#311 The Cultural Revolution as History

Reflection:

• What ultimately motivates individuals to act? Material incentives (e.g. money, possessions, social position), or ideas (e.g. philosophy, education, belief systems, culture)? Is the answer to the question above a fixed part of “human nature,” or is it changeable?
• What went wrong during the Great Leap Forward? How do you think the Communist Party should have adjusted its political structure, economic policy, and/or approach to culture as a result of the failure of the campaign?
• How might your responses to the first and second questions relate?
  
  
  

Discovery stations:

• Begin by individually examining the ten stations around the room that contain primary and secondary historical materials related to the Cultural Revolution. As you conduct your initial investigation, consider:
  • What connections do you seen between the panels? What trends do you see emerging?
  • How might you summarize the cause of the Cultural Revolution?
  • What factors might account for the chaos and violence that occurred during the initial phase of 1966-68?
• Next, as a team, complete the following three tasks:
  • Create a basic timeline that pieces together a chronology for the events around the room.
  • Address the latter two questions above.
  • Identify potential avenues for future investigation.