Ancient China Socratic Seminar Lesson Plans
Ancient China 1. Geography of China 2. Dynasties of China 3. Legacy of Thought 4. The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors Beakers Borders & Blogs
Geography of China Reading: The Geography of China Ancient China. The World. Gold Ed. Purpose: Students will be able to identify the diversity of China s geographical features. Process Goal: Critical Thinking & Reflection Group Goals*: 1. Speak at least 3 times 2. Paraphrase what you hear someone else say Opening Question: If you lived in Ancient China and you could choose any area to live, which one would you pick? Why? Core Questions: 1. How does China s geography show difference within the large country? 2. Is it possible to make generalizations about the people of China based on where they live? Why? 3. Do you think it is a good thing that China has such different geographical features, or would it be better if it was more consistent? Why? Closing Question: China clearly has a very diverse geography. How do you think that impacted its development? Take It To Writing: Imagine you are a nomad in Ancient China. You are trying to find a place for you and your family to live. Choose the region you would want to build your home using as many details as you can to describe it. (Think: land, landforms, and climate)
Geography of China A Land of Differences China is the largest country in Asia, and the third largest country in the world. Its landmass is almost as large as the entire continent of Europe! More people live in China than in any other nation. With its geographic size and the way it spreads across Earth, China is a land of contrasts in landforms, climate, and the ways of life of the people who live there. The North China Plain Historians trace human settlement and culture in China to the North China Plain. Today, this plain is heavily populated. It is a center of agriculture and industry. A large portion of China s food comes from this region. Land is fertile on the plain because it is enriched by loess, or a yellowish brown soil that blows in from the desert. Winters are cold and summers are hot on the plain. Soybeans, wheat, and cotton are grown here. From the air you might see miles of crops on broad terraces, or platforms of earth that look like stairs. Beijing, the country s capital, is located on the northern tip of the plain. About 12 million people live there. Beijing has been a center of culture and government since the 13th century. China s Sorrow The Huang He (HWAHNG HUH), or Huang River, cuts through the North China Plain. From start to finish [it is] nearly 3,400 miles [long]. About 3000 B.C., early civilizations in China made their homes near the Huang River Valley.
Geography of China The great river picks up and carries a large amount of yellow silt, dissolved in the water. The river takes on a distinctive yellow color, which is why it is called the Huang, or yellow, River in Chinese. When the Huang flows onto the North China Plain, it changes from a swift river to a sluggish one. Levees wall it in within its riverbank. Floods occur when the river rises during heavy summer rains. People built levees in a centuries-long effort to control flooding. The Huang has been called China s Sorrow because for centuries floods have wiped out crops and left people homeless. Guangxi Zhungzu Another important region in China is called Guangxi Zhungzu (Gwahng shee DZUHNG JOOH). Warm waters of the Gulf of Tonkin in the South China Sea wash the land s southern shoreline. The country of Vietnam lies to the South west. Here the warm and moist winds blow in from the sea, and the weather often feels hot and steamy. There is plenty of rain and sun throughout the year. The Guangxi Zhungzu has one of the best climates for farming in China. The growing season is long in these lowlands. Farmers in this region use a cultivation system called double cropping, in which two crops are grown on the same land in the same year. They can double-crop rice and a vegetable or rice and sugar cane. Access to the sea makes fishing an important industry in this coastal region. People can rely on both farming and fishing. Image: An area of the Guangxi Zhungzu Beakers Borders & Blogs.
