Download Ancient China Essential Questions

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Ancient China Essential Questions
1. Describe the geography of China and tell how the geography influenced how people lived
in ancient China.
2. What can the meanings of some characters in the Chinese language tell us about gender
roles in ancient Chinese society?
3. Describe the characteristics of the art produced during the time of the Shang Dynasty.
4. Identify some important elements of the Shang religion and explain how religion in the time
of the Shang dynasty was different from religions today like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
5. What is a dynasty and why is the idea of a “dynastic cycle” important to understand when
you are studying ancient Chinese dynasties?
6. What sort of “message” was Confucius trying to send?
7. Would you want the United States to adopt Legalism? Why or why not?
8. Was the construction of the Great Wall of China a good or bad decision for China?
Support your answer with details.
9. Compare and contrast Daoism with the ideas of Confucianism.
10. Describe travel conditions along the Silk Road.
11. How did the Silk Road impact China and what effect did it have on the rest of the world?
12. Which of the Chinese inventions from the Han Dynasty and from the time of other
Chinese dynasties do you think were the most important?
13. What was the greatest accomplishment of the Sui Dynasty?
14. Describe the most important cultural contribution of the Tang Dynasty.
15. Describe the cultural practice that the Sung Dynasty is best known for.
16. Why were the Mongols so successful in establishing an empire?
17. What sort of pressures eventually led to the end of the last of the Chinese Dynasties?