Lesson Plan Lesson Plan Days 2 and 3

The Chinese Long March Lesson Plan Lesson Plan Days 2 and 3

The Long March

Explain to the class that they are now going to learn about the Long March, a year-long trek that covered more than 6000 miles—approximately double the width of the continental United States. While only one of the original marchers out of eight survived, their endurance ensured the survival of the Chinese Communist Party. Note that the account of the Long March given here follows the progression of Mao Zedong’s army, and not that of the several other Long March armies that took different routes. Students will learn about the march by presenting a newscast of the unfolding events. Half the class will be the newscasters, while the other half will represent historical figures who were involved in the events. 1. Project Map B of the Long March (see page 16). Alongside it, project Map C: Relief Map of China (see page 17) to show the points along this route where the Long March will encounter its highest terrain. 2. Divide the class as follows: Assign each student to either one section of the Long March Narration (1–16) or to one of the Long March Biographies (1–14). For each student who will be one of the people in the Long March (Long March Biographies), print out a copy of their photo for them to wear around their neck or to use as a placard at their desk so that the rest of the class can see who they “are.” Newscasters should have access to a

Long March map China relief map

Narrator seats (16)

Long Marcher seats (14)

“microphone” as well as a pointer and “tacks” to place on the map.

Option A: Short Version (No preparation time). • Student narrators read their portion of the Handout 3: Long March Narration, including the column on the left (date, event) and right (details of the event). When a narrator reads the name of a marcher (in bold), the student representing that marcher stands up.

• At the end of the narration, call up the Long Marchers one by one. Each Teaching tip student will read out his or her biography so that we find out what If you feel it’s appropriate, give happened to them on the Long March, if they survived it, and what students time to reread other roles they played in China’s subsequent history. their biographies. • Proceed from here to item 3 below. Bright Idea Play the “game” a 3. After the narration and biographical recitations, have a “call out” for all second time but marchers who fit the following categories. They can raise their hands, stand faster,like a military drill. up in front of the class, or do a quick one-two-three-step march together. This is a good test of how well students have processed what they read. All relatives of Mao. Bright Idea Call a press conference Those who joined the Nationalist Party before they were members in which the newscast- of the Chinese Communist Party. ers pose questions to the marchers, such as: All survivors of the Long March. • What are your feelings All those who went on to fight the Japanese from 1936 to 1945. about Mao? • How did Mao All those who fought in the Chinese Civil War against the consolidate power? Nationalist Party once World War II was over. • Why do you think the Long March All those who lived to the age of 60 or older. is important in All those who gave Mao undivided loyalty. Chinese history? • What is the worst Option B: Long Version hardship you suffered? This version will require at least one night’s worth of homework or a full class • Which one of your comrades other than period to prepare. Mao do you admire the Newscasters should: most, and why? • Embellish their account with dramatic flourishes. • Practice reading and reciting ahead of time. • Find images to go along with what they are presenting, such as the geography of China, images of people involved in the march, and so forth. If students use digital images, assign one newscaster to assemble them into a PowerPoint presentation. Biography students should: • Rewrite what they are going to say so that it reads in the first person (e.g., rather than “Mao decided that…” their narration should read, “I decided that…”). • Do further research about their assigned person. Note that the biographies in the Activator are very short and are not intended to be comprehensive. For most of the marchers, students can find more information online by using their person’s name plus “Long March” as search terms. • Bring to class some form of prop that represents something of importance in their person’s life (e.g., a diploma, map, or photograph) to show as they recount their story.

Debriefing

Read aloud Mao’s assessment of the impact of the Long March: Report given by Mao Zedong at a Party conference, December 27th, 1935 “Speaking of the Long March, one may ask, ‘What is its significance?’ … The Long March is a manifesto. It has proclaimed to the world that the Red Army is an army r S of heroes, while the imperialists and their running dogs, Read or say Chiang Kai-shek and his like, are impotent. It has proclaimed their utter failure to encircle, pursue, obstruct and intercept us. The Long March is also a propaganda force. It has announced to some 200 million people in eleven provinces that the road of the Red Army is their only road to liberation. Without the Long March, how could the broad masses have learned so quickly about the existence of the great truth which the Red Army embodies? The Long March is also a seeding-machine. In the eleven provinces it has sown many seeds which will sprout, leaf, blossom, and bear fruit, and will yield a harvest in the future.”*

Questions for debriefing: • Was the Long March more of a military or a propaganda victory? • How did the Long March consolidate Mao’s hold on power? • Based on the roles you reenacted, how did the Long March create a generation of national heroes and a founding mythology? • To what national heroes and founding mythologies could you compare the Long March to in U.S. history? • As China enters an era in which Communist ideology plays only a Bright Idea Debriefing with nominal role in its identity, do you think the Long March will maintain its Primary Sources: place of importance in its history? Have students read the Long March Documents • What if Mao and his compatriots had not survived the Long March? How Set 2: The Chinese might the history of China—and world history—have been different? Communist Party Propagandizes the • How else did the Communists use the Long March as Chinese Long March in poetry Communist propaganda? Do you think it was an effective tool? Why or and Art. This set has three documents: two why not? translations of a poem by Mao, and one piece of art about the Long March.

* Source http://www.morningsun.org/living/longmarch/index.html