China: Ages 9-11 by Teacher Superstore

RIC-6383 5.3/723

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CHINA – a cross-curricular theme (Ages 11+)

This master may only be reproduced by the original purchaser for use with their class(es). The publisher prohibits the loaning or onselling of this master for the purposes of reproduction.

Name of Purchaser:

Date of Purchase:

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Signature of Purchaser:

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School Order# (if applicable):

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Internet websites

In some cases, websites or specific URLs may be recommended. While these are checked and rechecked at the time of publication, the publisher has no control over any subsequent changes which may be made to webpages. It is strongly recommended that the class teacher checks all URLs before allowing students to access them.

View all pages online PO Box 332 Greenwood Western Australia 6924

Website: www.ricpublications.com.au Email: mail@ricgroup.com.au

China

Foreword

China (Ages 9–11) is one of two books designed to provide opportunities for students to explore natural, physical, cultural, economic and political aspects of this fascinating Asian country and its people. The books in this series give information about both Modern and Ancient China and present a wide variety of activities across many learning areas. Titles in this series • China Ages 9–11 • China Ages 11+

Contents

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Teachers notes ....................................................................................................................................ii – iii Curriculum links ....................................................................................................................................... iii

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Which invention?.........................................52–53 Dynasties ....................................................54–55 The Silk Road .............................................56–57 Marco Polo .................................................58–59 Genghis Khan..............................................60–61 Wonders of China ........................................62–69 The Great Wall of China .............................. 62–63 Planning a poster ....................................... 64–65 Terracotta Warriors .................................... 66–67 Baiji ...........................................................68–69 Celebrations and customs ...........................70–81 Celebrating Chinese New Year ..................... 70–71 The legend of Chinese New Year .................. 72–73 Chinese dragons ......................................... 74–75 The Chinese zodiac ......................................76–77 Make a Chinese kite.....................................78–79 What is feng shui?.......................................80–81 Fables and legends ......................................82–89 Chinese proverbs........................................ 82–83 The legend of Meng Jiangnu ....................... 84–85 The legend of the willow pattern ................. 86–87 The tale of Yan Chao ...................................88–89 The arts .....................................................90–101 The Chinese art of calligraphy ..................... 90–91 Chinese lanterns ......................................... 92–93 Chinese opera ............................................ 94–95 Traditional Chinese musical instruments ................................................96–97 Chinese brush painting.................................98–99 Chinese cloisonné ....................................100–101

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Geography of China .........................................2–7 China’s natural features .................................. 2–3 Population of China ........................................ 4–5 Earthquakes .................................................. 6–7 Modern China ................................................8–19 Modern China facts ........................................ 8–9 Chairman Mao ............................................10–11 Flags ..........................................................12–13 Industry .....................................................14–15 Three Gorges Dam ......................................16–17 National anthems ........................................18–19 Beijing .........................................................20–27 The city of Beijing .......................................20–21 Tiananmen Square .......................................22–23 The Forbidden City ..................................... 24–25 The mystery of Peking Man .........................26–27 People of China ............................................28–43 Living in China 1 ........................................ 28–29 Living in China 2 ........................................ 30–31 Chinese food culture ................................... 32–33 The Chinese language ................................. 34–35 Religion ..................................................... 36–37 By air, land and water ................................. 38–39 Wushu....................................................... 40–41 Clothing .................................................... 42–43 Ancient China ...............................................44–61 Old and new buildings................................. 44–45 The Sakyamuni Pagoda ............................... 46–47 Paper-making procedure ............................. 48–49 Confucius ...................................................50–51

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China

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Teachers notes

The book has been organised into nine sections covering a variety of aspects of China: • Geography of China • Modern China • Beijing • People of China • Ancient China • Wonders of China • Celebrations and customs • Fables and legends • The arts Groups of two pages within each section follow a similar format. Each student page is accompanied by a corresponding teachers page.

Teachers notes pages

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The title of the corresponding student page is given.

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Relevant teacher information is given, particularly background information which teachers may require about the topic or to answer students’ questions. Any necessary information about how to use the worksheet with the students is also provided.

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Answers are provided to student pages where necessary.

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Additional activities to support or extend the student activity on the worksheet are supplied. Many of these extend across other learning areas

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Student activity pages

Teachers notes

The title of each student page is given.

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Many student pages start with some information about the topic. This is written in student-friendly language and provides information required to complete the activity.

Clear, concise instructions for completing the student activity are supplied.

Curriculum links SA Society and Environment

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ICP 3.1, ICP 3.2, ICP 3.3, ICP 3.4 PS 3.1, PS 3.2, PS 3.3 R 3.1, R 3.2, R 3.3 C 3.1, C 3.2, C 3.3 TCC 3.1, TCC 3.2, TCC 3.3 NSS 3.1, NSS 3.2, NSS 3.3

3.2 2.3, 3.3 2.4, 3.4 2.5, 3.5 2.6, 3.6 2.7, 3.7 2.10 2.11, 3.11

NSW Human Society and its Environment

Vic Studies of Society and Environment

QLD Studies of Society and Environment

CCS2.2 CUS2.4 ENS2.6 SSS2.7

SOSE0301

PS 3.1, PS 3.2, PS 3.4 CI 3.1 SRP 3.1, SRP 3.2

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China

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Geography of China – China’s natural features Indicator

• Uses atlas reference to label the map of China and fi nd location and height of Mount Everest.

Teacher information • Use a large world map to locate Asia and China’s position within it. Discuss its vast size: from the far north, in line with southern Alaska and northern Europe, to the far south, in line with central Mexico and North Africa; and from the west, in line with the west coast of India to the east, in line with the eastern edge of Western Australia. Because of its extent, China covers many climatic regions from continental to tropical.

