topic 5
EAST asian civilizations
CHINA (Great Wall/Yellow River Dynasties)
THE ANCIENT RIVER CIVILIZATIONS
Embedded Files
Unit 2: Topic 5 - Curriculum guide
Unit 2: Topic 5 - Curriculum guide
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Unit 2 - Topic 5: Overview....................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Unit 2 - Topic 5: Goal, GLE's, & Description.......................................................................................................................................... 2
Essential Content - GLEs
Ancillary Content - GLEs
Homework: What Did You Learn in Topic 4?....................................................................................................................................... 3
Student Strategies................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Caterpillar Writing
Thinking Like a Historian
R.A.C.E. Strategy for Reading
Introducing the East Asian Civilization - Mr. Nikki.............................................................................................................................5
Lesson Activity: Vocabulary Words - Homework.............................................................................................................................. 6
Lesson Activity: Prior Knowledge - Maps ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment........................................................................................................... 8
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim....................................................................................................................................................9
Lesson Activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment/Summative Assessment............................................................... 10
Lesson Activity: Building Context....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Lesson Activity: Lesson Activity: Characteristics of Civilizations Graphic Organizer................................................................... 12
Lesson Activity: Building Context - .................................................................................................................................................... 13
Lesson Activity: Building Context -..................................................................................................................................................... 14
Lesson Activity: Building Context -..................................................................................................................................................... 15
Lesson Activity: Summative Assessment - Write.............................................................................................................................. 16
unit 2 - Topic 5: Overview
unit 2 - Topic 5: Overview
Page 1
Unit 2 Description: Students explore how physical geography and location supported the growth of ancient civilizations, the characteristics of those civilizations, and how their achievements influenced other cultures. Students will investigate different types of maps and will understand the difference between physical and political maps as well as the physical characteristics of the land where people chose to settle. Students will examine the ancient river valley civilizations in an effort to discover the impact geography and environment have on a civilization. This is key to helping them to visualize the organic growth of a civilization. Students will explore how physical geography, natural/non-renewable resources, and location supported the growth of ancient civilizations, the characteristics of those civilizations, and how their achievements influenced other cultures.
Topic 5 Description: Students will learn about East Asian civilization. We will discuss how geography played a large role in China's development into a civilization. China is an East Asian country with a large territory, a huge population, and an ancient history. With written records dating back 4,000 years, it is recognized as one of the four great ancient civilizations of the world. It is the only ancient civilization that has continued to this very day. Interesting Fact: Fossils that have been found in Chinese territory include those of Yuanmou Man, the first Homo erectus, who lived 1.7 million years ago.
Unit 2 -Topic 5: Goals, GLE's & Description
Unit 2 -Topic 5: Goals, GLE's & Description
Page 2
Topic 5: Goal
Our goal is to have students construct a paragraph on whether they believe Ancient China developed independently or collectively with the other civilizations, having students use materials from previous tasks and their outside knowledge to respond.
Topics (GLEs) for the unit & pacing:
Unit 2: Approximately 7 Weeks
Topic 5: Approximately 5 Class Periods
Connections to the Unit Claim:
Students investigate East Asian civilizations using their study of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, and the Indus River Valley as models.
How do geography and environment impact civilization?
Sub-Claim Question:
How did geography and environment shape the development of East Asian civilizations?
essential content
essential content
6.2.1 - Analyze the relationship between geographical features and early settlement patterns using maps and globes
Use maps to compare geographical features and areas of settlement in ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China) to draw conclusions about the relationship between settlement patterns and geographical features (natural and man-made).
6.2.3 - Describe the characteristics and achievements of the ancient river civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and China
Explain why Mesopotamia is referred to as the cradle of civilization and Fertile Crescent.
Explain the factors that gave rise to the ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China).
Explain the importance of achievements and characteristics (large population centers, monumental architecture and unique art, writing and record keeping, complex institutions, specialization/complex division of labor, and social classes/structures) related to ancient river valley civilizations.
