History Alive! The Ancient World SE and ISN Sample (Unit 4 Lesson 20) by Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI)

Bring Learning Alive! TCI offers programs for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.

Bring Science Alive! Social Studies Alive! History Alive! Geography Alive! Government Alive! Econ Alive! www.teachtci.com

800-497-6138

206 Unit 4

Unit 4

Ancient China 19 Geography and the Early Settlement of China 20 The Shang Dynasty 21 Three Chinese Philosophies 22 The First Emperor of China 23 The Han Dynasty 24 The Silk Road

The Great Wall of China dates back to ancient times. Extending across northern China, it was built as protection against invasion.

Ancient China 207

Unit 4 Setting the Stage Ancient China

A A

BI T GO ER S DE

TAKLIMAKAN DESERT

M T

AU OF T

IBET

(East S

Hu ang He (Y

U N L U N

PLATE

Sea of Japanea)

wR ello iver)

INA NORTH CH PLAIN

MAN CHURIAN PLAIN

LOESS PLATEAU

Yellow Sea

H I M

Mt. Everest (8,850 m, 29,035 ft.)

ng (Yangtze Ri Jia ver ) ha

East China Sea

30°N

N W

Pearl R iver

20°N

250

500 miles

0 250 500 kilometers Albers Conic Equal-Area Projection

Hainan

90°E

Elevation Feet Over 10,000 5,001–10,000 2,001–5,000 1,001–2,000 501–1,000 0– 500

Meters Over 3,050 1,526–3,050 611–1,525 306–610 153–305 0–152

So uth Ch ina Se a

10°N

Mountain peak Silk Road Present-day China

Present-day boundary 100°E

208 Unit 4

110°E

120°E

Ancient China The land of ancient China is part of a vast region that today is called mainland East Asia. This region includes the present-day countries of China, Mongolia, North Korea, and South Korea. In ancient China, a series of empires controlled territory in mainland East Asia that, at times, included parts of present-day Mongolia and the Korean Peninsula. The physical geography of mainland East Asia had a dramatic effect on the settlement of ancient China. In the southwestern part of the region, the Himalaya Mountains prevented settlement. A high plateau lies north of these mountains. Because of its awe-inspiring elevation, this region has been called the “roof of the world.” The weather is extremely cold here all year round. To the north of this plateau lies desert land, where temperatures are too hot in summer and too cold in winter to make it a good place for people to live. Some groups did roam the area, raising livestock and moving from place to place, but life was hard for them.

Shang and Zhou Dynasties

To the east of this hostile land, the land is much more moderate. Hills, valleys, and plains are easy to navigate. Rivers provide fertile land for farming. Even the weather is milder, without the extremes of the western part of the country. For these reasons, most ancient Chinese chose to make their homes in this area. Over time, villages developed. Because of China’s physical boundaries, including mountains and deserts, the Chinese civilization developed in isolation for thousands of years. The stability of early villages allowed empires to arise. Powerful leaders unified the country. Advances in civilization allowed empires to conquer more and more territory. The most advanced of these empires, the Han, opened ancient China to trade relations with other cultures to the west. Camel caravans traveled a 4,000-mile-long route known as the Silk Road. From the Huang He (Yellow River) in China, the route extended all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. As people, goods, and ideas traveled back and forth along the Silk Road, the rest of the world soon learned of the achievements of the ancient Chinese.

Qin and Han Dynasties

Shang Empire, about 1122 B.C.E.

Qin Empire, about 221 B.C.E.

Zhou Empire, about 800 B.C.E.

Han Empire, about 80 B.C.E.

Sea of Japan

N M TS.

A YA

(East Sea)

KUNLU

n Hu a w ( Yell o

Yellow Sea ) r East ive g ( Y n R a n g tz e ia China gJ n Sea Cha

N M TS.