Geography of China As you travel the Guangxi Zhungzu you may come across sinkholes, where rainwater collects, and caves. Rugged peaks rise before you. Small streams suddenly flow underground. The region contains much limestone, a sedimentary rock that lies beneath the region s thin soil. Over many years, limestone has eroded into many fantastic shapes. To the Roof of the World The last stop on your tour of China is a place very different from anywhere else on Earth. The land is very rocky. You see mountain ranges to the north and south. You have reached the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan-speaking people who live here are the Zhuang in Chinese. They are the largest minority group in China. They make their living by cultivating barley or herding sheep. Many Zhuang are nomads, who travel and live in tents alongside their livestock. Depending on where they travel, weather and food supplies change. The Tibetan Plateau is sometimes called the Roof of the World. As you may guess, it is the location of the Himalayas, a mountain range located on the southern border of the Tibetan Plateau. The tallest peak on Earth is located in the Himalayas. Vocabulary Loess A yellowish brown soil that blows in from a desert. Huang River A river that cuts through the North China Plain. Levee- A ditch used to control flooding. Double Cropping A process in which two crops are grown on the same land in the same year. Boyd, Candy Dawson. The Geography of China. The World. Gold ed. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman, 2008.101-103.Print.
Dynasties of China Reading: China s Past Ancient China. The World. Gold Ed. Purpose: Students will be able to identify key differences in the dynasties of China. Process Goal: Critical Thinking & Reflection Group Goals*: 1. Look at the person speaking 2. Paraphrase what you hear someone else say Opening Question: Based off of what we read (and what you already know), how would you describe a dynasty. Core Questions: 1. Of the dynasties we read about, which would you want to live in? Why? 2. What are some similarities and differences between life in the earlier and later periods of the Zhou dynasty? 3. Why do you think that Shi Huangdi wanted to connect the defensive walls into what became the Great Wall of China? Closing Question: Which dynasty had the greatest accomplishment(s)? What was this accomplishment, and why do you think it was the best? Take It To Writing: Imagine you live in Ancient China. You are currently in a dynasty that is under the rule of a family whose government system you don t agree with. Write an article explaining what you would change and how you would run your government to make it better.
Dynasties of China Ancient Voices According to Chinese legend, Pangu was the creator of the universe. Later, stories of superheroes followed. Legend says that these superheroes invented useful things or taught people how to survive by finding food, clothing, and shelter. One hero named Yu worked for thirteen years to conquer flooding on the Huang River. These legends enriched ancient Chinese life. The stories also reveal how valuable the domestication of animals, agriculture, and inventions were to people of that time. These stories date to a time known as the Xia (SHEE ah) legendary period, about 2000-1700 B.C. The tales of Xia formed a bridge between prehistory and the time when Chinese history began to be formally recorded. The Shang Dynasty The Xia refers to the first period in Chinese history. However, the first dynasty was the Shang dynasty. The Shang dynasty began between 1760 and 1500 B.C. Before the discovery of the tortoise shells in 1899, the Shang people were considered part of another legendary period. Farming was the way of life for most people in the Huang River Valley at this time. People grew grains such as millet and rice and raised animals. They made cloth from silk and flax, a type of fiber. Warriors, riding horse-drawn chariots, went to war. During the Shang dynasty, bronze was used for many kinds of tools, cups, and weapons, as well as trade goods. Bronze was made by melting together copper and a small amount of time. The Bronze Age was the period during which tools and weapons were made of bronze. Anyang was the capital of a Shang settlement thousands of years age. During the Shang dynasty, the people who lived there commonly used bones and tortoise shells as oracle bones to predict the future.
Dynasties of China Rituals were important to the Shang people. People wrote questions on turtle and sometimes oxen or deer ones. The asked questions such as what crops to plan or when to travel or hunt. They then heated the shells or bones. Finally, they examined them for any cracks. Cracks helped the Shang people make predictions about future events. After the event that was predicted happened, the date was written down on the shell or bone. Image: Turtle shells were often used as oracle bones The Longest Dynasty The Zhou (JOH) people came from west of the Huang s great river bend. In 1027 B.C., a Zhou leader s army conquered the armies of the last Shang ruler, and the Zhou dynasty began. The Zhou dynasty was the longest of the Chinese dynasties, lasting more than 800 years. It can be separated into two periods, each with distinct characteristics. The earlier period was called Western Zhou because the government s capital city was in Hao in western China. In Western Zhou, most people were farmers who grew wheat, rice, beans, and fruit. Some people were slaves who also worked on the land. Society was organized so farmers worked small areas of land and contributed food and valuables to the king. Women most often harvested the crops. Silk was an important product of the Zhou economy. Women were in charge of producing silk. Silk is made from the cocoons of silkworms, a kind of caterpillar. Women cultivated mulberry trees to feed the silkworms. They boiled the cocoons to get the silk fibers, and then wove cloth from these fibers.