- Mesopotamia (Tigris and Euphrates River Valley): ziggurats, cuneiform, kings and their rule (Sargon, Hammurabi), law/legal codes (Hammurabi’s code), irrigation systems, the wheel, the plow, bronze making.
- Egypt (Nile River Valley): pyramids, Sphinx, hieroglyphics, pharaohs and their rule (Hatshepsut, Amenhotep, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses), irrigation systems, papyrus, mummification. â—‹ Indus Valley (Indus River Valley): Harappan seals, planned cities, irrigation systems.
- China (Yellow/Huang He River Valley): oracle bones, planned cities, rule of the Xia and Shang dynasties, irrigation systems, bronze making, glazed pottery, militaries.
Compare and contrast the characteristics and achievements of ancient river valley civilizations.
Explain what law/legal codes (Hammurabi’s Code) tell us about ancient societies, and analyze similarities and differences with modern-day laws in the United States.
6.3.3 - Compare and contrast physical and political boundaries of civilizations, empires, and kingdoms using maps and globes
Use maps to locate political boundaries, including major civilizations, city-states, and cities of the ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia: Sumerian, Akkadian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Babylon, Ur; Egypt: Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, Cairo, Giza, Memphis, Thebes; Indus Valley: Harappa, Lothal, Mohenjo-Daro; China: Xia and Shang dynasties, Anyang, Luoyang), and explain changes to political boundaries over time.
Use maps to locate the major physical features (bodies of water, deserts, mountain ranges) of ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and China) along with their major civilizations, city-states, and cities, and explain how physical features influenced political boundaries.
Describe how geography isolated civilizations from each other.
6.3.4 - Determine world migration patterns and population trends by interpreting maps, charts, and graphs
Use maps to analyze migration patterns in ancient river valley civilizations.
Explain the connections between trade and population growth in areas impacted by trade (port cities, cities along trade routes).
6.4.1 - Identify and describe physical features and climate conditions that contributed to early human settlement in regions of the world
Use maps to locate major physical features associated with ancient river valley civilizations and surrounding areas, including bodies of water, deserts, mountain ranges, and other features.
-Mesopotamia: bodies of water (Tigris River, Euphrates River, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf), deserts (Arabian), mountain ranges (Caucasus, Taurus, Zagros).
-Egypt: bodies of water (Mediterranean Sea, Nile River, Red Sea), deserts (Arabian, Eastern, Nubian, Western, Sahara), and peninsulas (Sinai).
-Indus Valley: bodies of water (Arabian Sea, Ganges River, Indus River, Indian Ocean), deserts (Thar), and mountain ranges (Himalayas, Hindu Kush).
-China: bodies of water (East China Sea, Pacific Ocean, Yangtze River, Yellow/Huang He River, Yellow Sea), deserts (Gobi, Taklamakan), mountain ranges (Himalayas).
Explain how physical features and climate conditions influenced settlement in ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China).
Compare and contrast the physical features of the ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and China) that supported early settlement.
6.4.2 Explain how world migration patterns and cultural diffusion influenced human settlement
Use maps to identify the presence or absence of migration and trade routes in ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China), and explain the reasons for their development or lack thereof.
Explain the connection between migration along trade routes, cultural diffusion, and settlement in ancient river valley civilizations.
6.4.3 Explain the connection between physical geography and its influence on the development of civilization
Explain the importance of geography, emphasizing the role of rivers, to ancient river valley civilizations, and analyze how each civilization used geography and the environment to develop and support their civilization (agriculture, trade).
Explain the relationship between physical geography and the political development of ancient river valley civilizations (scarcity influences severity of laws under Hammurabi’s Code, desire to acquire resources influences decision-making of rulers such as Sargon).
Compare and contrast the ways geography influenced ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China).
Explain how physical geography and climate compelled so many outside cultures to invade Egypt, taking into consideration the geographic factors of both Egypt and the invading cultures
6.6.1 - Explain the impact of job specialization in the development of civilizations
Analyze the role, importance, and benefits of job specialization in river valley civilizations (artisans, scribes, merchants, farmers, engineers, and laborers).