A YA

g Ri He ver )

KUNLU

g Ri He ver )

(East Sea) n Hu a w ( Yell o

ng Cha

r) ve ng (Yangtze Ri Jia

Yellow Sea East China Sea

South China Sea AW_SE_U04_02 Shang and Zhou Dynasties Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Third Proof TCI18 103

N E

W S

South China Sea

AW_SE_U04_03 Qin and Han Dynasties Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Third Proof Ancient China TCI18 104

209

222 Lesson 20

Lesson 20

The Shang Dynasty What do Shang artifacts reveal about this civilization? Introduction In ancient times, most of China’s early farmers settled on the North China Plain, near the Huang He (Yellow River). The Shang (shung) dynasty was one of China’s earliest dynasties. This dynasty ruled the area centered in the Huang He valley. Multiple clans, or extended families, controlled different sections of ancient China. Rival clans frequently fought each other. Sometimes, one clan became powerful enough to rule all of ancient China and begin a dynasty. The Shang was one example of such clans. Although the dates are debated, some scholars suggest the Shang dynasty ruled from 1750 to 1040 B.C.E. For hundreds of years, Western scholars considered the Shang dynasty a legend. Stories about some mysterious markings on animal bones hinted that the Shang might have been the first Chinese to develop a system of writing. However, archaeologists still had no solid evidence that the ancient culture had ever existed. Then, in 1899, a Chinese scholar found some bones that had writing on them. He thought that they might be Shang oracle bones, or animal bones and turtle shells with inscriptions carved on them. In ancient times, many people believed that these objects could predict the future. Later, in the 1920s, the ruins of a Shang city were discovered at Anyang (ahn-yahng). Archaeologists unearthed many artifacts from these ruins. You will learn what these artifacts reveal about Shang civilization.

Social Studies Vocabulary ancestor worship Anyang bronze clan oracle bone Shang dynasty

Warriors of the Shang clan wore bronze masks like this one. The Shang Dynasty 223

Near the king’s palace, the nobles in Shang society lived in homes made of wood and earth. Farther away from the palace were the smaller earthen houses of people in the lower classes.

Anyang location where

ruins were found from the Shang dynasty, China’s first civilization Shang dynasty one of the

first Chinese dynasties, ruled from 1750 to 1040 b.c.e. clan a large group of family

members and friends

bronze a strong metal alloy

made from copper

224 Lesson 20

1. A Shang Capital City When archaeologists began excavating the ruins at Anyang in 1928, they learned a great deal about the Shang culture. These ruins were the remains of one of the royal cities of the Shang dynasty. The city included a palace, a temple, and houses. There were also workshops for artisans who created objects made of metals, pottery, stone, and jade. The king’s palace sat on a platform. The palace was built of mud-plastered walls held up by wooden posts. Beneath its foundations, archaeologists found human bones. The bones suggest that the Shang performed human sacrifices when they constructed a new royal house. Human sacrifices were also part of Shang burials. While excavating at Anyang, archaeologists found at least nine royal tombs. Each tomb had a large pit with ramps leading down to it from the north and south. When a king was buried, slaves, servants, and animals were led down the ramps into the pit. There, they were sacrificed as part of the Shang belief that the king must continue to be served in the afterlife. This belief in life after death is likely the reason that metal vessels and containers of food were also buried with or near Shang kings. The treasures found in royal tombs include many weapons, carved jade ornaments, bone carvings, pieces of pottery, stone sculptures, and even chariots. The artifacts unearthed at Anyang reveal some interesting facts about Shang beliefs and ways of life. Let’s find out what conclusions scholars have drawn about this ancient civilization, starting with the Shang government.

2. S hang Government The Shang government was led by a powerful king. To extend his power, a king established smaller kingdoms led by his younger brothers and nephews. When a king died, his power was often preserved when it passed to a younger brother or son. Shang kings depended on strong armies to maintain their rule and to defend and expand their kingdoms. The kings took part in almost constant warfare with their enemies and fought to keep other clans under control. Prisoners of war were used as laborers and in human sacrifices. The king’s armies were especially powerful because Shang nobles had weapons made of bronze. The Shang were among the first civilizations in the world to discover how to make bronze from a mixture of copper and tin. Shang armies were made up of large numbers of foot soldiers, archers, men mounted on horses and elephants, and fighters in chariots. The chariots were two-wheeled carts drawn by horses. Three soldiers rode in each chariot. The driver stood in the middle, with a spear carrier to his left and an archer to his right. Shang armies must have been a terrifying sight to their enemies.

Chinese archaeologists in Anyang examine new excavations of chariots and horses from the Shang dynasty. The Shang buried nobles with objects they believed would be needed in the afterlife. Find Anyang on the map.

The Shang Empire, About 1122 B.C.E.

Yell ow

50°N

n Hua

River)

Anyang

Yellow Sea 30°N

N W

ang (Yan g t ze Riv e r ) g Ji an h C

E S

500

1,000 miles

East China Sea

0 500 1,000 kilometers Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection

PACIFIC OCEAN 20°N

Shang Empire, about 1122 B.C.E. Present-day China 110°E

AW_SE_20_03a The Shang Empire, about 1122 B.C.E. Black Cyan Magenta Yellow Third Proof

South China Sea

120°E 130°E

The Shang Dynasty 225

3. Shang Social Classes Shang society can be divided into six social classes. The king and his relatives were in the highest class. Below them were the nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves.

