Chinese Nationalism: challenges which Mao faced when he assumed control of China

The lesson begins with an overview of the Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. This is followed by a competitive Google challenge where two teams must race to Google the dates for key events displayed on the board. Students have to then record their homework (a research task) in their diaries.

A recap of what we have previously learned is provided. This is followed by a 22 minute YouTube viewing activity (Mao Zedong: The Chairman of Communist China).There are some notes about Mao’s ideologies for students to record in their books. There is also information about the conflicts which arose between Mao and the CCP’s Russian-oriented Central Committee (The Politburo). There is a 4 minute video about The Long March. A visual map of the routes they took, along with information about the weather and conditions, is provided. Historical interpretations of this march are displayed for students to read and discuss.

This is followed by information about The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) and how this eventually led to the CCP achieving victory and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on 1 October 1949.

The lesson ends with an examination of Mao’s first Five Year Plan.

Resources designed for the new senior Modern History syllabus (implemented in QLD in 2019). The end of term assessment for this unit was an Independent Source Investigation.

The content would also be useful more broadly for students in other states and countries with an interest in the China (1931-1976). The other resources are also available in my store – Aussie_Resources.