Analyze the influence of job specialization on the growth of social classes in river valley civilizations, including the role of women.
6.6.2 - Analyze the progression from barter exchange to monetary exchange
Explain reasons for the use of bartering when trading in river valley civilizations, its disadvantages, and why bartering was replaced with currency.
6.6.3 - Describe the economic motivation for expanding trade and territorial conquests in world civilizations using economic concepts
Use economic terms to explain why ancient river valley civilizations expanded trade (terms include: goods, services, producers, consumers, supply, demand, scarcity, shortage, surplus, markets, import, and export).
6.6.4 - Explain how the development of trade and taxation influenced economic growth in the ancient world
Explain how trade was conducted in ancient river valley civilizations (by land and by water).
Explain the importance and effects of trade and taxation in ancient river valley civilizations.
Ancillary CONTENT
Ancillary CONTENT
6.1.1 - Produce clear and coherent writing for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences by completing the following tasks:
Conducting historical research
Evaluating a broad variety of primary and secondary sources
Comparing and contrasting varied points of view
Determining the meaning of words and phrases from historical texts
Using technology to research, produce, or publish a written product
6.1.2 Construct and interpret a parallel timeline of key events in the ancient world
Create a parallel timeline showing the rise and fall of river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley China).
Create a timeline using appropriate dates, including B.C.E/B.C. and C.E./A.D.
6.1.3 Analyze information in primary and secondary sources to address document-based questions
Read and analyze Hammurabi’s Code to answer questions about how the code shaped various aspects of society.
6.1.4 Identify and compare measurements of time in order to understand historical chronology
Identify historical time periods and eras (Egypt: Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms, China: Xia and Shang dynastic periods).
Review terms related to measurements of time as needed (B.C.E./B.C., C.E./A.D., circa or c.).
Examine timelines of key Unit 2 content recognizing measurements of time, sequencing, chronology, location, distance, and duration.
6.2.2 - Examine how the achievements of early humans led to the development of civilization
Describe the factors that led to permanent settlement in the ancient river valley civilizations (relationship between development of agriculture and permanent settlement.
6.3.1 Identify and label major lines of latitude and longitude using a world map or globe to determimne climate zomes amd time zones
Review the location of major lines of latitude (Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, Tropic of Cancer, Arctic Circle), climate zones and types (tropical, dry, mild, continental, polar), and the relationship between latitude and climate as necessary.
Using a climate map, describe the type of climate(s) present in ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, and China).
6.3.2 Plot coordinates of latitde and logitde to determine location or change of location
Review how to find latitude and longitude as necessary by using maps to plot coordinates of latitude and longitude for important locations in ancient river valley civilizations (Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley, China) and recognize hemispheres, continents, and oceans.
Homework: What Did You Learn in Topic 4?
Homework: What Did You Learn in Topic 4?
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Directions for Homework: Before we start this new topic, take a minute to write about what you have learned so far. Use complete sentences in your writing. Try to fill these pages with the new knowledge you have gained. Celebrating YOU, Because YOU ARE SOMEBODY!!! Don't forget it.
Student Strategies - Caterpillar Writing, Thinking Like a Historian, & R.A.C.E.
Student Strategies - Caterpillar Writing, Thinking Like a Historian, & R.A.C.E.
Page 4
Student Strategies - CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning)
Student Strategies - CER (Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning)
introducing the east asian civilization - Mr. Nikki
introducing the east asian civilization - Mr. Nikki
Page 5
ANCIENT CHINA song by Mr. Nicky-QTNyIJHcPd0.mp4Let's watch Mr. Nikki's video on China. I love these videos, don't you?