This jade disc from the Shang dynasty is inscribed with a poem praising the shape and quality of the jade. However, the poem was added more than 2,500 years later during the Qing dynasty.

Nobles After the ruling family, the nobles made up the highest-ranking social class. Nobles fought in the king’s armies and supplied them with weapons, foot soldiers, and chariots. In exchange for their military help, the king was unlikely to interfere with the nobles’ control over the land. Shang nobles enjoyed a life of luxury. They lived in great palaces and spent time hunting. We know that the Shang were great hunters because large numbers of wild animal bones have been found at excavation sites. In addition, writings on oracle bones show that the king invited nobles to join him in hunting foxes, badgers, and other wild animals. The king often gave nobles symbols of power, such as jade discs. The discs might be decorated with a “lucky” creature such as a dragon or tiger. Nobles often mounted the discs on posts in their homes. Artisans This talented group formed a small social class that included potters, stonemasons, and workers crafting items of bronze and jade. These skilled workers had lower status than nobles but higher status than farmers. Artisans skilled in bronze were especially valued because they made the weapons used by Shang warriors. They also made and decorated containers for the king and his nobles to use in religious ceremonies, or simply as symbols of their wealth. Traders Like artisans, those who were traders ranked below nobles but above farmers in Shang society. Scholars believe that the Shang traded extensively. One clue comes from the modern Chinese word for “merchant,” shang ren, which could also mean “Shang man.”

226 Lesson 20

Stone sculptures like this ox have shown archaeologists what kinds of animals Shang farmers raised. They also raised pigs and chickens.

During the Shang dynasty, people mostly exchanged goods. The Shang also used cowrie shells, a type of seashell, as money. The shells were valuable because they came from far away. The Shang people had to trade with neighboring regions to get them. Farmers Farmers made up the largest social class in Shang society. They worked small plots of land, growing millet, wheat, barley, rice, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. They did not own the land they farmed since it was under the control of either the king or the nobles. Farmers gave most of their harvest to the nobles, who sent a portion to the king. Farmers could keep only enough food to feed themselves and their families. Even after the Chinese became highly skilled at making bronze and iron weapons, many farmers continued to use simple tools made of wood and stone. They dug with wooden sticks, weeded with stone-tipped hoes, and harvested grain with stone knives and scythes. Besides growing crops, farmers learned to raise cattle. They may also have raised pigs and chickens. Slaves At the very bottom of Shang society were slaves, many of whom were prisoners of war. They spent their lives building tombs and palaces. When their masters died, the slaves were sometimes sacrificed, in keeping with the Shang belief that slaves should continue to serve their masters in the afterlife.

The Shang Dynasty 227

Along with artifacts, the remains of animals, soldiers, and servants have been found buried in Shang tombs, as this picture illustrates. The ancient Shang people performed these elaborate burials hoping that the deceased would be satisfied and not harm them.

ancestor worship honoring

of ancestors through rituals, such as offering food to the spirits of the dead

oracle bone a piece of bone

or shell heated and cracked by holy men to seek advice from a king’s ancestors

228 Lesson 20

4. Shang Religion Shang religion centered on ancestor worship. The treasures buried in kings’ tombs show that the Shang believed in a life after death. They also believed that dead ancestors had the power to help or harm the living. For this reason, the Shang honored their ancestors. As signs of respect, worshippers gave offerings of food, and sometimes made human sacrifices. The Shang believed that their king’s relationship to ancestral spirits had special significance. The king inherited the right to rule from his ancestors. And among the king’s responsibilities was a duty to follow the wishes of his ancestors. Kings used oracle bones to seek their ancestors’ advice on important matters such as when to hunt, where to build cities, and whether to go to war. The oracle bones were made from turtle shells or the shoulder blade of a cow. To ask a question, a holy man would make a statement such as this: “Tomorrow is a good day for the hunt.” Then he would press a hot needle against the back of the bone. The heat would make the bone crack. The pattern of the crack was believed to be a message, which the holy man or king would translate. The holy man might then carve the message on the oracle bone. Today, these inscriptions reveal valuable information about life during the Shang dynasty.