Dynasties of China Eastern Zhou Dynasty The second part of the Zhou dynasty began around 770 B.C. and lasted until 221 B.C. Because its capital city was in Luoyang in the East, it is known as Eastern Zhou. This period of time often is referred to as a golden age in China. A new system of money encouraged trade, and the economy thrived. The government started projects that included flood control, irrigation, and canal building. People built huge walls around some towns along the northern border to keep out nomadic, or wandering, peoples. They began to use iron to make farm tools and weapons. During this time, the king s power was weakened by warfare between rival states. Traditions were being challenged and new ideas emerged. More people were becoming scholars, teachers, and government officials. This brought new philosophies, or ways of thinking. Some teachings of this period affected life in China for thousands of years to come. The First Emperor Toward the last years of the Zhou dynasty, many states were fighting for control of the government. In 221 B.C., the king of the strongest state, Qin, became Shi Huangdi, or first emperor under the Qin dynasty. No leader had been called an emperor since about 1700 B.C., the end of the days of the legends. The title signified a very powerful ruler. Qin was divided into 36 provinces, or political divisions. Shi Huangdi made the government more centralized by forming new states to bring all areas under his rule. Systems of money and weights and measures were standardized, which probably helped trade between regions. Shi Huangdi started one of the biggest engineering projects in world history. Beginning under his rule, hundreds of thousands of laborers worked for hundreds of years to build the Great Wall of China. This was done by connecting existing defensive walls that had been
Dynasties of China built earlier. The Great Wall was built to protect the empire from northern invaders. It was not finished for centuries. Rulers of later dynasties added to the Great Wall and rebuilt parts of it. Shi Huangdi punished anyone who criticized him. He wanted the government to control what people talked about and studied. People felt oppressed, or persecuted, by this form of government. They wanted freedom, and revolts broke out. The Qin dynasty lasted only about 20 years, ending in about 206 B.C., shortly after the emperor died. Han Dynasty The Han dynasty began in 206 B.C. and lasted until A.D. 220. The Han dynasty eventually stretched as far south as what are today the countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. The first Han ruler was a peasant who called himself Han Gaozu (GOW ZOO), meaning High Ancestor. An ancestor is a relative who lived longer ago than a grandparent. He took the throne after joining a revolt against Shi Huangdi. Some changes were made under Gaozu. He lifted the ban on books imposed by Shi Huangdi. More improvements came under emperor Wu Di (WOO DEE), who ruled about 141-87 B.C. Under his reign, China made many changes and advancements. Wu Di divided lands owned by princes and lords. He took away power from those people who challenged him. To benefit the government, he taxed imported and exported trade goods. To improve transportation, Wu Di built new roads. Wu Di valued the contributions of scholars and teachers. A historian named Sima Qian (soo muhn CHIH ehn) wrote the first complete history book on China. The book recorded China s history for about 3000 years. Sima Qian challenged the way history was written from then on. He believed there was more to history than only what kings thought should be written. Ban Zhao (ban JOW) continued the work of Sima Qian. Her writing supported education for women. She wrote: Only to teach men and not to teach women is that not ignoring the essential relation between them?