Pronounce these Chinese Words Correctly
Pronounce these Chinese Words Correctly
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X = Sh (Xin is pronounced Shin)
X = Sh (Xin is pronounced Shin)
Q = Ch (Qin is pronounced Chin)
Q = Ch (Qin is pronounced Chin)
Zh = J (Zhou = Joe)
Zh = J (Zhou = Joe)
Hu = W (Huang He = Wuang He)
Hu = W (Huang He = Wuang He)
Lesson Activity: Vocabulary Words - HOMEWORK
Lesson Activity: Vocabulary Words - HOMEWORK
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ancestor
bronze
dynasty
loess
mandate of heaven
oracle bones
latitude
longitude
physical map
political map
Writing on Oracle Bones
Chinese Writing
Ancient Chinese Mask
Ancillary Content intentionally skipped for now. Teachers will include in their lesson. (Teachers, please see curriculum content for ancillary GLEs)
Lesson Activity: Prior Knowledge - Maps
Lesson Activity: Prior Knowledge - Maps
Page 7
Remember everything we've learned about maps. Now is the time to put that knowledge to work. Can you determine in which hemispheres China is located? Fill in the Hemispheres section of your East Asian Civilizations Organizer. Your teacher will either give you a paper copy of this organizer or you will complete it in your virtual notebook.
Mr. Zoller Geography of China.mp4The Geography of China Disc Ed.mp4Directions: These are two excellent videos about China's geography and how they affected China's civilization. This is a question that we will investigate as we study China, so please pay close attention and take notes.
Go to your NOTEBOOK to take notes. The first video is a Podcast from Mr. Zoller's Podcast. You will learn about geographic features and why the location of China is important. Stop the video when Mr. Zoller tells you to and record the notes. Notes are written out.
latitude and longitude map - Pg. 7A
latitude and longitude map - Pg. 7A
Use the map above to find China on the map. You will need to know where it is and what it looks like in order to find China on the Time Zone Map. The Coordinates of China are 30 degrees N, and 115 degrees East. Put an X where China is located.
Students will need to review the definitions of a Physical Map and a Political Map. The definitions of both are under the maps shown below. Read over them as you look at the maps. What are the physical and political characteristics of China? Go to your NOTEBOOK and write down those characteristics.
political maps of china pg. 7B
political maps of china pg. 7B
Political Maps of China
Political maps show geographic boundaries between governmental units such as countries, states, and counties. They show roads, cities, and major water features such as oceans, rivers, and lakes.
physical map of china - pg. 7c
physical map of china - pg. 7c
Physical maps illustrate the physical features of an area, such as the mountains, rivers, and lakes. Topographic maps include contour lines to show the shape and elevation of an area. Look at the contours on the map above, what do you think they indicate?
Major Mountains and Major Rivers maps, pg 7d
Major Mountains and Major Rivers maps, pg 7d
Students, look at your labeled physical map of the world and add the major rivers and mountain ranges that are present in East Asia onto your map. Use an erasable pen so that it shows up. Look at the two maps below in order to determine what are the major mountain ranges and main rivers that are located in East Asia.
Major Mountains Around the World
Major Mountains Around the World
Major Rivers of the World
Major Rivers of the World
climate zone map, pg 7e
climate zone map, pg 7e
Students will need to determine what climate zones are present in the current area of study. Once you have determined the climate zones, record it on your East Asian Civilizations worksheet.
Students will record the different climate zones of China on their East Asian Civilizations Worksheet.
Building Context: Students please research your climate zones. Use the blue button below to go to the site, "Climate Types for kids." or use the map above. You will recognize this map from earlier topics.
time zone map - With Latitude and Longitude Lines, pg. 7f
time zone map - With Latitude and Longitude Lines, pg. 7f
Lesson activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment
Lesson activity: Developing a Claim/Formative Assessment
Page 8
Once you have completed the above tasks, you will predict the impact of climate on human settlement patterns in this region. In other words, how will the humans be affected by the climate? Use evidence from the sources and your outside knowledge to support your answers. Listed below are a few questions to help you in developing your claim.
What would attract a group of humans to settle in this area?
What climate zones contain the best conditions for human settlement?