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• On a physical map of China, note how the land is coloured and use the key to explain that much of the land is elevated and the fl at lands are to the east, near the coast. • Discuss the type of key and its colour students might use to represent rivers, mountains, deserts and seas. • Using atlas maps, students locate each feature and label the maps, using their keys to cover each area.

• The second step includes land between 1000 m and 2000 m above sea level, such as the plateaux of Inner Mongolia, Loess and Yunnan-Guizhou. • The third step includes the lower mountain ranges to the east, between 500 m and 1000 m elevation, and extends to the coast, taking in the plains of the Northeast and North China and the Yangtze River.

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• Note the fourteen neighbouring countries of China, clockwise from the south: Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), India, Bhutan, (India), Nepal, (India), Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrghyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, (Russia), North Korea.

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• Mount Everest is known as Mount Qomolangma by the Chinese people. K2 was originally named Mount Godwin-Austen for the English topographer, Henry Godwin-Austen, who surveyed the area. The name K2 comes from the ﬁ rst letter of the mountain range to which it belongs and the fact that it is the second highest peak in the world.

• The fourth step is the land that extends into the sea in a continental shelf, where the depth of water is less than 200 m. • China has an abundance of rivers, many of which begin in the Plateau of Tibet. Some rivers fl ow to the sea and others into lakes, deserts or salt marshes. The Yangtze, Yellow and Pearl rivers all fl ow eastward to the Paciﬁ c Ocean. The Yangtze, at 6379 km, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest river in the world behind the Nile at 6695 km and the Amazon at 6437 km. To the Chinese, the Yangtze is known as Chang Jiang.

• On the atlas map, Mount Everest and its height (8848 m) will be labelled.

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1. Teacher check

Answers

Additional activities

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• Using a number of resources about China’s physical geography, students record major rivers, mountain ranges, plateaus and plains on an A3 outline map.

2. (a) Mount Everest, 8848 m

(b) Teacher check

• The Yarlung Zangbo River which rises in Tibet and eventually fl ows into the Indian Ocean, contains the Yarlung Zangbo Canyon which, at almost 500 km long and over 6000 m deep, is the largest canyon in the world. At more than 2000 km, the Tarim River in southern China is the country’s longest interior river.

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• A relief map of China shows that it descends in four main steps from west to east. The Plateau of Tibet, averaging more than 4000 m above sea level, is the top step. It is referred to as the ‘roof of the world’ as it includes many of the world’s highest peaks; for example, Mount Everest in the Himalaya range at 8848 m and K2 in the Karakoram range at 8611 m.

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• Using two outline maps on the same sheet, students use a key to colour the different climatic regions of China, describing the conditions for summer and winter weather. • Students use pictures from a range of resources to create a montage of China’s physical features.

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Geography of China – China’s natural features

China is a vast country of magnifi cent beauty, from the majestic peaks of the Himalayas to the tropical forests of the far south. During the summer, the temperature ranges from hot in the north to very hot in the south. In winter, the south is mild, while the north endures bitterly cold weather.

1. (a) Create and draw a key to represent each type of physical feature. (b) Use an atlas to help you label the map with the natural features.

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Physical feature

Key

Physical feature

Kunlun mountains

Gobi Desert

Tianshan mountains

Yangtze River

Yellow Sea

Pearl River

South China Sea

Yellow River

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East China Sea

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Himalaya Mountains

Key

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2. (a) What is the name and height of the world’s highest peak?

• name –

• height –

(b) Draw a star (*) on the map to mark the location of this mountain. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

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Geography of China – Population of China Indicators

• Uses atlas reference to find a location on a map of China. • Suggests possible reasons why cities have developed in the east of the country and close to rivers.

Teacher information • Students fill the colour section of the table with a separate colour for each city.

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• Using an atlas map for reference, they identify the city at each numbered circle on the map. As they do so, they colour the circle appropriately and write the number against the city name in the table.

• Explain that China is divided into a number of separate areas, which are the first level of administration. ~ Provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang ~ Municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai and Tianjin ~ autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur and Xizang (Tibet) ~ special administration regions: Hong Kong and Macau Direct students to an atlas map or website which clearly shows these areas; for example, the ‘images’ option for <www. nationsonline.org> and <www.chinakontor.de>.

• The USA and Canada are similar in area to China while Australia is a little smaller, but their populations and hence densities are very much smaller than that of China.

Country

Area

Population

China

9 632 940 km2

USA

9 631 420 km2

Canada

9 984 670 km2

Australia 7 686 850 km2

– just over 1 313 973 713 1.3 billion

Density 136/km2

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• Revise or explain the physical layout of China from pages 2–3. Discuss why growing crops, tending animals and developing cities would be more successful close to the many rivers in the east; for example, soil more fertile, climate less harsh, transport along rivers, travel to foreign lands from coastal regions.

298 444 215 – almost 300 million 31/km2 32 838 715 – almost 33 million 21 000 000

– just over 21 million

3.3/km2 2.7/km2

Additional activities

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(c)

City

Colour Number

Beijing

Shanghai

Shenzhen

Guangzhou

2. Answers should include:

City

Colour Number

Lanzhou

Hong Kong

Macau

Xi’an

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• In groups, students trace a map of China’s provinces and colour it using the smallest number of colours possible without two adjoining areas being coloured the same.

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1. (a) & (b) Teacher check

• Allocate each group of students a number of provinces to research, finding the capital city and three facts about each province. Groups inform the rest of the class about their given provinces.

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• Students trace and label with names and capital cities a map of China and all its neighbours. Shade China in one colour and all the neighbours in a single, different colour.

• River lands provide more fertile soil for crop production and animal husbandry.