Dynasties of China Another contribution to China under Wu Di was civil service, the practice of using skills and talents to work in the government. It was difficult to find people who were capable and committed. Many government officials were not trained for their positions. For the first time, officials had to take civil service exams to work for the government. In the past, people became officials because their families were important. Peasants and anyone else who passed the exams qualified for a government job. Image: Map depicting the different dynasties of Ancient China. Vocabulary Oracle bone A bone used during the Shang dynasty to predict the future. Ancestor A relative who lived longer ago than a grandparent. Civil service- Using skills and talents to work in the government. Boyd, Candy Dawson. China s Past. The World. Gold ed. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman, 2008.108-111.Print.
Legacy of Thought Reading: Legacy of Thought Ancient China. The World. Gold Ed. Purpose: Students will identify the key principles of Confucianism and Daoism Process Goal: Critical Thinking & Reflection Group Goals*: 1. Keep an open mind 2. Agree or disagree with someone else while referring to the text Opening Question: If you were to choose to be a follower of Confucianism or Taoism, which would you pick? Core Questions: 1. What were some of the ideas that Confucius valued? 2. How do you think a follower of Confucius would answer the question: should we honor our rulers? Why? 3. The Yin Yang is a symbol that means balance. How does this align with the beliefs of Daoism? Closing Question: The text calls the time Confucianism and Daoism were founded the hundred schools of thought. Why do you think that is? Take It To Writing: Imagine you are a follower of Confucianism or Daoism. Your master has come up with many wise sayings to express and share his beliefs with others. Taking what you know, create three of your own sayings that would help share your wisdom with others. Example: It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. -Confucius
Legacy of Thought Master Kung In China, Confucius is known as Kung Fuzi, or Master Kung. He was born in 551 B.C. in the state, Lu Province. Because his family was of some nobility, or a high-ranking social class, Confucius was able to be educated as a scholar. He gradually gathered around him a group of fellow scholars as disciples, or followers. Many scholars like Confucius traveled during that time. With his disciples, Confucius set off one day in search of a ruler who would welcome him as an advisor. Confucius lived in the later years of the Image: Statue of Confucius Zhou dynasty, a time of much conflict. Traditional society had broken down. Confucius found signs of his chaos on his travels. Many people were greedy, cruel, and insensitive toward the needs of others. Confucius was a teacher of morals, deciding what is right and wrong, and disciplined thinker. He valued order, harmony, and way of making the world right. Confucius found a place in the court of a king and stayed for several years. His reputation as a great teacher grew, and many people went to him for advice. When he was older, Confucius returned to his home state of Lu, where he did much writing. He interpreted and revived older Zhou texts as well, such as the Book of Documents. It is said that Master Kung had some 3,000 followers by the time of his death in 479 B.C. The Master s Work The Analects is a collection of sayings by Confucius that were written down by his students. It is the main printed work of Confucius. In it he gives advice to people who want to do the right thing. Confucius tried to give examples that were relevant to the daily
Legacy of Thought lives of people. Respect for all people is probably his first principle: When you go out, treat everyone as if you were welcoming a great guest. Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you. These virtues a sense of humanity, respect for the family, and humility, or modesty are at the core of Confucianism. This way of thinking and living continued to develop centuries after Confucius died. Confucianism teaches the middle way, which means that people should make balanced decisions. For example, a person should think twice before fighting. The middle way between being a coward and being a reckless person is bravery. Confucianism teaches that each person should accept his or her role in society: ruler, subject, teacher, student, noble, or peasant. Confucius taught the central value of parents love for their children. He also taught that children must obey, respect, and honor their parents and teachers. Confucius found greater peacefulness and social order in the earlier years of the Zhou dynasty. He wanted to revive what he thought was good and get rid of what was bad. In Confucianism, a ruler was seen as a great authority, the son of heaven. Rulers should have the Mandate of Heaven, or the divine right to govern for the good of all people. A good ruler brought times of prosperity and peace. But a harsh or unwise ruler could be pushed off Heaven. Confucius also thought that the people needed to respect their ruler. He warned kings: Lead the people by means of government policies and regulate them through punishments, and they... Have no sense of shame. Lead them by means of virtue... and they will have a sense of shame and moreover have standards.