What physical features would attract or repel human settlement?
Go to your NOTEBOOK to answer these questions and to write your response.
Winter in China
Lesson activity: Developing a Claim
Lesson activity: Developing a Claim
Page 9
THINK/EXAMINE/ANALYZE: Look at the world map below, what do you see? Can you look at this map and identify where you think human settlement would occur? What do the colors mean? Colors on this map indicate the different elevations. Green generally means lower elevations, forest and green. Brown on this map means mountains. The lighter color green is slightly higher elevation than the darker green. Using that information, where might humans want to live? Use the map in your NOTEBOOK to indicate where you think humans may live.
lesson activity:
lesson activity:
developing a claim/formative assessment/summative assessment
developing a claim/formative assessment/summative assessment
Page 10
Students will now develop a claim identifying the best environment for human settlement to develop in China. Be sure to reference climate and geographic features in your response, and include details from task materials and class discussions. (Environmental impact on human settlement) This activity may be graded. t\Teachers should use the Claim's Rubric. (One paragraph) Students, you will use your NOTEBOOKS to write your CLAIM.
lesson activity: building context - formation of Chinese Civilization
lesson activity: building context - formation of Chinese Civilization
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Students will read The Middle Kingdom and the Formation of Chinese Civilization to build an understanding of how ancient Chinese civilization emerged. As you read, record key information about ancient China on your Characteristics of Civilizations organizer.
the middle kingdom map
the middle kingdom map
the middle kingdom map
the middle kingdom map
The Chinese symbols/words to the left mean: Viva! Live Long
The Middle Kingdom[1]
The Middle Kingdom[1]
From the misty veil of prehistory emerged the myths of ancient China. Heroes turned to gods, and men and beasts performed miraculous feats. Their myths explain the discoveries of the tools and practices used by the Chinese to the present-day. At different times China was called the Middle or Central Kingdom, implying its superior role, the Center of Civilization or even the World. With such self-confidence and collective sentiment China was prone to isolation.
Yet Chinese mythology has never contained any clear-cut creation stories. The people of China existed long before the creation myths became popular. Instead, the earliest Chinese myths center on issues that everyday people had to face. One example involves a man named Yu.
The Legend of Yu
Flooding worried Emperor Shun. The Yellow River and its springs had overflowed, destroying farmland and putting people in danger. So the emperor consulted his advisors to find a way to stop the flooding. They all agreed that a man by the name of Yu, who could transform into a dragon or a bear, was the only one who could succeed where others had failed.
Yu's own father, Kun, had tried for ten years to build dams and dig ditches without success, the waters always overflowing any attempts to tame them. Upon the emperor's request, Yu came up with a plan. Yu knew that in Heaven there was a special "swelling soil" that multiplied when it touched water. He humbly asked the gods for the soil and received it with their blessings. With the help of a winged dragon, Yu flew all over the land, using the soil to plug 250,000 springs, the sources of the water.
That problem solved, Yu turned his attention to the Yellow River and the floodwaters that still remained. Amazingly, the solution came not from the mind of Yu, but in the form of a map on the back of a tortoise shell. Using the map, and later the help of the gods, Yu, and his dragon were able to dig irrigation ditches that finally diverted the water off the farmland and saved the day. As a reward for his diligence, upon the death of Shun, Yu the Great became the first emperor of the Xia dynasty.
The Real Xia
Although the myths of Yu and others made great stories, for centuries they had no archaeological evidence to support them. So what is actually known about ancient China? Until 1928 when archaeologists excavated a site at Anyang in the Henan Province of China, no one knew what parts, if any, of these ancient tales were true. However, at Anyang, remnants of cities, bronze tools, and tombs were found in the same places spoken of in ancient Chinese myths. These sites and artifacts proved the existence of the first dynasty established by Yu.
The Xia were able to harvest silk for clothing and artwork, created pottery using the potter's wheel, and were very knowledgeable about farming practices such as irrigation. The Xia dynasty lasted approximately five hundred years, from the 21st to the 16th century B.C.E. It connected the Longshan people, who were the earliest culture of China known for their black-lacquered pottery, with the Shang dynasty that came much later.