• The lower lands of the east are more hospitable than the mountainous west of the country. • transport and trade

Note:

The actual size (by area) of China is disputed. For the purposes of this book we have included the disputed areas of the Republic of China (Taiwan and various other territories) which makes China the world’s third largest nation. Excluding the disputed territories, China’s total area is 9 596 960 km2, which makes it the world’s fourth largest nation.

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Geography of China – Population of China Most of China’s 1.3 billion people live in the eastern half of the country. More than half live in rural areas in the fertile agricultural lands of the Yangtze and Pearl rivers. Towns and cities are spread throughout the east.

1. Each circle on the map of China represents a major city. (a) Choose a colour for each city named in the table. (b) On the map, locate each city and colour the circle. (c) Record the number given for each city. Colour

Beijing

Number

City

Colour

Lanzhou

Shanghai

Hong Kong

Shenzhen

Macau

Guangzhou

Xi’an

Number

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City

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4 5 7 6

2. Why do you think most of the major cities are close to rivers and on the eastern side of the country?

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Geography of China – Earthquakes Indicators

• Reads the text provided. • Works in a small group to perform an experiment and to discuss the outcomes

Teacher information • The Earth is actually very fl uid and the Earth’s crust is constantly on the move. An earthquake happens when rock beneath the Earth’s surface shifts and breaks. This rupture releases energy and the area around it shakes.

whole cities are destroyed

ground cracks and whole buildings fall down

walls fall down

furniture moves about and some damage is caused to buildings

people feel the shaking and walls crack

feels like a large truck is driving past the house

usually not noticed by people

deﬁ nitely not noticed by people

• Throughout China, there are 23 seismic belts or fault lines of earthquake activity. There is barely any location in China which escapes the terror of earthquake activity.

• The Richter scale, developed in 1935 by Charles Richter, was one of the ﬁ rst scales used to measure the intensity of an earthquake.

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• Earthquakes generally happen where there is a fault; that is a split in the Earth’s crust. There are several major fault lines around the world leading to some areas being more susceptible to earthquakes than others.

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Answers

Additional activities

The movement between the fault lines released energy within the jelly causing it to shake and vibrate. This would work in the same way for an earthquake in real life. As the plates along the fault line move over each other, the build up of energy causes shaking and vibrations, which we recognise to be an earthquake.

• Research to ﬁ nd out about the world’s deadliest known earthquake in Shaanxi, China in 1556.

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• On a map of the world, locate and draw the major fault lines which cause earthquakes.

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Geography of China – Earthquakes 1. Read the text.

China’s vast land area is located between two of the largest fault lines on the Earth. This means that China experiences numerous earthquakes each year. Since the 1900s, the number of deaths in China caused by earthquakes is more than half the total number of deaths caused by earthquakes throughout the world.

Some of the most devastating earthquakes in China have been: Richter Scale

Number of deaths

1920

China

8.3

100 000

1927

Qinghai, China

7.7

200 000

1932

Gansu, China

7.6

70 000

1976

Tangshan, China

7.8

255 000

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Location

They say that necessity is the mother of invention and this was true for the Chinese. Due to the high number of earthquakes experienced, a Chinese man by the name of Zhang Heng was responsible for inventing the fi rst simple seismograph in 132 CE, during the Han Dynasty. It consisted of an ornamental bronze vessel with nine dragons, each balancing a ball in its mouth. When a tremor occurred, the ball would fall out of the mouth of the dragon and land in the mouth of a frog in the direction of the quake.

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Year

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2. Work in a small group to make your own earthquake.

Materials:

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• tray of set jelly What to do: • plastic wrap 1. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the table large enough for the jelly. • knife

o c . e 2. c Warm the bottom of the tray until you can slide the jelly out onto the hwrap.r r o t plastice s super 3. Cut the jelly and the plastic wrap in half.

4. The cut between the two halves represents a ‘fault’. Use the plastic wrap to carefully slide one half of the jelly over the other half of the jelly.

3. Discuss these questions in your group and then share your thoughts with the class. (a) What happened when the two pieces of jelly slid over each other? (b) How do you think this demonstrates an earthquake in real life? R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Modern China – Modern China facts Indicator

• Reads and categorises facts about Modern China.

Teacher information • China is the world’s most populated country, with 1.3 billion people (2006). It is believed to be the second largest economy in the world and the third largest importer and exporter. (Think about all of the ‘Made in China’ labels you have seen!)

• After the US, China is the largest consumer of oil and the world’s biggest consumer of coal. Hydro power is needed to produce electricity although there are negative impacts from creating large dams.

• China became a Communist state in 1949 and the People’s Republic of China was established, controlled by communist leader, Mao Zedong.

• China is said to have the most polluted cities in the world. Industries will be shut down a few months before the 2008 Beijing Olympics to clear the air before the athletes, journalists and tourists arrive.

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• Since Mao’s death in 1976, China’s economy has boomed and continues to do so. Many of his changes have been abolished, such as collective farming. • Although there has been some reform over control of society, the Chinese government continues to have absolute control over politics. The media are strictly regulated, with some journalists and people known to be opposing the country’s politics jailed or exiled from the country. All newspapers are produced by local government and Internet use is regulated and possibly under surveillance.

• The movement of people in the country is still policed, especially those travelling from rural areas to urban cities.

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• China’s Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) had enormous effects on education. Years of schooling decreased and secondary school graduates were sent to the country to work alongside peasant farmers for two years before they could enter college.

• In 1989, student protesters were killed by government forces in Tiananmen square in Beijing. Concerns that China is not abiding by international laws for human rights continues. • In 1997, China resumed control over Hong Kong after it had been surrendered to Britain for 150 years. In 1999, Macau was returned by Portugal.

