Goals and objectives
Students will participate in a simulation of different incidents of social unrest in communist China. Through this they will be able to understand how these events made people feel, think, and change, and they will be able to examine the extremes people will go to for their causes.
California State standard
10.9.4 Analyze the Chinese Civil War, the rise of Mao Tse-tung, and the subsequent political and economic upheavals in China (e.g., the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square uprising).
COMMON Core Literacy standards
CCSS-H/SS-R-Grade 9-10
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
Historical Question
What was life like in China for the common people during the time of the Cultural Revolution?
Vocabulary
Revolution
Denounce
Red Guard
Re-education
Ostracize
Denounce
Red Guard
Re-education
Ostracize
Lesson Introduction
The lesson will be introduced with a discussion about peer pressure. Peer pressure is a common fact of life for all high school students and we all experience it in different ways. Peer pressure can also be negative, such as being pressured to do drugs, and positive, such as studying with a friend. There are sometimes social consequences for resisting peer pressure such as being shut out of a group or shunned. Think for a moment about an instance where you had to deal with peer pressure and what kinds of social consequences, those from your peers you disagree with, happened or could happen as a result. Share with your partner.
Content DElivery
After the Chinese civil war the Communists under Mao took over and started changing the country guided by their form of Marxist ideology. Some people got really into the philosophy the government was preaching and they decided that if anyone did not agree with them then they were wrong and had to be punished. We have previously talked about the political and economic changes that communism caused but this will be a cultural change. The people who got really into the new philosophy wanted to get rid of any signs of the old and create a new society. This is what the Cultural Revolution would be and those people were known as the Red Guard. This revolution was started and carried out mostly by students just like you.
Student Engagement
The class will be split into 4 groups which will represent a faction within Chinese society and will be given short docies on what their group is like.
Group 1 will be the Red Guard, they will decide what to do and how to do it but they must back everything up with reasoning based on Maoist and Marxist ideology.
Group 2 will be religious institutions and old culture such as followers of Christianity and Confucianism.
Group 3 will be everyday Chinese people not involved in the revolution such as teachers, and the older generation. This group is more neutral like many Chinese people.
Group 4 will be political opponents to the communist regime.
Groups 2-4 will have to write reasons why they are valuable to China and should not be punished by the Red Guard. The teacher will act as Mao, reminding the class about Maoist ideologies and indirectly guiding the Red Guard.
The Red Guard will then be released onto the rest of the class and they will decide who gets public humiliation/prison, re-education, or who can join them, they can decide this in any way punishing a whole group or differentiating for individuals. At each confrontation the Red Guard must justify their decision and the other groups will do their best to defend themselves. Those who are re-educated will spend a time reading a selection on Chinese communist ideology and then will be allowed to join the Red Guard. At the end of the simulation all students will have either sucomed to the Red Guard and conform, will be ostracized, or in prison.
Group 1 will be the Red Guard, they will decide what to do and how to do it but they must back everything up with reasoning based on Maoist and Marxist ideology.
Group 2 will be religious institutions and old culture such as followers of Christianity and Confucianism.
Group 3 will be everyday Chinese people not involved in the revolution such as teachers, and the older generation. This group is more neutral like many Chinese people.
Group 4 will be political opponents to the communist regime.
Groups 2-4 will have to write reasons why they are valuable to China and should not be punished by the Red Guard. The teacher will act as Mao, reminding the class about Maoist ideologies and indirectly guiding the Red Guard.
The Red Guard will then be released onto the rest of the class and they will decide who gets public humiliation/prison, re-education, or who can join them, they can decide this in any way punishing a whole group or differentiating for individuals. At each confrontation the Red Guard must justify their decision and the other groups will do their best to defend themselves. Those who are re-educated will spend a time reading a selection on Chinese communist ideology and then will be allowed to join the Red Guard. At the end of the simulation all students will have either sucomed to the Red Guard and conform, will be ostracized, or in prison.
Lesson Closure
At the end of the simulation the students will return to their places and do a Think-Pair-Share where they will reflect about how they felt during the simulation and how they think a person in China at the time would feel if they had to endure the Cultural Revolution. They will write their reflections then share and discuss with their partners and each pair will share with the entire class. The class will then discuss any other thoughts they have on the topic.
Students will note how the Red Guard was able to do whatever they wanted and were out of control and how a person in China would feel afraid of them and compromise their beliefs to survive.
Students will note how the Red Guard was able to do whatever they wanted and were out of control and how a person in China would feel afraid of them and compromise their beliefs to survive.
Assessment
Formative: The groups preparations for the simulation will be monitored for understanding of the materials given. Teacher will provide additional information when required and orally check for understanding.
Formative: During the simulation the teacher will monitor how the groups are arguing for their survival and how group one is reacting to each group. The teacher will assess based on how well they ague and their use of period reasoning.
Summative: The teacher will assess their written reflection and discussion
Formative: During the simulation the teacher will monitor how the groups are arguing for their survival and how group one is reacting to each group. The teacher will assess based on how well they ague and their use of period reasoning.
Summative: The teacher will assess their written reflection and discussion
ACCOMMODATIONS
Striving Readers: Teacher will provide adapted texts and vocabulary lists
Special Needs: Considerations will be taken for those with special social concerns as to what group they are put in.
English Language Learners: Sentence starters will be provided for the writing section and adapted texts and vocabulary lists will also be available
Special Needs: Considerations will be taken for those with special social concerns as to what group they are put in.
English Language Learners: Sentence starters will be provided for the writing section and adapted texts and vocabulary lists will also be available