An Impenetrable Land
The Chinese are the longest continuous civilization in the world, spanning 7,000 years of history. How could Chinese civilization survive when so many other cultures have come and gone? One possible answer lies in the physical geography of the region.
With vast mountain ranges including the Himalayas standing imposingly to the southwest, the Gobi Desert to the north, and the Pacific Ocean stretching out to the east, the Chinese were in relative isolation from the rest of the world until the 1800s. In fact, because they believed they were in the middle of the world, surrounded by natural barriers on all sides, the Chinese thought of themselves as "Zhong Guo" — the Middle Kingdom.
Foreign invaders had great difficulty reaching China, and many of the most important discoveries, inventions, and beliefs of the West remained unknown to the Middle Kingdom. In the early years of their civilization, the Chinese developed a unique writing system, began using bronze for both tools and art, and created folk religions that later evolved into the philosophies of Taoism and Confucianism. These discoveries enabled the Chinese to develop a culture unlike any other the world has ever known.
[1] This work by The Independence Hall Association is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The original work is available at http://www.ushistory.org/civ/9a.asp.
The Great Yu
Yu was the 8th great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor
The Great Yu Controls the Waters
Oracle Bone, Shang Dynasty.mp4Video on Oracle Bones
Formation of Chinese Civilization
Formation of Chinese Civilization
China is an East Asian country with a large territory, a huge population, and an ancient history. With written records dating back 4,000 years, it is recognized as one of the four great ancient civilizations of the world, together with ancient Egypt, Babylon, and India. Moreover, it is the only ancient civilization that has continued to this very day.
China was one of the cradles of the human race. The Chinese nation is not only the most populous but also one of the oldest in the world. Fossils that have been found in Chinese territory include those of Yuanmou Man, the first Homo erectus, who lived 1.7 million years ago, those of Lantian Man, who lived 750,000 years ago, and those of the Peking Man, who lived at Zhoukoudian in today's suburban Beijing 600,000 years ago. The fossils of Shu Ape, a primate that lived 45 million years ago, which is known as the "first anthropoid," were discovered in China in 1994.
The first light of Chinese civilization revealed itself 7,000 to 8,000 years ago, as indicated by the ruins of the Daxi Culture in Sichuan and Hubei provinces, the Majiapang Culture in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the Hemudu Culture in eastern Zhejiang, and the Yangshou Culture along the middle reaches of the Yellow River and its main tributaries.
According to legend, the primitive tribes that inhabited the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River were unified into two powerful tribes under the Yellow Emperor and Fiery Emperor and began their push southward 5,000 years ago. After years of warfare, they conquered the Sanmiao and Jiuli tribes active in south China under the leadership of Chi You. Part of the defeated tribe was incorporated into the tribes under the Yellow and Fiery emperors to become a component part of the Han people, which marked the beginning of the Chinese nation. This history has also given rise to the term "descendants of the Yellow and Fiery emperors" that the Chinese often use to refer to themselves.
The Yellow Emperor
Archaeological studies have revealed that around 5,000 years ago the Chinese entered the stage of patriarchal society. Not only did villages begin to appear but also the initial forms of cities began to become evident. Extensive communities indicated that the population at the time had already reached a fairly large size and agriculture had made great headway. The earliest discoveries took place during this period. Shen Nong tried and tasted various kinds of wild plants to select crops appropriate to be cultivated for food and herbal medicine to cure disease. The Yellow Emperor invented the compass, which helped him defeat Chi You. More importantly, the appearance of chariots greatly reduced labor intensity. Lei Su, the wife of the Yellow Emperor, discovered silk-making by raising silkworms and produced the first garments, which allowed the ancient people to bid goodbye to the period when they wore animal skins and tree leaves. The tribe under Chi You in the south learned how to make weapons with copper, creating the conditions for making bronze vessels, metallurgy, and alchemy of later times.
