Download Records of the Historian Shiji

Common Core Lesson Plan
Topic: Ancient East Asia
Title: The Great Wall of China, or was it?
Resources (primary resource documents, artifacts, material needs, etc.)
 Great Wall of China PowerPoint
 Excerpt from Records of the Historian Shiji by Sima Qian
 I Watered My Horse at the Long Wall Caves poem by Chen Lin
Common Core Standards
 RH 1 - 6
 WHST 1, 4 - 10
Essential Standards
 6.H.1.3, 6.H.2.1, 6.G.1.2, 6.C&G.1.4, 6.C.1.1
Background Information


Students will have been introduced to the dynasties of Ancient China prior to this lesson
Students will have been introduced to the agrarian society of Ancient China prior to this lesson
Instructional Sequence (before, during, and after instruction)
Step 1
Instruct students to write down one fact or piece of information that they know about the Great Wall on a post-it note.
Instruct them to place the post-it notes on a large piece of paper labeled KNOW, displayed somewhere prominent in
your classroom.
Step 2
Using the PowerPoint presentation, introduce students to the 5 Ws and 1H of the Great Wall.
Step 3
As you arrive at the last slide of the PowerPoint, briefly brainstorm with the students as to why the Chinese people may
or may not have liked/loved the Great Wall of China. Distribute to each student an Excerpt from Records of the
Historian Shiji by Sima Qian. There are scaffolded levels of this reading for the diverse levels of readers within your class.
Instruct the students to read the Excerpt and answer the questions in the margins as they read. Review and discuss
their answers.
Step 4
Distribute to each student I Watered My Horse at the Long Wall Caves by poem by Chen Lin from 207 C.E. There are
two levels of this poem for the diverse levels of readers within your class. Review and discuss their answers.
Step 5
Distribute post-it notes to students. Ask them to write down one fact or piece of information that they learned about
the Great Wall on the post it note. Instruct them to place the post it notes on a large piece of paper labeled
DISCOVERED, displayed somewhere prominent in your classroom.
Step 6
Distribute the mini Gallery Walk activity to students and invite in groups of four to visit the KNOW and DISCOVERED
papers. Allow them one to two minutes at each paper, then instruct them to complete the questions for the mini
Gallery Walk as a group. Discuss the answers to the Gallery Walk questions as a whole group.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
Excerpt from Records of the Historian Shiji by Sima Qian written
between 105 and 90 B.C.E., describing the Qin emperor’s projects
Sima Qian (145–90 B.C.E.) worked as court historian during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.–220 C.E.), and
compiled Records of the Historian, the first official history of China. The work of 130 chapters was based on
all the documents recording Chinese traditions and legends that were available to him at the time.
[T]he king of Qin rose to power, gobbling up the empire piece by piece until he had
united all the warring states under his command. He assumed the title of Supreme
Emperor and became lord of the entire land within the four seas. He razed the
fortifications of the feudal lords, and seized their weapons and melted them down
to make bells, to show the world that they would never again be needed. . . .
[T]he First Emperor of the Qin dispatched Meng Tian to lead a force of a hundred
thousand men north to attack the barbarians. He seized control of all the lands
south of the Yellow River and established border defenses along the river,
constructing forty-four walled district cities overlooking the river and manning them
with convict laborers transported to the border for garrison duty. He also built the
Direct Road from Chiuyuan to Yunyang. Thus he utilized the natural mountain
barriers to establish the border defenses, scooping out the valleys and constructing
ramparts and building installations at other points where they were needed. The
whole line of defenses stretched over ten thousand li from Lintao to Liaodong and
even extended across the Yellow River and through Yangshan and Beijia. . . .
[B]ut the land he won over was nothing but brackish swamp, unfit for the cultivation
of the five grains. After this, the young men were called up from all over the empire
and sent to guard the northern frontier along the river. The troops spent over ten
years fighting in the wastes and wildernesses, where they died in untold numbers,
and yet they were never able to extend the empire north beyond the Yellow River.
Surely this was not because there were not enough fighting men, or because their
weapons and equipment were insufficient. Rather it was because the circumstances
made any other outcome impossible.
At the same time the whole empire was ordered to rush fodder and grain to the
soldiers. Shipments were sent from as far away as the provinces of Huangchui and
Langya along the seacoast, but by the time they had been transported to the
northern frontier along the Yellow River, no more than one picul out of an original
thirty bushels remained. Though the men worked the fields as hard as they could,
they were unable to supply enough provisions, and though the women wove and
spun, they could not produce enough tents and hangings for the army. Soon the
common people were exhausted; there was no surplus left to feed the orphans and
widows, the children and the old people; and the roads were filled with dead and
dying. This was why the empire turned in revolt against the Qin.
Source: Watson, Burton, translator. Records of the Grand Historian of China. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1961. Used by permission of Columbia University Press.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
Excerpt from Records of the Historian Shiji by Sima Qian written
between 105 and 90 B.C.E., describing the Qin emperor’s projects
Sima Qian (145–90 B.C.E.) worked as court historian during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.–220 C.E.), and
compiled Records of the Historian, the first official history of China. The work of 130 chapters was based on
all the documents recording Chinese traditions and legends that were available to him at the time.
