Oklahoma Social Studies TOT.C.9.3.A

Social StudiesGrades 9–12Content Standards

The Standard

TOT.C.9.3: Trace the rise of communist influence in other regions of the world, including

Communist leadership (e.g., Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, Mao Zedong, and Kim Il Sung),

Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · TOT.C.9.3

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Identify Che Guevara and Fidel Castro with Cuba, Mao Zedong with China, and Kim Il Sung with North Korea. Explain each person's role and connect that role to a specific event or policy.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students can explain that Guevara helped lead Cuba's revolution but was not its president, while Castro governed Cuba. They can name an action Mao or Kim took to gain or hold power and describe its effect on people.
Common Misconceptions: Students may call Guevara Cuba's president or confuse Mao's China with Kim's North Korea. They may also assume all four leaders held the same office or used the same policies.
How to Assess It: On an exit slip, ask: How did Guevara's role in Cuba differ from Castro's? Name one action Castro took after the revolution.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a map and four short leader cards; have them place each card and write the leader's role beside it.
Read short biographies of Guevara and Castro, then ask: Why is it inaccurate to call both men presidents of Cuba?
Play a clue game with event and policy cards; students name the leader and point to the clue that supports their answer.
Use current country profiles for Cuba, China, and North Korea; have students mark one government feature linked to Castro, Mao, or Kim.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to TOT.C.9.3.A, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

Keep exploring

Grade, subject, topic, and the complete standard are prefilled. Create one free, no account needed.