During the Xia Dynasty, 4,000 years ago, China entered the period of slave society. The Shang Dynasty (16-11th centuries BC), which replaced the Xia, saw the height of bronze culture when superb smelting and casting techniques brought forth beautiful wares made of bronze. Pottery making also developed very rapidly with the appearance of primitive pottery wares. Sericulture and silk weaving reached maturity at this time.
From 475 BC to the end of the 19th century, China went through a long feudal period. Before the 15th century, China was one of the most powerful countries in the world, occupying a leading position in the development of productivity and technology. Ancient China enjoyed a developed agriculture and advanced irrigation system, an independent tradition of medicine, and advanced botanical knowledge. China's four great inventions, namely, the compass, gunpowder, movable type printing, and papermaking, not only changed the world but also accelerated the evolution of world history. Besides, China was rich in ceramics and silk textiles which were great inventions that exerted a great impact worldwide. China also kept the world's most detailed and earliest astronomical records. The first people to take note of such astronomical phenomena as comets, sunspots and new stars were all Chinese. It was also the Chinese who produced the most advanced astronomical observatory apparatus of the time. In metallurgy, China long held a leading position. When Europeans still could not turn out a single piece of cast iron in the 14th century, Chinese people had already produced cast iron on an industrial scale four centuries earlier.
In the field of thought, Confucius, founder of Confucianism, not only had far-reaching significance for China but for the whole of East and Southeast Asia. The warfare strategies introduced by the noted military strategist Sun Zi are still studied and referred to today. Taoism was an important school of thought and is known for its simple dialectical elements. Its position of "quietude and inaction" has many identical views with the thoughts of modern man. Taoism, based on the Taoist doctrines, is an independent religion established in China.
When commenting on the relationship between China's civilization and that of the rest of the world, the late Joseph Needham, historian of China's science and technology and professor at Cambridge University, once said that people must remember that China was way ahead of the West in almost every discipline of science and technology, from chart making to gunpowder, in early times and into the Middle Ages. Western civilization, he went on to say, did not begin until the era of Columbus, and China had left the Europeans far behind in science and technology before that time.
Unfortunately, the country's feudal bureaucratic system held back science and inventions from making further progress and prevented Chinese society from developing modern science, resulting in China staying long in the experimental stage in science and technology.
Modern China is experiencing a completely new era in which there is respect for science and inventions and encouragement for creativity have become the guiding principles of society. Looking back at the contributions China's civilization has made to the world, we have reason to believe that a more prosperous and stronger China will surely make new contributions to the civilization of mankind.
Lesson Activity: Characteristics of Civilizations Graphic Organizer
Lesson Activity: Characteristics of Civilizations Graphic Organizer
Page 12
The Geography of Ancient China
The Geography of Ancient China
At about 240 years of age, the United States may seem like an old civilization, but it's young compared to China. The Chinese civilization has continued for more than 5,000 years. China's geography helped set the stage for the early development of its civilization.
Natural Barriers
Natural Barriers
At the beginning of its growth, natural barriers somewhat isolated, or cut off, China's civilization from much of the rest of the world. As a result, ancient China developed differently from other early civilizations, with relatively little outside cultural influence. This early isolation helped unify Chinese culture and allowed China to establish a firm foundation for its civilization.
Some of China's natural barriers included vast deserts. The Gobi to the north and the Taklimakan (tah-kluh-muh-KAHN) to the west discouraged invaders and peaceful immigrants alike. The Himalayas, Tian Shan, and Pamir mountain ranges formed a significant obstacle in the west. The waters of the Pacific Ocean, Yellow Sea, and East China Sea on China's east coast separated the region from its nearest neighbors, Japan and Korea.
Major Rivers
Major Rivers
Like the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India, China's civilization arose along fertile river valleys. It developed on the land between China's two great rivers; the Huang He and the Chang Jiang.