Legacy of Thought Beyond Confucianism Confucius was not the only scholar who had influence on China during this time. This period was called the hundred schools of thought. One of its thinkers was a follower of Confucius. His name was Mencius. Mencius declared that people were good by nature. His work supported the Confucian belief of respect for humanity and strong, honest, rulers. By about 350 B.C., Mencius began to spread Confucianism. Image: The yinand yang show that all forces have a complementary force: good & evil, sun & moon, heaven & earth Vocabulary Nobility A high-ranking social class. Daoism is the belief of finding the way, or the dao, of the universe. Daoism had almost as much influence on Chinese culture as did Confucianism. However, it did not focus on order like Confucianism did. Laozi was the first great teacher of Daoism and taught before Confucius. He and other Daoists believed that people should live in harmony with nature, not apart from it. Confucianism A way of thinking and living based on the teachings of Confucius. Daoism The belief in finding the way, or the dao, of the universe. Boyd, Candy Dawson. Legacy of Thought. The World. Gold ed. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman, 2008.115 117.Print.
China s Buried Warriors Reading: The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors. Dorothy Hinshaw Patent. Purpose: Students will learn about the Terra-Cotta Soldiers of China and why they were created. Process Goal: Critical Thinking & Reflection Group Goals*: 1. Ask a question 2. Respond to what someone else says Opening Question: What did you think was the most interesting fact/idea from this story? Core Questions: 1. Why do you think the emperor created his tomb and all of his terra-cotta warriors? 2. The article states that not all of the warriors look alike. How are they different? 3. Why do you think the emperor took the time and effort to make sure that all of his terra-cotta soldiers were different? Closing Question: What does this story tell us about the people in Ancient China? (Example: government, craftsmanship, pride, etc.) Take It To Writing: Imagine you were one of the archaeologists who found the Buried Warriors. Write a journal entry describing that amazing day. What did you find? How did you feel? What did you learn? Be as detailed in your description as possible.
The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors (Excerpt) One morning in the early spring of 1974, a couple of farmers in the countryside near Xi an, a large city in central China, decided to dig a well. As they turned over the soil, broken pieces of statues began to emerge. It wasn t the first time people in the area had found such things. Over the years bits of pottery, the heads and arms of ancient statues, and occasionally Image: Life-sized clay warriors unearthed near Xi an, China. even an entire clay figure had been unearthed. Archaeologists scientists who study the way people lived long ago were fascinated by these findings. So when they heard about the farmers new discovery, they were quick to investigate. The archaeologists dug carefully in all directions from the site of the well. As they worked, they were astonished to find a huge underground vault filled with thousands of life-size warriors made of terra-cotta, a kind of hard-baked clay. Along with the very real-looking soldiers were many full-size horses, weapons, and the remains of wooden chariots. Three smaller pits were also found. Two of these contained more soldiers and warhorses. Altogether it was an amazing find a gigantic army frozen in time for more than two thousand years. An Underground Empire The terra-cotta warriors were buried about a mile east of the tomb of China s first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Shihuangdi lived in the third century B.C. The location of his tomb, under a large mound of earth that rises 250 feet (76 meters) above the surrounding plains, has been known for centuries. But no one knew that a huge army lay hidden nearby. What was it doing there?