5. S hang Writing The inscriptions on oracle bones are among the earliest known examples of Chinese writing. In Shang writing, as in modern Chinese, characters stand for words rather than sounds. Early Chinese writing contained only pictographs, images that stand for objects. By the Shang dynasty period, people were also using logographs, characters that stand for words. For example, the character for “good” is a combination of the characters for “woman” and “child.” Having a written language helped unify the Chinese people. Although spoken language varied from place to place, people of the upper classes used the same written language.

6. Shang Art Shang artists showed great skill in working with bronze. Shang artisans made beautiful vessels and other objects. Some bronze vessels had geometric designs and pictures of mythical creatures. The most common picture was an animal mask, later known as a taotie. It might have the horns of an ox, the ears of an elephant, the talons of a bird, the eye of a man, or the crest of a dragon. Some scholars say that these masks were symbols of all the beings in the world. The Shang also produced remarkable jade pieces. Jade is a very hard stone. Workers made jade objects by sawing, filing, and sanding the stone. The Chinese may have believed that the qualities of jade represented the qualities of a superior person. The hardness of jade stood for wisdom. Jade was also smooth and shiny. These qualities stood for kindness.

This oracle bone from the time of the Shang dynasty is engraved with an inscription. It revealed many clues that helped historians better understand the Shang dynasty.

You can see the skill of the ancient Shang artists in the intricate details on this bronze vessel. Many artifacts from this time included geometric designs.

The Shang Dynasty 229

Ancient Chinese people made bronze helmets for their warriors. This one was designed to resemble a tiger.

7. Shang Technology Working with bronze was an important technology for the Shang. Artisans used bronze to make many tools of war, including arrowheads, spearheads, ax heads, and helmets. The bronze-making skill of the Shang is one of the reasons they were able to remain in power for more than five hundred years. Cowrie shells like those seen here were used as a form of money during the Shang dynasty. Owning these shells showed a person’s nobility.

230 Lesson 20

8. The End of the Shang Dynasty The Shang excelled in war, enabling the ruling classes to achieve great wealth. However, in time, these very strengths helped to bring about the end of the dynasty. Constant warfare eventually weakened the military power of the Shang. The Shang had a system of money, using valuable cowrie shells that they received as part of their extensive trade with neighbors. The Shang king and his nobles spent extravagant amounts of money on their palaces, furnishings, clothing, and even their tombs. Over time, this lavish spending may have weakened the economy. A later king would say that the final blow was the corruption of the last Shang king. Rather than look after his people, he spent all his time on recreational activities like hunting, but no one knows whether this report was true. Around 1045 b.c.e., a frontier state called Zhou (joh) rose up against the dynasty. Zhou armies under King Wu caught the Shang unaware, defeating and overthrowing them. One story says that, as Zhou rebels stormed his capital city, the last Shang king ran from the battlefield, put on all his jewelry, and threw himself into the flames of a fire.

Lesson Summary In this lesson, you learned about one of China’s earliest dynasties, the Shang dynasty, by examining artifacts from that time. A Shang Capital City The ruins and artifacts found at Anyang show that the Shang believed in an afterlife. Kings were buried with goods, people, and animals that would be useful to them in their life after death. Shang Government Shang kings were powerful rulers who inherited their power and kept it through family ties and military might. Shang Social Classes Shang society can be divided into six social classes: the king’s clan, nobles, artisans, traders, farmers, and slaves. Shang Religion, Writing, Arts, and Technology The Shang practiced ancestor worship and, sometimes, human sacrifice. Their writing used logographs as well as pictographs. Shang artisans excelled in working with bronze and jade. The bronze weapons they created enabled the Shang to stay in power. The End of the Shang Dynasty The Shang ruled in the valley of the Huang He for some five hundred years. They traded widely and grew wealthy. But constant warfare, lavish spending, and corruption in the ruling class may have led to the dynasty’s downfall. Around 1045 b.c.e., the Shang were defeated by the Zhou.

Archaeologists unearthed this Shang tomb. The people of the Shang dynasty buried many artifacts with the deceased to help them in the afterlife.

The Shang Dynasty 231

ne Challen Unit Title Here and Here and Here Unit 4 Timeline Challenge Ancient China About 1400 B.C.E. About 1700 –1122 B.C.E. Shang Dynasty The Shang, one of China’s earliest civilizations, rule the Huang He Valley.

1800 B.C.E.

1600 B.C.E.

Early Chinese Writing Early Chinese writing includes about 3,000 characters. Oracle bones have writing in the form of logographs.