The 3,395 mile-long Huang He lies in northern China. It is also called the Yellow River because of its high concentration of yellow silt, or fine, fertile soil. The river deposits this silt along its floodplains, creating good farmland. However, the Huang He is unpredictable. Its course, or the direction in which a river flows, has changed many times. Throughout China's history, heavy rains have also caused the river to flood--with deadly results.
At about 4,000 miles long, the Chang Jiang, or Yangtze, in central China is the third-longest river in the world. Like the Huang He, the Chang Jiang carries fertile yellow silt. Unlike the Huang He, the Chang Jiang maintains a relatively predictable course. For thousands of years, the river helped unify China by serving as a useful transportation and trade network within its borders.
The area between the two rivers, called the North China Plain, is the birthplace of Chinese civilization. The Yangshao culture developed along the Huang He. Another important culture in the area was the Longshan, which developed around 3200 BCE. Other advanced Chinese cultures arose in other river valleys. These cultures include the Liangzhu and the Hongshan. Archaeologists have uncovered beautifully carved jade objects from these cultures in other parts of China. All of these ancient cultures contributed to the development of China's unique civilization and to the rise of its earliest rulers: the Shang and the Zhou.
Directions: Answer the Questions that pertain to this article. Questions are in the next column.
Questions:
Reading Check: How did China's natural barriers affect the early development of its civilization?
Interpret Maps: Into what large body of water do the Huang He and Chang Jiang flow?
Make Inferences: What might have been the advantages and disadvantages of China's early isolation from other civilizations?
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Teachers:
Teachers:
Students, review the steps for using the FISHBOWL strategy. Your teacher may want to have students in class or Zoom this activity.
On Your Feet: Fishbowl: Have half the class sit in a circle, facing forward. Have the other half of the class sit in a larger circle around them. Instruct students in the inside circle to discuss what they know about the Huang He while the outside circle listens. The discussion should include details about the river's location, size, and importance. Then call on volunteers in the outside circle to summarize what they heard. Have students switch places and ask those now on the inside circle to discuss what they know about the Chang Jiang. The outside circle should listen and then summarize what they heard. (About 15 minutes)
Homes built on the side of a mountain in China
Different types of masks art
Directions: You will complete this Characteristics of Civilizations graphic organizer as you learn the answers to the Characteristic of China. You will learn from the videos and passages in this Topic. This will be graded.
The Landscape of an Area in China
The Great Wall
Villages in China - How Beautiful
lesson activity: building context - The Four Great Inventions
lesson activity: building context - The Four Great Inventions
Page 13
Students will click on the blue button below. This website contains a passage about The Four Great Inventions. Make a list of the achievements of the Yellow River Valley as well as descriptions of why those achievements are significant in history. You will go to your NOTEBOOK to record these achievements.
lesson activity: building context - The Great Wall of China
lesson activity: building context - The Great Wall of China
Page 14
Students will click on the blue button below. This website contains a map of The Great Wall of China. Look carefully at the map of the Great Wall and add this location to the political features section of your East Asian Civilization worksheet. You will go to your NOTEBOOK to record these achievements.
lesson activity: building context - Yellow River Dynasty
lesson activity: building context - Yellow River Dynasty
Page 15
Students will click on the blue button below. This website contains a map of the Yellow River Dynasties. Look carefully at the map of the Yellow River Dynasties and add this location to the political features section of your East Asian Civilization worksheet. You will go to your NOTEBOOK to record these achievements.
lesson activity: summative Assessment
lesson activity: summative Assessment
Page 16
Students will construct a paragraph on the following topic:
Based on the sources that we have studied and your knowledge of social studies explain whether you believe Ancient China developed independently or collectively with other civilizations. Use materials from previous tasks, as well as outside knowledge to answer the prompt. Use the Extended Response Rubric to guide your writing. This is the final task for this topic. You will go to your NOTEBOOK to complete this task.
We have reached yet another end to a wonderful topic in ancient history. Let's go to Topic 6.
We have reached yet another end to a wonderful topic in ancient history. Let's go to Topic 6.
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