The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors (Excerpt) TO LIVE FOREVER Qin Shihuangdi had two goals in life. The first was to unite China. The second was to live forever. He believed that he could achieve his second goal and become immortal if he could just find a substance called the elixir of life. During his reign Shihuangdi made five journeys to sacred mountains in search of that magical potion. The Eternal City Image: The First Emperor s warriors stand ready for battle. Even as Shihuangdi searched for immortality, he was building his own tomb and underground empire. Perhaps he thought that if he could not find eternal life in the physical world, he might at least live forever in the world of the spirits. Work on the tomb complex began shortly after the First Emperor came to power and continued throughout his rule. More than 700,000 people labored on the project, but it was still not completed by the time the emperor died thirty-six years later. Shihuangdi s underground city is the largest known tomb complex devoted to a single ruler. From the giant mound of earth that rises above the tomb itself, the city stretches for more than nine miles (15 kilometers) in all directions. So far, archaeologists working at the site have uncovered the remains of a palace as well as miniature bronze chariots, perhaps intended to help the emperor s soul on its journeys after death. They have uncovered the skeletons of people, horses, and rare animals. Their most interesting find so far, however, are the pits holding the First Emperor s clay army. The largest of these pits is 775 feet (236 meters) long and 321 feet(98 meters) wide about the size of five football fields.
The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors (Excerpt) A Sea of Warriors Thousands of warrior statues stand poised for battle in the pits near the emperor s tomb, ready to protect and defend his fabulous eternal city. Shihuangdi s real army was reportedly one million strong, a sea of warriors with the courage of tigers. The statues were meant to represent these courageous soldiers as closely as possible. Of the thousands of clay warriors unearthed so far, no two are exactly alike. Young men eager for battle stand beside older, more thoughtful soldiers. A general calmly surveys his troops, while a broad-cheeked swordsman glares fiercely. Because each statue has its own unique personality and because they all look so lifelike some archaeologists believe that soldiers in the emperor s living army must have posed for them. The Qin army was made up of the tallest, strongest men in the empire. The terra-cotta warriors are tall, too. On average the figures are 5 feet, 11 inches (1.8 meters) in height. Some are as tall as 6 feet, 7 inches (2 meters) probably taller than any of the emperor s real warriors. Dressed for War The faces of the statues show that the emperor s army included men from many different parts of China. Some figures have the facial features of present-day farmers from China s plains, while others look like shepherds from the country s northern grasslands. Altogether the statues represent ten different head shapes. To the Chinese, each shape indicated a different type of personality. For example, a person with a broad forehead and pointed chin was thought to be watchful and alert. Many warriors with these features are found in the front of the clay army, where a special alertness to approaching danger would be valuable.
The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors (Excerpt) The statues hairstyles vary, too. Most of the warriors have long hair that is braided and gathered up into a knot on top of the head. Some wear the knots in the center of the head, others off to a side. Some have a beard or mustache, while others are clean-shaven. Clothing styles also vary greatly. Armor capes in many different styles protect the warriors chests, shoulders, and upper arms. In real life these armor garments were made of leather with pieces of bronze attached. Some warriors lack armor, allowing them to move quickly. The army s leaders look different from the foot soldiers. The generals wear double-layered robes with plates of armor across the chest, and the tips of their shoes turn up. While most of the lower-ranking soldiers are bareheaded, those of higher rank may wear flat caps. In some cases clothing style has helped archaeologists identify the regions the emperor s soldiers came from. For example, the style of clothing and the skullcaps worn by the cavalrymen (soldiers who ride on horseback) indicate that these soldiers came from the lands along China s northern borders. The northern peoples were known as skilled horsemen, so it is not surprising that they would be chosen to serve in the great army s cavalry. All the many different statues, arrayed in battle formation, form a strong and balanced force, ready to face any enemy. Like the real army of Qin, the terra-cotta warriors seem well able to protect an empire. Image: A terra-cotta archer. Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. The Incredible Story of China s Buried Warriors. New York: Benchmark, 1999. Print.
Thank You for Your Purchase! I hope you enjoy this product and using Socratic Seminar in your class as much as I do mine! Please don t forget to leave feedback on your new Ancient China Socratic Seminars. *Bonus you also get free credit from Teachers Pay Teachers for your review it s a Win-Win!* If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at julison44@gmail.com. I d love to hear from you! THANKS AGAIN!