1400 B.C.E.

1200 B.C.E.

About 1045 –256 B.C.E. Zhou Dynasty The Zhou claim the Mandate of Heaven and rule China under a system of feudalism.

1000 B.C.E.

800 B.C.E.

551– 479 B.C.E. Life of Confucius Confucius teaches that people should act properly and respect relationships.

280 –233 B.C.E. Life of Hanfeizi Hanfeizi proposes Legalism, a philosophy emphasizing a system of strong central government.

278 Unit 4

600 B.C.E.

About 206 B.C.E.–220 C.E. About 6th century B.C.E. Life of Laozi According to Chinese legend, Laozi teaches about the Dao and yin and yang.

Han Dynasty The Han develop a bureaucratic system of government and improve life in China.

About 80 B.C.E. Expansion of Han Empire Military technology and strategy allow the Han empire to expand into Central Asia and parts of Korea and Vietnam.

65 C.E. Spread of Buddhism into China Cultural diffusion occurs as Buddhism spreads from India to China.

6 00 B.C.E.

4 00 B.C.E.

2 00 B.C.E.

1 C.E.

2 0 0 C.E.

2 5 0 C.E.

About 105 C.E.

138 B.C.E. 221–210 B.C.E. First Unification of China Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi unites northern China, standardizes the culture, and builds the Great Wall.

First Trade Along Silk Road Chinese explorer Zhang Qian establishes trade relationships with Central Asian peoples, using a network of routes that become known as the Silk Road.

Chinese Invent Paper The Chinese invent paper during the Han dynasty, making it easier for people to communicate and create documents and records.

Ancient China 279

Bring Learning Alive! TCI offers programs for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms.

Bring Science Alive! Social Studies Alive! History Alive! Geography Alive! Government Alive! Econ Alive! www.teachtci.com

800-497-6138

www.teachtci.com

800-497-6138

Interactive Student Notebook

The Interactive Student Notebook will help you remember what you learn. Your notebook gives you a place to: • take notes from your reading. • record discoveries from activities. • write down key takeaways of each lesson. Now you have your own study guide to help you explore history!

Interactive Student Notebook

H A N D O U T

KWL Chart Before you begin this unit, fill out the first two columns by listing things you already know, and things you want to find out, about this topic. Throughout the unit, add details to the last column to show what you have learned. Topic: Know

Want to Know

Learned

U N I T

G E O G R A P H Y

C H A L L E N G E

Ancient China

N E

W S 0

250

500 miles

0 250 500 kilometers Albers Conic Equal-Area Projection

AW_ISN_U04_01 Ancient China Second Proof TCI18 108

1 Unit 4 Geography Challenge

U N I T

G E O G R A P H Y

C H A L L E N G E

Geography Skills Analyze the maps in “Setting the Stage” for Unit 4 in the Student Text. Then answer the following questions and fill out the map as directed. 1. Locate the Huang He (Yellow River) and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze River) on your map. Label them. 2. The Plateau of Tibet is located between what two mountain ranges? Label the mountain ranges and the plateau on your map.

3. Locate the Taklimakan and the Gobi deserts on your map. Label them. 4. Locate the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea on your map. Label them. 5. In what ways might these seas have influenced China’s history?

6. Use the maps in the Student Text to compare the sizes of the Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han empires. Which empire controlled the largest area?

7. Under which empire did ancient China control territories that are not part of present-day China?

8. What geographical features are shared by all four ancient Chinese empires?

Unit 4 Geography Challenge 2

U N I T

G E O G R A P H Y

C H A L L E N G E

Critical Thinking Answer the following questions in complete sentences. 9. The majority ethnic group in China today calls itself the “Han people.” Why do you think this is so?

10. If you could choose anywhere in ancient China to build a new city, in which location do you think your city would have the greatest chance of success? Why?