(d) Population/People

(e) Government

(f) Population/People

(g) Education

(h) Education

(i) Population/People

(k) Population/People

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• Students create a table with two columns in their books with the headings ‘China’ and the name of where they live. They cut out each fact and glue it in the China column. Next to each fact in the second column they write how it is similar to or different from where they live.

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• Students use the Internet to ﬁ nd out more about the country’s preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. • Students ﬁ nd recipes for authentic Chinese food and make and taste them.

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Modern China – Modern China facts

China (or the People’s Republic of China—its offi cial name) is so enormous almost one-quarter of all the people in the world live there! Find out more about China by reading the facts below.

1. Choose three coloured pencils. Make a key by allocating a colour to each topic below and colouring in the square. Education

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Government

Population/People

(a) The Chinese school day starts at 8 am and ﬁ nishes at 4 pm with children having a two-hour break in the middle.

(b ) The government in China has power over what people can look at on the Internet, see on television and read in newspapers.

(c) Overcrowding is a huge problem in China—so much so that the government encourages married couples to have only one child.

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2. Read each fact and decide which category it ﬁ ts into from the list above. Lightly shade each fact using your colour key.

(e) China has been a (f) Ninety-four percent of Communist country since China’s population live in 1949. Unlike in Western the warmer east of the countries, leaders are not country (closer to the voted in by everyone over coast) and only a small 18 but by people in special percentage of people live political parties. in the west where there are mountains and a harsh, (g) Some schools in the (h) Children are expected cold climate. country close during to know 2000 of the harvest time so children 40 000 written Chinese (i) Due to China’s enormous can help their families to characters by the fourth population, a goldﬁ sh is gather the crops. grade. Each character is the most common pet! learned by looking at it and memorising it. (j) Chinese people must show a type of passport (k) About 60 per cent of China’s total population live in the if they wish to leave the countryside. Many are poor countryside and move to peasant farmers. the city. The government can keep track of people this way. (d) Many poor country workers leave the land and travel to the city looking for work and hoping for a better future.

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3. (a) Which fact did you ﬁ nd most interesting? (b) On the back of this sheet, explain why. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

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Modern China – Chairman Mao Indicator

• Researches Mao Zedong by completing an Internet challenge.

Teacher information Note: Remind students to use the ‘bookmark’ tool to keep track of websites used.

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• There are many websites on the Internet which describe the life of Mao Zedong. Offer these general sites to students having difﬁ culty ﬁ nding straight forward information.

<www.askforkids.com> <www.wikipedia.com>

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<www.encarta.msn.com>

• Mao’s most famous and important program was land reform. After the Second World War, China was in the midst of a civil war between the Communists and Nationalists. During this time, farmland was scarce, peasants were in great debt to their landlords, the country was overpopulated and its people were hungry. Mao addressed these issues with his program of land reform. Land reform saw farmland taken from its owners and turned over to collective farming (communes) run by the government.

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There are many websites displaying Chairman Mao’s famous quotations.

Additional activities

Answers

• Name(s): Mao Zedong or Mao Tse-Tung

• What did he study at college? Teaching

• Students report back to the class how easy/difﬁ cult it was to ﬁ nd the facts and information for the Internet challenge. What were some of the obstacles (for example, too much information; information that was too complicated; contradictory information—especially dates etc.)? How could these obstacles be addressed before the next topic is researched using the Internet?

• For how many years was he Chairman of the Communist Party? Which years? 27 years, 1949—1976

• Once students have completed their research about Chairman Mao, ask the class the question:

• In which year did he establish the People’s Republic of China? 1949

– Were Mao Zedong’s ideas and programs beneﬁ cial to China?

• Date of birth: December 1893

• Date of death: 9 September 1976

• What is the name of Mao’s wife? Jiang Qing

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• What is the ofﬁ cial name of the book he wrote (The little red book)? Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong (or Chairman Mao Tse-Tung)

Why/Why not? • Students create a time line showing important events in Chairman Mao’s life.

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• Place of birth: Shaoshan, Hunan Province, China

• About how long was ‘The Long March’? 9700 km. Quotations:

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– Let one thousand fl owers bloom.

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– Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible.

– In times of difﬁ culties, we must not lose sight of our achievements. – People like me sound like a lot of big cannons.

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Modern China – Chairman Mao

In the western part of the world, the late Mao Zedong is one of the most well-known and recognised Chinese people.

1. Take the Internet challenge about Chairman Mao. Enter words such as ‘Mao’, ‘Mao Zedong’ or ‘China Mao’ into a search engine, such as ‘Google™’ or ‘Yahoo™’, to help you ﬁ nd the answers to the questions below.

Internet challenge!

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Keep a record of the most helpful websites you used.

Search engine used:

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Web address (URL):

Keywords entered:

The challenge!

• Name(s):

• Complete these famous quotes by Mao Zedong.

• Place of birth:

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• For many years was he Chairman of the Communist Party? Which years?

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are possible.

• What did he study at college?

of difﬁ culties, we must

not lose

of our

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like a lot

Print out and glue a picture of Mao Zedong here.

• About how long was ‘The Long March’? km. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 11 1

Modern China – Flags Indicator

• Colours and analyses the fl ags of mainland China and its two Special Administrative Regions–Hong Kong and Macau.

Teacher information Note: Students require an atlas for this activity.

• In 1999, Macau was returned by Portugal to China.

The ofﬁ cial name of China is the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

• Although China is a Communist state, Hong Kong and Macau enjoy a high degree of self-rule and their government is a limited democracy.

Mainland China refers to China’s: • 22 provinces • 5 autonomous regions

China also has two Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong and Macau (not part of mainland China).

• In 1997, China resumed control of Hong Kong after it had been surrendered to Great Britain for 150 years. Great Britain had occupied and leased the port of Hong Kong for this time (originally by force).

