Download Before you start the Do Now complete this checklist

Name: _____________________________________ Cohort: ______ Date: ______________
Before you start the Do Now complete this checklist:
_____ I have a pen/pencil
_____ My homework is out
_____ My belongings are under my desk
_____ I wrote down the target
Learning Target: ________________________________________________________________________________________
Do Now
The Mandate of Heaven was the belief that the ___________________ was given _________________ by
Heaven to ___________ over China.
STOP AND THINK
Do you think that political rulers get their power from God?
Where do they get their power from? Why do people listen to what these rulers have to say?
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In Ancient China, not just one Emperor or dynasty held power. In fact, each dynasty ended when the dynasty
LOST their Mandate from Heaven to rule. This process of the rise and fall of a dynasty is called the
__________________ ____________________.
 We will study the first 4 Chinese
dynasties:
o (1) Shang (1766 BC - 1028 BC)
o (2) Zhou (1027 BC - 256 BC)
o (3) Qin (221 BC - 206 BC)
o (4) Han (206 BC – 220 AD)
The 4 Dynasties Song (To the tune of Head and Shoulders,
Knees and Toes)
Shang, and Zhou, and Qin, and Han (Qin & Han)
Shang, and Zhou, and Qin, and Han (Qin & Han)
Ancient Chinese dynasties, they’re 4:
Shang, and Zhou, and Qin, and Han (Qin & Han)
Read, Respond, Present
Directions: With your partner read the excerpt and answer the questions.
You will present your finding to the class.
Excerpt 1
The first great dynasty of Ancient China was the Shang Dynasty (pronounced “Shung”). The Shang
Dynasty ruled the area around the Yellow River from 1700 to 1028 BCE. Archaeologists first discovered the
Shang Dynasty when they dug up oracle bones. Oracle bones are animal bones and turtle shells that have
inscriptions, or writing, carved into them. Shang kings and nobles used these bones in religious ceremonies to
communicate with their dead ancestors. They believed that their dead ancestors had the power to either help
or harm the living. They used the oracle bones to talk to their ancestors and to ask for their advice.
1. What are oracle bones used for? __________________________________________________________
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2. What power did they believe the ancestors had?
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Excerpt 2
The second great dynasty of Ancient China was the Zhou Dynasty. The Zhou Dynasty ruled the area
around the Yellow River from 1045 to 256 BCE—after overthrowing the Shang. To justify their conquest, the
Zhou claimed they had been given the Mandate of Heaven, a right from the gods to rule China. According to
this belief, Heaven was an ultimate power that controlled the destiny of humans on Earth. The king was the
son of Heaven. As long as the king governed (ruled) his people well, Heaven gave him the right to rule. If the
king did not govern well, Heaven would send signs of its displeasure, such as earthquakes and floods. When
the king lost the support of Heaven, others had the right to overthrow him.
1) According to the Mandate of Heaven, what would happen if a king foolishly started a war that killed many
of his people?
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2) How did the Heaven of Mandate help the Zhou dynasty?
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Excerpt 3
The third great dynasty of Ancient China was the Qin Dynasty (pronounced “Chin). The Qin Dynasty ruled
from 221 to 210 BCE. The emperor, or king, of the Qin Dynasty had many accomplishments during his reign.
His most ambitious project was the building of the Great Wall along China’s northern border. The purpose of
the wall was to protect the north China border from invasion. The Emperor of Qin set about building the wall
like a general trying to win a war! Supply camps were set up to bring food and materials to the mountains and
deserts of the northern frontier. Soldiers were posted to fight off bandits and to stop workers from running
away. Thousands of Chinese were marched from their homes and forced to work on the wall. Construction of
the wall took ten years. Hundreds of thousands of men died while working on the project, and their bodies
were buried inside the wall. The Great Wall was effective and kept invaders out of the Qin kingdom.
1) What was the greatest achievement of the Qin Dynasty? What was its purpose?
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2) What tragedies occurred during the Qin Dynasty? _______________________________________________
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Excerpt 4
The fourth great dynasty of Ancient China was the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty ruled from 206 BCE to 220
CE. Under the Han Dynasty, China enjoyed a “golden age,” a long period of stability and wealth. Education,
literature, and art flourished. The Han army was powerful and well-organized. All men had to serve at least
two years in the army. The soldiers had iron armor, iron swords, and crossbows. The Han Dynasty became
very wealthy because of two main industries: salt and silk. Salt was valuable in ancient times because people
used it to preserve food. The chemicals in salt kept food from rotting. The Han knew how to mine salt from
under the ground. They also developed a foot-powered machine that allowed them to spin silk. No one
outside of China knew how to make silk, so it was very valuable. The Han Dynasty opened trade routes that
allowed the Chinese to trade with other civilizations. These trade routes became known as the Silk Road.
1) What was the golden age? Give at least 2 achievements
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2) Why did the Han Dynasty become very wealthy?
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Notes and Presentations
Shang
Pronounced Shung
Zhou
Pronounced Joe
Qin
Pronounced Chin
Han
Pronounced Han
Independent Practice
1. Circle the names of the 4 dynasties on the timeline below.
2. The four dynasties which ruled Ancient China were:
–______________________________ (1523-1028 BCE)
–______________________________ (1027-256 BCE)
–______________________________ (221-206 BCE)
–______________________________ (206 BCE-220 CE)
3. Create a timeline on the line below that shows the rule of the four dynasties in Ancient
China. Include the starting and ending dates of each dynasty and the name of the dynasty.
4. Rewrite the following sentence to make it true: “The dynasties of China are in the order of
Qin, Han, Shang, and Zhou.”
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5. Which Dynasty lasted the longest rule? ___________________________________________
6. Which Dynasty was the shortest rule? ____________________________________________
GEOGRAPHY REVIEW
1. What rivers did the Ancient Chinese settle by?
a. _______________________________________________________________
b. _______________________________________________________________
2. Label the rivers in Ancient China on the map below.
3. Label all 4 river valley civilizations on the map below.
2. How did the mountains and deserts surrounding Ancient China affect the Ancient Chinese?
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Exit Ticket
1. Name the FOUR dynasties (IN ORDER): __________________________________________________________________
2. What was the greatest achievement of the Qin dynasty? _________________________________________________
3. Why did the Qin Dynasty rule for only a short period of time (2-3 sentences)
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4. Explain why the Han Dynasty was successful (2-3 sentences)
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Name: _______________________________________________________________
Ancient China 5.3 Homework
Multiple Choice
1. What was the main purpose of the Great Wall of China?
a) To create a boundary between China and its neighbors
b) To serve as an observatory for astronomers and scientists
c) To protect China from earthquakes and natural disasters
d) To spread the ideas of Chinese civilizations around the world
2. Why do the Chinese believe different dynasties rise and fall?
a) Some rulers are simply better than others
b) The gods give the Mandate from Heaven to different rulers
c) Elections allow different families to rule
d) Families stop ruling because they want an easier life
Short Answer
1. Describe the Shang Dynasty – what did they do that was important?
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2) What are some of the inventions made during the Han Dynasty? Why do you think more things were
invented during this time?
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3) How did the invention of paper help people in China?
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