Properties

Title:
Creative Problem Solving
Type:
Lesson Plan
Subject:
Social Studies
Grade Range:
7
Description:
The Mao Zedong Mess
Duration:
2, 50 minutes
Author(s):
Kristen Naylor
Instructional Unit Content
Standard(s)/Element(s)
Content Area Standard
SS7H3 The student will analyze continuity and change in Southern and Eastern Asia leading to
the 21st century.
a. Describe how nationalism led to independence in India and Vietnam.
b. Describe the impact of Mohandas Gandhis belief in non-violent protest.
c. Explain the role of the United States in the rebuilding of Japan after WWII.
d. Describe the impact of Communism in China in terms of Mao Zedong, the Great Leap
Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and Tiananmen Square.
e. Explain the reasons for foreign involvement in Korea and Vietnam in terms of containment
of Communism.

TAG Standards
ACS 6. The student anticipates and addresses potential misunderstandings, biases, and
expectations in communication with others
ACS 8. The student participates in small group discussions to argue persuasively or reinforce
others good points.
CTPS 3. The student incorporates brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques (synectics,
SCAMPER, etc.) to solve problems or create new products.
CTPS 4. The student demonstrates skills in fluency and flexibility to solve problems or create
new products.
CTPS 6. The student, independently or through collaboration with classmates, clarifies,
illustrates, or elaborates on an idea for product improvement
HOCTS 3. The student conducts comparisons using criteria.
HOCTS 11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding
irrelevant information

Summary/Overview

The focus of this lesson is to creatively identify and solve the conflict between the people of
China and Mao Zedong.

Enduring Understanding(s)
At the end of this lesson the student will understand that:

Nationalism plays an important role in the development of nations.

Conflicts have wide-ranging and long-term effects.
Many problems and solutions can be drawn back to the same set of events.

Essential Question(s)

How have various groups challenged governments for control throughout Southern and
Eastern Asia?

Concept(s) to Maintain
-

Power, Governance, and Authority

Communism
The Rules of Brainstorming

Evidence of Learning
What students should know:
A Chinese civil war began before WWII between the communists, led by Mao
Zedong, and the Nationalists, led by Chiang Kai-Shek.
When it seemed the communists may loose, Mao led 90,000 of his supporters, called
the Red Guard, on a 6,000 mile march to safety. Nearly half of them died on the
Long March.
After WWII ended, the civil war continued. Peasants had supported Mao Zedong
because they were promised a more equitable land distribution system.
In 1958 Mao launched the Great Leap Forward, an effort to revolutionize the
economy from agrarian to industrial. The program was a terrible failure that led to the
death of as many as 20 to 30 million people who died of starvation due to a food
scarcity.
Another effort to revolutionize China was the Cultural Revolution. This was an
effort to erase the past and western influence in favor of a communist culture.

What students should be able to do:

design, apply, evaluate, and adapt a variety of innovative strategies to when problem
solving (e.g., recognizes problems, defines problems, identifies possible solutions, selects
optimal solution, implements solution, and evaluates solution).
incorporate brainstorming and other idea-generating techniques (synectics, SCAMPER,
etc.) to solve problems or create new products.
Suggested Vocabulary

Nationalism
Independence
Mao Zedong
Communism
Great Leap Forward
Cultural Revolution
Tiananmen Square
Red Guards

Procedure(s)
Phase 1: Hook
1 Students will participate in a Guided Imagery Exercise. Students will record and discuss
feelings that result from the guided imagery.
Phase 2: Examine the Content
2 Mess: Distribute the Mao Zedong mess packet. Students will read the mess individually.
3

Students will work in small group to list all the facts and opinions obtained from the reading.
Each group will generate a list of unanswered questions to research for homework or in the
media center.

Phase 3: Creative Problem Solving

4

Review the Rules of Brainstorming: 1) Go for quantity. 2) Wild and crazy ideas are okay. 3)
Piggy-back on the ideas of others. 4) No judgmentpositive or negative.

Problem-Finding: Each group will brainstorm the problems seen as a result of the mess.
Opportunity is provided for grouping of similar problems and selecting from the top three.
From the top three problems, each group will develop a solvable problem statement
beginning with How might we

Idea-Finding: Each group will brainstorm solutions to the problem statement. Opportunity
is provided for grouping of similar problems and selecting from the top five.

Solution-Finding: Each group will develop criteria to evaluate the five solutions and use a
decision-making grid to determine the best solution. Opportunity is provided for research to
make valid evaluations against the criteria.

Acceptance-Finding: Each group will develop an action plan for implementing the
solution.

Phase 4: Synthesis Activity

9

Each group will develop a product (ex: persuasive letter, flow chart, speech.) for sharing its
solution with the 1970 citizens of China.

Summarizing Activity
Shapely Debrief
In regards to the conflict between the Chinese citizens and Mao Zedong name
Something I learned that squares with my beliefs
Three points to remember
One question still going around in your mind
Resource(s):
-

People Places and Change by Holt, Reinhart, and Winston

http://departments.kings.edu/history/20c/china.html

Jennifer Beard: guided reading

Anchor Text(s):
People Places and Change by Holt, Reinhart, and Winston
Technology:
Websites and multiple resources for research for a variety of reading levels.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_zedong
http://departments.kings.edu/history/20c/china.html
Handouts:
Handout 1:
Handout 2:
Handout 3:
Handout 4:

Hook- Guided Imagery Exercise

The Mao Zedong Mess of 1950-1976 Packet
Rules of Brainstorming
Shapely Debrief

Remediation

Students may receive a more structured experience. Students may also receive a reading
at a lower Lexile.

Extension
- Students who finish early may then explain their second choice. The positives, and
negatives of that choice and why it was not picked for the number one solution.
Differentiation
- Students may receive a lower Lexile reading. They may think up their own solutions.
Students will be paired by ability.