• Laws have been passed that dictate how the fl ags should be fl own when the Chinese fl ag and an SAR fl ag are together. The regulations demand that when the fl ags are raised or seen at the same time, the national fl ag should be at the central and higher position and should be larger than the SAR fl ag. In procession, the national fl ag should be raised in front of the SAR fl ag.

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• 4 municipalities.

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• The bauhinia fl ower is white on the Hong Kong fl ag, but it is actually a brilliant purple colour. • The red colour of the national fl ag of China represents the bloodshed of revolution.

Answers

1. Teacher check

Additional activities

2. The ﬁ ve stars of China’s fl ag also appear on the (new) fl ags of Hong Kong and Macau.

• Students choose China, Hong Kong or Macau and use the Internet or library to research facts to create an information poster about the region. • Students try to imagine what it would be like if, on a speciﬁ ed date in the recent future, the place where they live is to be taken over by another country. What would it feel like to see a different fl ag raised at school?

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Students write a ﬁ ctional story about this event occurring. In their stories, students can be creative and imagine they have to make major changes such as learning a new language, eating different food and having a new currency. • Look at images of the bauhinia fl ower and the lotus fl ower. Students use paints, crayons or pencils to sketch the fl owers. Cut them out and hang them around the classroom.

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• Use a search engine such as ‘Google™‘ to ﬁ nd images of the fl ags for Hong Kong before 1997 and Macau before 1999. Discuss how they have changed.

China  12 

R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Modern China – Flags

China is the fourth largest country in the world. Since 1997, two countries have rejoined China and are known as China’s Special Administrative Regions (SAR).

1. Use an atlas to locate Hong Kong and Macau on a map of China. 2. Read the information about the three flags and use the descriptions to colour them correctly.

r o e t s B Chinese national flag r e oo p u k S

The flag is red with one large gold star and four smaller gold stars. Red is the symbol of revolution. The large star represents the Communist Party (which rules China) and the four small stars represent the people of China.

Hong Kong SAR flag

First hoisted on 1 July 1997, when Hong Kong was returned to China by Great Britain. The flag is red with a white, five-petalled bauhinia flower in the centre.

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The flag was first flown on 19 November 1999, when Macau was returned to China from Portugal. It is light green with a white lotus flower above art representing a bridge and water. An arc of one large and four small gold stars sits above the flower.

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o c . e 3. (a) Look at the three c flags and explain how the designers of the two new flags have shown her r o that Macau and Hong Kong ares under China’s rule. st uper (b) Which flag do you like the best? (c) On the back of this sheet, explain why. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 13 1

Modern China – Industry Indicator •

Decides to which industry products manufactured or generated in China belong.

Facts

Teacher information Note: A dictionary is needed for this activity. • Discuss the enormity of China’s population with the class. It has about four times the population of the United States and yet China has only a little more land than the US.

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• Students work in pairs to complete the activity. Inform students to eliminate the products they can categorise easily and go back to the more difficult ones at the end.

• From the reform policies adopted in 1978, China has managed to not only stabilise its economy but create a ‘booming’ one. For 30 years, China has exported and imported products to and from the rest of the world. Foreign investment and technology are welcomed in China today. (Although the media and Internet continue to be regulated.) • People living in Chinese cities now have the opportunity to become consumers, purchasing refrigerators, washing machines, colour TV sets, video recorders and DVDs.

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• On completion, work through the lists with the class. Discuss why some products may cause confusion as to which industry they belong.

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• With a population of 1.3 billion people (2006), China has an enormous job supplying its people with food and the necessities of day-to-day living.

• Cars are being manufactured and exported, as well as being purchased by the Chinese. • Although a Communist state, China is restructuring industry to best accommodate the foreign market.

Answers

Additional activities

Aeronautics and astronautics • Aircraft • Satellites

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Machinery • Tractors • Tools • Oil drills Textile • Cloth • Leather

Energy • Coal • Electrical power • Oil • Nuclear power

Chemical industry • Fertilisers • Rubbers and plastics

• Military aircraft • Rockets • Generators • Cars

• Divide the class into six groups and allocate each group an industry. Students choose a product from their industry and draw and colour it. They glue the pictures to an A3 sheet of paper. Display the pictures of each industry under the appropriate industry heading around the classroom. • Students use the Internet to create an information poster about China’s astronautics program. • Research how people’s lives in China differ between those who live in cities and those who live in rural areas.

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1. Electronic information industry • Computers • Software • Televisions • Telephones/mobiles

• Paper-making • Fur

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• Petroleum • Natural gas • Hydro-power

• Pesticides • Pharmaceuticals

China  14 

R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Modern China – Industry

Already one of the world’s biggest producers of iron and steel, China is responsible for making and exporting thousands of other products all across the world (and probably into your local shops!).

1. Read the list of some of the many different products that are manufactured and generated in China. Decide which industry they belong to and copy them in the appropriate box. Lightly cross out each one as you go. Rubbers and plastics Coal Pesticides

Televisions

Paper-making

Military aircraft

Electrical power

Software

Oil

Aircraft

Leathers

Rockets

Tractors

Computers

Hydro-power

Tools

Satellites

Fertilisers

Generators

Oil drills

Pharmaceuticals

Cloth

Nuclear power

Cars

Furs

Petroleum

Electronic information industry

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Natural gas

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Telephones/ mobiles

Chemical industry

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Aeronautics and astronautics industries

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o c . che e Energy industry r o t r s Textile industry super

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China

 15 1

Modern China – Three Gorges Dam Indicators • Reads a ﬁctional magazine article about the Three Gorges Dam. • Answers questions based on information from the text.

Teacher information • The Yangtze River is the fourth longest river in the world at more than 6000 kilometres long.