What
changes
were
brought
about with
the rise of
the king of
Qin?
What
problems did
the soldiers
that were
sent to this
land
encounter?
[T]he king of Qin rose to power, gobbling up the empire piece by piece until he had
united all the warring states under his command. He assumed the title of Supreme
Emperor and became lord of the entire land within the four seas. He razed the
fortifications of the feudal lords, and seized their weapons and melted them down
to make bells, to show the world that they would never again be needed. . . .
[T]he First Emperor of the Qin dispatched Meng Tian to lead a force of a hundred
thousand men north to attack the barbarians. He seized control of all the lands
south of the Yellow River and established border defenses along the river,
constructing forty-four walled district cities overlooking the river and manning them
with convict laborers transported to the border for garrison duty. He also built the
Direct Road from Chiuyuan to Yunyang. Thus he utilized the natural mountain
barriers to establish the border defenses, scooping out the valleys and constructing
ramparts and building installations at other points where they were needed. The
whole line of defenses stretched over ten thousand li from Lintao to Liaodong and
even extended across the Yellow River and through Yangshan and Beijia. . . .
What did the
emperor do in
the lands south
of the Yellow
River?
What was the
purpose of it all?
[B]ut the land he won over was nothing but brackish swamp, unfit for the cultivation
of the five grains. After this, the young men were called up from all over the empire
and sent to guard the northern frontier along the river. The troops spent over ten
years fighting in the wastes and wildernesses, where they died in untold numbers,
and yet they were never able to extend the empire north beyond the Yellow River.
Surely this was not because there were not enough fighting men, or because their
weapons and equipment were insufficient. Rather it was because the circumstances
made any other outcome impossible.
At the same time the whole empire was ordered to rush fodder and grain to the
soldiers. Shipments were sent from as far away as the provinces of Huangchui and
Langya along the seacoast, but by the time they had been transported to the
northern frontier along the Yellow River, no more than one picul out of an original
thirty bushels remained. Though the men worked the fields as hard as they could,
they were unable to supply enough provisions, and though the women wove and
spun, they could not produce enough tents and hangings for the army. Soon the
common people were exhausted; there was no surplus left to feed the orphans and
widows, the children and the old people; and the roads were filled with dead and
dying. This was why the empire turned in revolt against the Qin.
What were the
rest of the
people in the
empire expected
to supply for the
soldiers?
Why did this
create a
problem?
Source: Watson, Burton, translator. Records of the Grand Historian of China. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1961. Used by permission of Columbia University Press.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
Excerpt from Records of the Historian Shiji by Sima Qian written
between 105 and 90 B.C.E., describing the Qin emperor’s projects
Sima Qian (145–90 B.C.E.) worked as court historian during the Han dynasty (202 B.C.E.–220 C.E.), and
compiled Records of the Historian, the first official history of China. The work of 130 chapters was based on
all the documents recording Chinese traditions and legends that were available to him at the time.
What
changes
were
brought
about with
the rise of
the king of
Qin?
What
problems
did the
soldiers that
were sent to
this land
encounter?
[T]he king of Qin rose to power, gobbling up the empire piece by piece until he had
united all the warring states under his command. He assumed the title of Supreme
Emperor and became lord of the entire land within the four seas. He razed the
fortifications of the feudal lords, and seized their weapons and melted them down
to make bells, to show the world that they would never again be needed. . . .
[T]he First Emperor of the Qin dispatched Meng Tian to lead a force of a hundred
thousand men north to attack the barbarians. He seized control of all the lands
south of the Yellow River and established border defenses along the river,
constructing forty-four walled district cities overlooking the river and manning them
with convict laborers transported to the border for garrison duty. He also built the
Direct Road from Chiuyuan to Yunyang. Thus he utilized the natural mountain
barriers to establish the border defenses, scooping out the valleys and constructing
ramparts and building installations at other points where they were needed. The
whole line of defenses stretched over ten thousand li from Lintao to Liaodong and
even extended across the Yellow River and through Yangshan and Beijia. . . .
What did the
emperor do in
the lands south
of the Yellow
River?
What was the
purpose of it
all?
[B]ut the land he won over was nothing but brackish swamp, unfit for the cultivation
of the five grains. After this, the young men were called up from all over the empire
and sent to guard the northern frontier along the river. The troops spent over ten
years fighting in the wastes and wildernesses, where they died in untold numbers,
and yet they were never able to extend the empire north beyond the Yellow River.
Surely this was not because there were not enough fighting men, or because their
weapons and equipment were insufficient. Rather it was because the circumstances
made any other outcome impossible.
