Download Ancient China Activity #12

NAME:_________________________________________ DATE: _____________ PERIOD: _______
ANCIENT CHINA
Game Rules:
1.) The class will be divided into two teams. Each team has 5 minutes to study the information on
the chart entitled The Geography of Ancient China (page 1) and on the map of China (page 2).
2.) Game 1 begins with all members of Team 1 turning their papers face down. Someone from
Team 2 will then raise their hand and, when called upon by the teacher, ask any question about Ancient
China that can be answered with information from the chart or map. Team 1 has two chances to give
the correct answer. A correct response on the first try earns 10 points, and on the second try 5 points. If
a person from Team 1 thinks they know the right answer, they will raise their hand and wait to be called
on. The same person cannot answer twice in a row for their team. Team members cannot talk over
possible answers.
3.) When Team 1 is finished with its turn, Team 2 places its papers face down. Team 1 can now
look at the chart and map and ask a question. QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERABLE WITH ONE
PIECE OF INFORMATION, AND MUST BE JUDGED BY THE TEACHER TO BE FAIR.
4.) After both teams have taken their turns, everyone will lay their papers face down. The teacher
will now ask a question, and the first person on either team to raise their hand will be called on. A
correct answer is worth 10 points. When a wrong answer is given, the other team has one chance to
give the right answer.
5.) Game 2 and Game 3 are played in the same way. Game 2 is based on information on the charts
about The Shang Dynasty and The Zhou Dynasty. Game 3 reviews The Qin Dynasty and The Han
Dynasty.
The Geography of Ancient China
China is a large country located in East Asia.
Ancient China included “China Proper” and four outlying regions.
The four outlying regions were Mongolia, Manchuria, Tibet, and Sinkiang.
Rugged mountains, high plateaus, and great deserts cover western China.
The mountains, plateaus, and deserts isolated China from the rest of Asia.
China's isolation led to the development of its own distinctive culture.
The lack of contact with other people made the Chinese feel culturally superior.
The Chinese said they lived in the "Middle Kingdom," or center of the world.
Most of the people of China lived in the eastern one-third of the country.
The East had fertile river valleys and plains where crops could be grown.
The Huang He Valley, Yangtze Valley, and Northern Plain had dense populations.
The Huang He, or "Yellow River," carried a large amount of a yellowish silt.
The Huang He was called "China's Sorrow" because of its destructive floods.
Floodwaters deposited silt on the land and built up a layer of rich soil.
Despite bordering the Pacific Ocean, the Chinese did not become a seafaring people.
Northern China has cold winters, hot summers, and irregular rainfall.
Southern China has mild winters, hot summers, and plentiful rainfall.
-12A-
The Shang Dynasty (1500 B.C. - 1028 B.C.)
The Huang He Valley was one of four "cradles of civilization" in the world.
A government was organized by the Shang "dynasty," or ruling family.
The Shang was the first of a long line of dynasties lasting until 1912.
Dikes and drainage canals were built to help prevent floods.
Irrigation systems carried water from the Huang He to nearby fields.
Shang rulers united more than a thousand city-states in China.
The Shang used war chariots and advanced weapons to protect their kingdom.
Shang armies captured new territories and spread Chinese civilization.
The people began to keep written records for the first time.
Each word in the written language had its own special symbol, or character.
The need to learn more than 10,000 characters made it difficult to read and write.
The economy was based mainly on agriculture.
Farmers grew millet, barley, and wheat.
Domesticated animals included horses, cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, and dogs.
Elephants were sometimes used as work animals and in wars.
People raised silkworms and learned to weave thread into fine silk cloth.
Artisans made magnificent bronze vessels and beautiful jewelry and pottery.
A calendar was invented that had months based on the phases of the moon.
Farmers held religious rites in the spring, and hoped for a successful growing season.
Ceremonies were held again in the fall to give thanks for the harvest.
It was thought that dragons fighting in the sky caused thunder and rain.
"Ancestor worship," a reverence for elders and relatives who had died, became popular.
Rulers governed by the "Mandate of Heaven" -- orders from the spirits.
People from the West, called the Zhou, overthrew the Shang in 1028 B.C.
The Zhou Dynasty (1028 B.C. - 256 B.C.)
The Zhou established the longest dynasty in China's history.
Iron was used to make tools and plows.
Copper and gold coins were used for the first time.
People belonged to one of three groups -- nobles, merchants, or peasants.
Nobles were wealthy landowners who lived in beautiful homes.
Merchants lived in towns and sold goods to the nobles and ruling family.
Most Chinese were peasants who resided in small farming villages.
-12C-
The Zhou Dynasty (1028 B.C. - 256 B.C.) - Continued
A peasant had to give some of his crops to the landlord as rent.
The peasants drained swamps and dug irrigation canals.
China became the world's most populous country during these years.
Two philosophers influenced Chinese thought -- Confucius and Laozi.
Confucius was alarmed that China's city-states were constantly at war.
He called for good rulers who would avoid needless war and reduce taxes.
He believed everyone should develop personal morality and goodwill toward others.
Confucius said: "What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others."
For 2,000 years, Confucianism greatly influenced China's government and way of life.
The teachings of Laozi formed the basis of Daoism (Taoism).
Daoism stressed the importance of a balance between the forces of "yin" and "yang."
The forces of yin were peace, darkness, and coldness.
The forces of yang were fury, light, and heat -- the opposite of yin.
War, disease, famine, and floods occurred when yin and yang were out of balance.
The Qin Dynasty (221 B.C. - 206 B.C.)
The Qin came to power by conquering all of the Chinese city-states.
The name "China" was derived from the Qin dynasty.
The Qin leader called himself Qin Shihuangdi, meaning "first emperor."
Qin Shihuangdi united the city-states under one strong central government.
He captured new territories and established the first Chinese empire.
He completed work on the Great Wall of China, which guarded against invasion.
The system of writing was simplified and a uniform set of laws adopted.
The building of roads, bridges, and canals improved transportation.
Qin Shihuangdi was an absolute ruler who permitted no opposition.
The Qin believed in a policy called "Legalism."
Legalism stressed authority, efficient government, and strict laws.
Qin Shihuangdi tried to end the knowledge of China's past political freedom.
He attempted to do this by ordering the burning of most books.
People resented forced labor, high taxes, and a lack of freedom.
A peasant named Liu Pang led a revolt that toppled the Qin dynasty.
-12D-
The Han Dynasty (202 B.C. - 220 A.D.)
Like the Qin, the Han Dynasty set up a strong central government.
The Chinese Empire expanded into Manchuria, Korea, Indochina, and central Asia.
The greatest Han emperor was Wu Ti.
Government jobs were given to people scoring the highest on civil service exams.
The civil service exams included questions on Confucianism.
Wu Ti made Confucianism the country's official philosophy.
China prospered during the "Pax Sinica," or Chinese Peace.
The Chinese invented paper, sundials, and water clocks.
Astronomers studied sunspots and the moon's orbit, and drew maps of the stars.
Doctors used a new method called "acupuncture" to relieve pain.
Acupuncture involves piercing the skin with needles at selected points.
The Chinese wrote histories, poems, and the world's first dictionary.
Camel caravans linked China with India, the Middle East, Greece, and Rome. (Silk Road)
Silk, jade, and other goods were traded for glass, tin, wool, and cloth.
Missionaries from India spread Buddhism to China.
Most Chinese continued to follow Confucian and Daoist beliefs.
Later emperors provided weak leadership and were eventually overthrown.
-12E