars

Classroom Activities

Paradox of Tolerance Analysis

Although you can have students complete this on paper, this is more of a short Socratic exercise that should be paired with discussion of the fall of the Weimar Republic and the Star Wars scenes related to the fall of the Galactic Republic. Using the Paradox of Tolerance cited earlier in the content section, students must analyze and form an opinion on it. Before students read the Paradox, I ask an introductory question: should there be limits on the freedom of speech and assembly and, if so, what should those limits look like? After discussing that question, I have students read the Paradox and answer the following comprehension questions. Remember, it is important that teachers do not offer their own opinion during this activity, as this is a paradox with no clearly “correct” answer; let students discuss it themselves with you merely as facilitator.

According to Popper…

1. what would happen if the tolerant were not prepared to defend a tolerant society from the intolerant?
2. should a tolerant society ALWAYS suppress the intolerant? What two ways does Popper say should “check” the intolerant?
3. at what point, and for what reasons, should a tolerant society suppress the intolerant?
4. what right should the tolerant claim with regard to intolerance?

After analyzing these questions, I offer the two following questions to foster classroom discussion:

5. What is the “paradox” in Karl Popper’s The Paradox of Tolerance?
6. Do you agree with Karl Popper’s argument? Why or why not?

And close with answering the introductory question again:

7. Should be limits on the freedom of speech and assembly and what those limits should look like if they existed?

Fascism Definition Timeline

This is a useful note taking tool throughout the unit. Students will have a simple graphic organizer for a definition of fascism timeline. I will have three columns: benchmarks of fascism, related historical events, and explanation. The left column, “benchmarks,” will be for Paxton’s nine “mobilizing passions” (called benchmarks hereafter) of fascism; students will copy them down during notes, or you can provide them already on the page, or a little of both. The center column, called “related historical events,” will be reserved for events in the history of Nazi Germany and/or Fascist Italy that tie to each benchmark. This can be down in one or two ways. The simple version is through matching: students are provided with a timeline of events in the rise of fascism already filled-our, and then students align those events to each of the mobilizing passions in the graphic organizer. The more challenging way is for students to align events to the graphic organizer through active note-taking, as the historical context is discussed in class. For example, when I teach the appointment of Hitler to chancellor, students should put that in the “sense of overwhelming crisis” row. The third column, explanation, will be where students explain how each event related to their chosen fascist benchmark. There should enough space available for students to add multiple events and explanations to each benchmark.

Tyranny & Resistance Note-Taking Journal

This is the cornerstone of the unit. It will consist of a multi-page graphic organizer. The cover page will have spots for students to write two definitions each for tyranny and resistance. The first definitions are written before diving into the unit; I want students to come up with these definitions as a class and without the content of the unit. We will brainstorm what students think both words mean, with no teacher input other than to direct discussion. Students may need a basic understanding of tyranny if they never came across that word before, but I want them to focus on what tyranny looks like from their point of view and not simply a textbook definition. Same goes for resistance, what does resistance mean to them? What does It look like? After the brainstorm, students should write down the definition of each term that the class decided on; this initial definition should be short, try to keep it at one sentence. The second definitions for each term will be written after the main content of the unit and could be longer.

The bulk of the journal will be an analysis of tyranny and resistance in Star Wars. I will have a graphic organizer with four columns: “explanation of the scene,” “questions and observations,” “historical examples,” “tyranny or resistance”? As students are introduced to the scenes from Star Wars, they fill out the organizer via Socratic seminar. I recommend splitting students into small groups of three or four (four being ideal). One student in each group will be designated the facilitator, and another the note-taker; these roles should rotate between every scene. As the scenes play out, the note-taker focuses on briefly explaining what is happening in the scene in the first column (explanation of the scene). Everyone else fills out the second column (questions & observations), where students write down anything they found interesting about the scene as it relates to tyranny, resistance, or fascism. The facilitator also writes down questions they want to ask their group about the scene; you might want to provide students some example Socratic questions: “what is happening in this scene?”; “why do you think we were shown this scene?”; “how does this show tyranny?”; “how does this relate to what we’re learning?”; “how does the Empire/Resistance justify their actions here?”; “how does this change our view on resistance?”; etc. Next, students are given 1-3 minutes to discuss the scene as a group, during which the facilitator asks their questions to foster discussion. The next column (historical examples) can be filled out during small group discussion, if students were taught the context before the scene, or can be used as a space for notes if teaching the context after the scene. The final column (tyranny or resistance) is filled out as a class; after small group discussion, I will have groups share out their observations and then we decided how to briefly explain the scene as an example of tyranny or an example of resistance. After analyzing the scenes, students return to their cover page and create new definitions of tyranny and resistance: how did the scene and historical analysis alter their perceptions of the two terms?

White Rose Primary Source Analysis and Resistance Leaflet

The translated leaflets of the White Rose can be found online in multiple places with a quick search. I recommend analyzing the second and sixth leaflets, but any can be used. I will use the historical thinking chart from Digital Inquiry Group to create primary source analysis assignment using at least two of the leaflets. The questions you ask from the chart depends on your students, but I use the following: for sourcing, I ask, why was this written? and have students identify the author’s position on the historical event and evaluate the author’s purpose in producing the document. For contextualization, I ask when and where the document was created? and have students understand how context/background information influences the content of the document. For corroboration, I ask “what other possible documents?”; you may also want to discuss the official Nazi party line related to the Battle of Stalingrad and the ongoing Holocaust to show that the White Rose was challenging party dogma. For close reading, I ask what claims the author makes?, what evidence does the author use?, what language (words, phrases, images, symbols) does the author use to persuade the document’s audience?, how does the document’s language indicate the author’s perspective?, and have student evaluate the evidence and reasoning the author uses to support claims. It is important that students understand that the leaflets were a form of non-violent resistance, resistance through truth-telling.[42]

Using their analysis of the leaflets as a guide, students can create their own resistance leaflet related to anything they want. It could be related to current events, where students find something a government or leader says and disproves it through a White Rose-style leaflet they research. Or a student can make a fictional leaflet related to Star Wars, or any other fictional franchise they choose, as long as it shows the power of resistance through words and the importance of truth-telling.

Opinion Essay: Was the Galactic Empire fascist?

This activity should be paired with the Tyranny & Resistance Journal and saved for the end of the unit. Through an opinion essay, students must argue whether Star Wars’ Galactic Empire was fascist or simply authoritarian. I would start with a classroom discussion where I do not give my own opinion, but rather have students share and debate theirs. Students then write an opinion essay, answering the question in the context of Paxton’s definition of fascism (his “mobilizing passions”). Students should use their Resistance Journal as a guide, determining whether the Galactic Empire had showcased enough of the benchmarks of fascism to qualify as fascist, citing how the Empire represented each tenet or not.  They may use the scenes shown in class or use additional scenes from other Star Wars media they find on their own. There are no right or wrong answers, so long as students showed their understanding of tyranny and, specifically, fascism. Understandably, you might have students who have never seen the movies or shows before this unit and may not feel like they know enough. Even after seeing the scenes incorporated into this unit, a few students may feel as if they do not have a full “view” of the franchise to make an informed argument; therefore, you can extend this question to other franchises that they may be interested in, like The Hunger Games. It is a fun end-of-unit paper or project topic that checks their understanding of the term itself; the dystopian, fantasy, or science-fiction setting they choose is secondary.