At the same time the whole empire was ordered to rush fodder and grain to the
soldiers. Shipments were sent from as far away as the provinces of Huangchui and
Langya along the seacoast, but by the time they had been transported to the
northern frontier along the Yellow River, no more than one picul out of an original
thirty bushels remained. Though the men worked the fields as hard as they could,
they were unable to supply enough provisions, and though the women wove and
spun, they could not produce enough tents and hangings for the army. Soon the
common people were exhausted; there was no surplus left to feed the orphans and
widows, the children and the old people; and the roads were filled with dead and
dying. This was why the empire turned in revolt against the Qin.
What were the
rest of the
people in the
empire
expected to
supply for the
soldiers?
Why did this
create a
problem?
Source: Watson, Burton, translator. Records of the Grand Historian of China. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1961. Used by permission of Columbia University Press.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
“Song: I Watered My Horse at the Long Wall Caves” (《饮马长城窑行》)
poem by Chen Lin(陈琳) from 207 C.E.
This poem was written four hundred years after the Great Wall was built, during the relatively peaceful Han
dynasty. It demonstrates the long lasting impact of death and suffering that the Wall’s construction had on
the Chinese.
1
I watered my horse at the Long Wall caves,
water so cold it hurt his bones;
I went and spoke to the Long Wall boss:
What does the man think of the Long Wall?
2
“We’re soldiers from Taiyuan —Will you keep us here forever?”
“Public works go according to schedule—
swing your hammer, pitch your voice in with the rest!”
A man’d be better off to die in battle
than eat his heart out building the Long Wall!
The Long Wall—how it winds and winds,
Li = 500 meters
winds and winds three thousand li;
here on the border, so many strong boys;
in the houses back home, so many widows and wives.
I sent a letter to my wife:
“Better remarry than wait any longer—
serve our new mother-in-law with care
and sometimes remember the husband you once had.”
In answer her letter came to the border:
“What nonsense do you write me now?
Now when you’re in the thick of danger,
how could I rest by another man’s side?”
(He) If you bear a son, don’t bring him up!
But a daughter—feed her good dried meat.
Only you can’t see, here by the Long Wall,
the bones of the dead men heaped about!
(She) I bound up my hair and went to serve you;
constant constant was the care of my heart.
Too well I know your borderland troubles;
and I—can I go on like this much longer?
1
2
Why did he tell his wife to remarry?
What was her response?
Why would he not want a son?
Where did the bones of the dead men come from?
Infer why the wife has a change of heart in the last
four lines?
Great Wall
rd
A city founded in the 3 century B.C.E. about 400 miles southwest of Beijing
Source: Watson, Burton, editor and translator, The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry: From Early Times to the
Thirteenth Century. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984. Used by permission of Columbia University
Press.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
“Song: I Watered My Horse at the Long Wall Caves” (《饮马长城窑行》)
poem by Chen Lin(陈琳) from 207 C.E.
This poem was written four hundred years after the Great Wall was built, during the relatively peaceful Han
dynasty. It demonstrates the long lasting impact of death and suffering that the Wall’s construction had on
the Chinese.
1
I watered my horse at the Long Wall caves,
water so cold it hurt his bones;
I went and spoke to the Long Wall boss:
In line1 through 12, what does the man think
of the Long Wall?
2
“We’re soldiers from Taiyuan —Will you keep us here forever?”
5 “Public works go according to schedule—
swing your hammer, pitch your voice in with the rest!”
A man’d be better off to die in battle
than eat his heart out building the Long Wall!
The Long Wall—how it winds and winds,
Li = 500 meters
10 winds and winds three thousand li;
here on the border, so many strong boys;
in the houses back home, so many widows and wives.
I sent a letter to my wife:
“Better remarry than wait any longer—
15 serve our new mother-in-law with care
and sometimes remember the husband you once had.”
In answer her letter came to the border:
“What nonsense do you write me now?
Now when you’re in the thick of danger,
20 how could I rest by another man’s side?”
(He) If you bear a son, don’t bring him up!
But a daughter—feed her good dried meat.
Only you can’t see, here by the Long Wall,
the bones of the dead men heaped about!
25 (She) I bound up my hair and went to serve you;
constant constant was the care of my heart.
Too well I know your borderland troubles;
and I—can I go on like this much longer?
1
2
In line 13 through 20, why did he tell his wife to
remarry?
What was her response?
In line 21, why would he not want a son?
In line 24, where did the bones of the dead men
come from?
Infer why the wife has a change of heart in the last
four lines, lines 25 - 28?
Great Wall
rd
A city founded in the 3 century B.C.E. about 400 miles southwest of Beijing
Source: Watson, Burton, editor and translator, The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry: From Early Times to the
Thirteenth Century. New York: Columbia University Press, 1984. Used by permission of Columbia University
Press.
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17
Mini Gallery Walk for the Great Wall of China
*What interesting things did you notice as you read the charts?
* What written items were listed on more than once on a chart?
* What was something that you expected or didn’t expect?
* What were some apparent patterns?
* What is a question(s) do you still have?
WCPSS Middle School Social Studies (919) 431-74821-May-17