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• After the US, China is the largest consumer of oil and the world’s biggest consumer of coal. Hydro-power is needed to produce electricity .

• When the 26 turbines of the Three Gorges Dam become operational in 2009, they will have the capacity to produce more than 18 000 megawatts and will become the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.

• Much controversy is associated with the gigantic construction. Although it will provide a renewable energy source to supply China’s (booming) economy and enormous population with electricity, and will also help control ﬂooding, it is said that people, the environment and aquatic life in the river have suffered and will continue to suffer. This includes: – millions of people having been relocated to make way for the dam, often to less arable farmland

• Hydroelectricity relies on gravity for its power. The water picks up speed as it falls through the pipes. At the bottom, the water turns the blades of a turbine (a type of multi-bladed waterwheel). The turbine turns the generator, which produces electricity. Because hydroelectricity requires a large dam, it is an expensive renewable energy source. It also is not particularly friendly to the environment.

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• As China is a Communist country, it can and does regulate the media, so reports about the dam may be in its favour rather than actual fact, especially with regard to its social impact and damaging effects on the environment.

Other large hydro-electric dams include:

• Itaipu, Brazil/Paraguay - 12 600 megawatts • Guri, Venezuela - 10 000 megawatts • Grand Coulee, US - 6494 megawatts

– the reservoir behind the dam believed to be already polluted

– the Yangzte River dolphin possibly extinct

– an immense negative impact on the environment

– a possible further 1200 villages disappearing once the dam starts and the water levels rise.

Answers 3. (a) true (c) true (e) true

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2. (1) 185, (2) 2, (3) 25, (4) 2009 (b) false (d) false

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Additional activities • Students use a search engine such as ‘Google™ image’ to ﬁnd pictures of the Three Gorges Dam at different stages of construction. • Students work in small groups to create an information poster about the renewable energy source, hydro power. Diagrams must be included.

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• Hold a mini-debate between a ﬁctional person representing the Chinese government, which instigated the construction of the dam, and a farmer, who will be losing his/her land and having to relocate due to the building of the Three Gorges Dam.

China  16 

R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Modern China – Three Gorges Dam 1. Read the magazine article.

MASSIVE WALL COMPLETE!

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The construction of the Three Gorges Dam began in 1993 and completion date is estimated to be 2009. At a cost of more than 25 billion dollars (American), this gigantic construction is needed to provide electricity for China’s enormous population. Many Chinese people who live in cities experience power blackouts in the hot summer months due to excessive use of air conditioners.

The dam is also expected to control ﬂooding of the Yangtze River—ﬂooding that has, in the past, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and caused massive damage to towns and crops. Unfortunately, over one million people had to leave their villages and homes to make way for the construction of the dam. Scientists are also predicting large-scale environmental damage once the dam is complete and the water level rises.

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he last pour of concrete was held this week to complete the construction of the 185metre high wall of China’s Three Gorges Dam. This wall stretches for two kilometres across the Yangtze River and is a part of the world’s largest hydro-electric dam.

20 May 2006

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2. Find the numbers in the article to complete the paragraph. The

-metre high concrete wall stretches across the

. te 3. Answer true or false

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Three Gorges Dam

-kilometre wide Yangtze

o c . che e r true o (a) The Yangtze River is in China. t r s super

River. The

-billion dollar project is expected to be completed in

false

(b) The dam has been built to attract tourists to China.

true

false

true

false

(d) People living in major cities in China experience a mild summer.

true

false

(e) The dam will use water (hydro) power to produce electricity.

true

false

4. Imagine you are one of the people asked to leave your home to make way for the building of the dam. Write words to describe how you might feel. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 17 1

Modern China – National anthems Indicator • Analyses and compares China’s national anthem with own anthem.

Teacher information

Facts

• Read the information at the top of the student worksheet with the class. Look at the sentence:

The national anthem for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a musical march known as the ‘March of the volunteers’.

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‘A national anthem’s role is to preserve a nation’s identity’.

• Music composed by Nie Er.

• First performed as part of a 1934 Shanghai play.

• First used as China’s national anthem in 1949 when Beijing came under control of the Chinese Communists in the Chinese Civil War.

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Discuss the meaning of this statement with the class.

• It was written by playwright Tian Han in 1934. During the cultural revolution (1966–1976), Tian Han was imprisoned and ‘March of the volunteers’ banned. The song was reinstated in 1978 by the National People’s Congress.

• Song became national anthem in 1949 (the same year the People’s Republic of China was founded). • Anthem ﬁrst ofﬁcially performed in Hong Kong in 1997 after it was returned to China from Britain. • Sung in Macau in 1999 after country was handed over from Portugal to China.

Answers

Answers will vary

Additional activities

• Students work in small groups to create and rehearse a performance to the words of ‘March of the volunteers’. Alternatively, source the music and ask students to create a performance piece to the music. • As a class, sing the national anthem of students’ own country. Display the lyrics on an overhead and consider and discuss these questions: • What message does the song give? • Is the song uplifting, sad or sweet?

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• Does it preserve the nation’s identity well? • Many nation anthems have one of the following themes. – peace and freedom – soldiers

o c . che e r o t r s super – overcoming a great struggle as a nation – praising heroes or battles – struggle of the people.

Which best describes the theme of the students’ anthem?

Which best describes the theme of ‘March of the volunteers’?

China  18 

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Modern China – National anthems A national anthem is generally an uplifting musical composition that describes a country’s history or traditions. Its role is to preserve a nation’s identity.

1. (a) What is the title of your country’s national anthem?

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(b) Say or sing as much of the anthem as you know to a friend.

