Download Lesson: The Yellow River Valley

Lesson: The Yellow River Valley
Enduring Understanding:
Students will understand that early civilizations contributed to the foundations of human
culture
Essential Questions:
• Why do different cultures around the world have different creation stories?
Core Curriculum:
standard 1, objectives 2 and 3
Sources:
• http://www.ancientchina.co.uk
Materials:
• computer lab
• civilizations graphic organizer
Key Terms:
• Loess, oracle bones, logogram, characters, xia, shang, zhou
Anticipatory Set:
• Look at this map of ancient China (show map to class).
• Describe the land
• Is there a source of water?
• How much fertile land is there? How is it distributed?
• How might the nature of this landscape affect the way that people settle and
ultimately use the land?
• Where would you settle in China and why?
Instructional Input:
Discussion: Geography of Ancient China (20 minutes)
• Discuss the geography of China and why the Yellow River is yellow
• Read the Chinese creation myth with the class
• Do the geographic challenge with the class
Computer Lab: Research Ancient Chinese Civilization (40 minutes)
Each of the 4 students at a table will be responsible for researching a different topic
about Ancient China. These questions are intended to guide students in filling out their
birth of civilizations graphic organizers.
• Crafts and Artisans
• Home page
• What three materials were important to the ancient Chinese civilization?
• How was each material used?
• Story
• What burial customs and funerary object were used at different levels of
society?
• What was the role of craftsmen in ancient China?
• What technological processes developed?
• What was the value of natural resources in ancient Chinese civilization?
Explore
•
• Explain the processes used for bronze.
• Explain the processes used for jade.
• Explain the processes used for ceramics?
Time
•
• Home page
• What are the main events and dynasties of the period of 2,000 BC to 221 BC?
• Story
• Who formed the world?
• How was the world, its features, and animals formed?
Explore
•
• Make a list of important inventions and religious events with dates .
Tombs
and Ancestors
•
• Home page
• What were ancient Chinese religious beliefs and practices?
• What were ancient Chinese views on the afterlife?
Story
•
• In what ways would people try to please their ancestors? Why?
Explore
•
• Describe the Eastern Zhou period tomb. Who are the occupants? What objects
are buried with them?
• Writing
• Home page
• What are the principles behind Chinese writing and language?
Story
•
• How was writing used in ancient China?
• What are oracle bones?
• Explore
• On what types of objects does writing appear in ancient China?
• What types of objects and materials were used in writing?
Students will go to http://www.ancientchina.co.uk to find the answers to their assigned
questions.
Assess Knowledge:
• What is the geography of China like?
• What is China’s creation myth?
• What important inventions, innovations, religion, and philosophies existed during the
Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties?
• What materials were important to the ancient Chinese civilization? How were these
materials used?
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•
•
•
What technological advances were developed to make crafts in ancient China?
What are the principles behind Chinese writing and language?
What were ancient Chinese religious beliefs and practices?
What were ancient Chinese views on the afterlife?