11. Why do you think that the area controlled by earlier dynasties grew larger under the control of each new dynasty?

3 Unit 4 Geography Challenge

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

The Shang Dynasty What do Shang artifacts reveal about this civilization? P R E V I E W

You are an archaeologist in the year 3000. You have recently unearthed several artifacts. Each relates to one characteristic of the civilization of the United States. In the chart, name an artifact for each characteristic of American civilization. Then tell what you think the artifact reveals about the characteristic it relates to. For example, if you found a crown, you could write this statement: “This civilization might have been governed by a king or a queen.” Characteristic of the Civilization

Artifact

What This Artifact Reveals

Government

Social Structure

Religion

Writing

Art

Technology

The Shang Dynasty 1

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

R E A D I N G

N O T E S

Social Studies Vocabulary

As you complete the Reading Notes, use these terms in your answers. Anyang

clan

ancestor worship

Shang dynasty

bronze

oracle bone

Section 1

1. Where were the ruins of a Shang city discovered? 2. Describe what archaeologists have discovered about Shang cities.

Section 2

For the sensory figure below, complete the statements to describe four important things a Shang warrior would have seen, heard, touched, and felt (emotions) as a member of the Shang army. In your statements, include and underline all the words from the Word Bank. Use each word at least once.

Word Bank

king clan bronze chariot

With my ears, I hear . . .

With my eyes, I see . . .

With my heart, I feel . . .

With my hands, I touch . . .

2 The Shang Dynasty

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

Section 3

Complete the chart below by writing the name of the appropriate social class in each box. Then draw an artifact that an archaeologist might find relating to this social class and write a caption about it. The first box is completed as an example. Social Classes in the Shang Dynasty

King

Kings used oracle bones to ask ancestors’ advice.

The Shang Dynasty 3

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

Section 4

For the sensory figure below, finish the statements to describe four important things a Shang king would have seen, heard, touched, and felt (emotions) about religion. In your statements, include and underline all the words from the Word Bank. Use each word at least once.

Word Bank

ancestor offerings duty oracle bone

With my ears, I hear . . .

With my eyes, I see . . .

With my heart, I feel . . .

With my hands, I touch . . .

Section 5

1. On what objects were the first examples of Chinese writing found?

2. What is a logograph?

3. Why was a written language important in Chinese history?

4 The Shang Dynasty

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

Section 6

1. Identify two materials used by Shang artists. For each material, list an example of an art piece that might be created using it.

2. Describe some ways that Shang artisans decorated vessels and other objects.

Section 7

1. Complete the spoke diagram below by naming the types of bronze tools of war made by Shang artisans. Put a star next to the item you think most helped strengthen the Shang army, and explain why you chose it.

Bronze Tools of War

2. Why were bronze-making skills important to the Shang dynasty?

The Shang Dynasty 5

I N T E R A C T I V E

S T U D E N T

N O T E B O O K

Section 8

In each box of the flowchart below, explain one reason why the Shang dynasty fell. Effect

Causes

The Shang dynasty fell to the The Zhou army Zhou army. overthrows the Shang dynasty.

P R O C E S S I N G

On a separate piece of paper, design a museum exhibit about the Shang dynasty. For your exhibit, select one of the characteristics of civilization (government, social structure, religion, writing, art, or technology), and include the following elements: • a catchy exhibit title to draw visitors’ attention • a drawing of three artifacts that relate to the chosen characteristic • a label to identify each of the three artifacts • a plaque that summarizes what the three artifacts reveal about the characteristic in Shang society • any other creative touches that make the exhibit more realistic 6 The Shang Dynasty

U N I T

T I M E L I N E

C H A L L E N G E

Timeline Skills Analyze the Unit 4 timeline in in the Student Text. Also think about what you have learned in this unit. Then answer the following questions. 1. Of the Han, Qin, and Shang dynasties, which was the first to rule? What area did they control?

2. During which dynasty was early Chinese writing placed on oracle bones?

3. How did the Zhou justify their rule?

4. About when did the Zhou dynasty end?

5. Did Confucius live before or after the first unification of China?

6. What did Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi accomplish?

7. For about how many years did the Han dynasty rule China?

8. Did expansion begin in the earlier or later half of the Han dynasty? To what regions did they expand?

9. How are the two events that took place in 138 B.C.E. and 65 C.E. related?

10. When was paper invented, and why was it important?

1 Unit 4 Timeline Challenge

U N I T

T I M E L I N E

C H A L L E N G E

Critical Thinking Use the timeline and the lessons in the unit to answer the following questions. 11. What are the main teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism, and why did they develop during the Zhou dynasty?

12. Was Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi an effective emperor? Support your answer by describing at least one effective action and one ineffective action he took as emperor.

13. The Han dynasty improved the lives of people in China. a. What significant changes did the Han make in government?

b. What is another important Han contribution that helped people?

14. If you could add three more events to this timeline, which ones would you choose? List each event and explain why you think it is important enough to add to the timeline. a.

Unit 4 Timeline Challenge 2

www.teachtci.com

800-497-6138

Interactive Student Notebook