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2. (a) Read China’s national anthem. Say it out loud at least twice. Think about the tone and volume of your voice for the different lines of the song. March of the volunteers

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Arise! Arise! Arise! May our million hearts beat as one, Brave the enemy’s ﬁre, March on! Brave the enemy’s ﬁre, March on! March on! March on!

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Arise! All who refuse to be slaves! ©LetR . I . C Pu bl i c aGreat t i o ns our ﬂesh and. blood become our new Wall! As the Chinese nation faces its greatest peril, •f orr e vi wp ur plast os esonl y• Alle forcefully expend their cries.

. tethe lyrics of China’s national anthem tell you about China (b) What do you think and its history? o c . che e r o t r s super 3. Compare your national anthem with China’s anthem. How are they similar and different? Which do you like better? (Continue on the back of this sheet.)

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China

 19 1

Beijing – The city of Beijing Indicators • Reads information about Beijing. • Uses headings to write brief notes about Beijing.

Teacher information • Since its establishment in 1045 BCE as Ji city, Beijing has been named and renamed a number of times, depending on the ruler of the time. Those names included Zhoujun, Youzhou, Nanjing, Zhongdu, Yanjing, Dadu and Beiping. Beijing was its name at least once before.

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• The main city area of Beijing has two older sections in the middle. Once, a 24-kilometre wall surrounded the city. Inside the wall was another walled city—The Forbidden City—which was the home of the Emperor.

Teac he r

• It is believed that Beijing has stood on the present site for over 3000 years. • The four Great Ancient Capitals of China throughout its history were Beijing, Nanjing, Luoyang and Xi’an. Others were added to this list after the 1920s, when more archaeological discoveries were made

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• Beijing is in the northern part of the North China Plain and has mountains to the west, north and north-east. About 38% of Beijing is ﬂat land and 62% is mountainous.

Answers

Teacher check

Additional activities

• Students research to ﬁnd out what monsoons are and what effect they have on the countries where they occur.

• Students use a television channel (or the Internet) which broadcasts worldwide city temperatures to record and plot on a graph the temperatures of Beijing over a weekly period.

• As a class, investigate and record similarities and differences between the student’s own city and Beijing. Include information such as number of districts, population, main industries or services provided (e.g. education, historical signiﬁcance, farming, art centre), city problems, main tourist attractions and signiﬁcant events in city’s history.

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• Students write a letter to the Chairman of the Olympic Committee telling why their home city would be a good choice to host a future Olympic Games. • With a partner, investigate the meaning or origin of their city’s name.

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China  20 

R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Beijing – The city of Beijing 1. Read the information.

a lot of traffic problems and air pollution due to factories and industry. Outside the main urban areas of Beijing, wheat and maize are grown, as well as vegetables for use in the city.

The city of Beijing is one of four very large municipal districts. Beijing is governed by the Chinese Central Government. It has two counties and 16 districts and covers an area of about 17 800 km2.

In the centre of Beijing is Tiananmen Square, where a building called the Great Hall of the People stands. The Forbidden City, a Chinese imperial palace during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, is also nearby.

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About 14 million people live in Beijing. Almost 96% belong to the Han majority, 2% are Manchu, 2% are Hui and 0.3% are Mongolian.

Beijing experiences a monsoon climate and four separate seasons — a short spring and autumn and a long winter and summer. Beijing is the centre of government, culture and education in China. It is a very busy, modern city, as well as being one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. There are many railways, roads and freeways going through Beijing and it is the location of China’s International airport. Beijing has

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eijing (meaning ‘Northern Capital’) is the capital city of China. It is the second largest city in China after Shanghai. Before 1949, Beijing was known in the western world as Peking.

At a place called Zhoukoudian, 48 km southwest of Beijing, the site of the discovery of the fossil of Peking Man can be found. Just outside Beijing at Badaling (80 km northwest) is the most visited section of the Great Wall of China. Other popular tourist attractions in Beijing include the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, Beijing Opera and many temples.

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China

2. On a separate sheet of paper, use the following headings to write brief notes about Beijing: area, population, tourist attractions, weather, industries, urban problems and interesting facts. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 21 1

Beijing – Tiananmen Square Indicators • Completes a cloze about Tiananmen Square. • Reads completed cloze to retain information about Tiananmen Square.

Teacher information • The Monument to the People’s Heroes was built in 1952 and shows eight large relief sculptures relating to Chinese modern history. The 38-metre monument is constructed of granite and is the largest monument to Chinese history. The words ‘The People’s Heroes are immortal’, written by Chairman Mao, are engraved on the monument.

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• Mao Zedong Memorial Hall is the place where the body of Chairman Mao lies in a crystal cofﬁn, surrounded by bunches of famous ﬂowers and grasses.

• Other protests which have taken place in Tiananmen Square include those in 1919 (May Fourth Movement for science and democracy) and in 1976 following the death of Zhou Enlai (a well-known Communist Party of China leader, Premier of the People’s Republic of China from 1949 until his death, China’s foreign minister from 1949 to 1958). • When the students have completed the cloze, ensure that they read the completed text again to ensure that they retain the information.

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• The Great Hall of the People was built in 1959 and is the place where the China National People’s Congress meets. Twelve marble posts stand at the front of the Hall, which includes a Central Hall, a Great Auditorium and a Banqueting Hall. Marble ﬂoors and crystal lamps decorate the Hall.

Teac he r

• Tiananmen Tower was built in 1417 during the Ming Dynasty and was used for ceremonies such as to announcing the emperor or empress to the people.

Additional activities

Answers

1. (1) largest, (2) world, (3) events, (4) square, (5) entrance, (6) actually, (7) metres, (8) Republic, (9) parades, (10) protests, (11) tourists, (12) ceremony, (13) kites, (14) ﬂowers

• Students write a brochure encouraging tourists to visit Tiananmen Square when in Beijing.

• Discuss occasions when historical places or monuments are decorated with ﬂowers in the students’ own city or town and why.

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• Students research to ﬁnd pictures of Tiananmen Tower, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall or the China National Museum to sketch using pencil or black crayon.

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China  22 

R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

Beijing – Tiananmen Square 1. Complete the cloze about Tiananmen Square. tourists

world

kites

square

Republic

actually

metres

entrance

parades

flowers

largest

ceremony

events

protests

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In the centre of Beijing sits Tiananmen Square, which is the open place in the

public

It is very important to China as it is the site of many historical The

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is named after the Tiananmen, or the Gate of Heavenly Peace,

which forms the

to The Forbidden City to the north of the square.

Tiananmen Square is not

north to south and 500

a square, as it measures 880 metres from

from east to west.

On 1 October 1949, Chairman Mao announced the establishment of the People’s 8

Military displays and

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and mass rallies and protests have taken place

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in Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is well-known

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o c . c e r In Tiananmen Square, h er o t s super can visit Tiananmen Tower, the Monument to the People’s Heroes,

outside of China as the scene of student 10

in 1989.

the Great Hall of the People, Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the China National Museum or view the national ﬂag-rasing

The Chinese people like to walk or ﬂy

on national holidays it is filled with

in Tiananmen Square and

2. Read the completed cloze about Tiananmen Square. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 23 1

Beijing – The Forbidden City Indicators • Reads a table of information about the Forbidden City. • Uses a map to locate places of interest.

Teacher information • The Forbidden City is the English translation of the Chinese name Zijin Cheng.

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• The palace was called ‘forbidden’ because no-one was allowed to enter unless given permission by the emperor unless they were members of the imperial household. • Construction of the Forbidden City began in 1406, took 14 years to complete and was completed by over one million skilled workers and craftsmen.

• The Imperial Garden is behind the Palace of Earthly Peace. This was used by the members of the imperial household during their leisure time. It covers 12 000 m2, has 20 different structures and includes ancient pine and cypress trees, ﬂowers and unusual rock formations. One strange, 14-metre tall rock formation is called the Hill of Splendor. It has a pair of dragons, carved from stone, sprouting water from their mouths in front of it. The paths of the garden are paved with colourful stones and feature 900 mosaics.

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• In the Outer Court of the Forbidden City is the Hall of Supreme Harmony, which is approached through the Gate of Supreme Harmony. The Hall of Supreme Harmony is the largest structure in the Forbidden City and the location of the imperial throne. The throne is decorated with dragons, sits on a platform reached above a ﬂight of seven steps and has a mythical beast called a ludlan on each side of the throne. Also on each side of the throne are three giant columns decorated by golden dragons. Dragons also decorate the screens behind the throne and the roof above it. Nearly 14 000 dragons decorate this hall. Spectacular ceremonies were held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Teac he r

• In the Inner Court of the Forbidden City, entered by the Gate of Heavenly Purity, is the Palace of Heavenly Purity, where all the Ming emperors lived. It is the largest structure with nine bedrooms, all heated by pipes in the ﬂoor, with three beds in each bedroom. Each room had two ﬂoors. As a security measure for the safety of the emperor, only the emperor’s very close servants knew which bed he would sleep in each night.

• Visit <http://www.thebeijingguide.com/forbidden_city/index. html> to take an Interactive walk through a map of The Forbidden City.

Teacher check

• Ask students to write an imaginative story about a mysterious city which includes detailed descriptions and perhaps some measurements or ‘factual’ information. Students may ﬁnd it helpful to plan their ‘city’ using a table of brief notes.

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• Students create a simple map of their city to accompany their story. • In small groups, students discuss suitable names to give rooms or areas of the school — playground, library, computer lab, music room, art room, classroom etc. Students repeat as individuals, applying names to areas or rooms of their own home.

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China  24 

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Beijing – The Forbidden City 1. Read the information in the table.

2. On the map of the Forbidden City ﬁnd:

Name: • means ‘Purple Forbidden City’ • now known as the Palace Museum

Gate of Heavenly Peace (Tiananmen) Meridian Gate (Wumen) – location of the emperor’s throne Palace of Heavenly Purity – where the emperor lived Imperial Gardens Inner Golden Stream the four watchtowers the moat The Hall of Supreme Harmony – where ceremonies were held

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Original function: • Chinese Imperial Palace during Ming and Qing dynasties for emperors, families and servants

Teac he r

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

Location: • centre of Beijing

Size: • grounds cover 720 000 m2

Built: • 1420

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Contains: • largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world • 800 buildings • 9999 rooms • an Imperial Garden • 5 halls, 17 palaces + other buildings • a man-made river (Inner Golden Stream) • 5 stone bridges with marble balustrades to cross the river

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Interesting facts: • surrounded by 6-m wide moat and 10-m high wall • declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 25 1

Beijing – The mystery of Peking Man Indicators • Reads information about Peking Man. • Completes a ‘Lost’ poster for Peking Man.

Teacher information • The site of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

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• Work resumed on the project after the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949. Finds now include six complete skulls, arm and broken facial bones, ﬁfteen lower jawbones, and 157 teeth.

• Finds at Zhoukoudian also include evidence of the earliest human use of ﬁre for cooking, light and warmth and tools made from bones and sharpened stones. • As well as male remains, those of females, believed to be about 144 cm tall, were also found.

Answers

Teacher check

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• Some theories to explain the disappearance of the Peking Man specimens include that the boxes of bones sank with the Japanese hospital ship, Awa Maru, which, although guaranteed safe passage, was mistakenly sunk by an American torpedo in 1945.

Teac he r

• The site of Peking Man at Zhoukoudian is under threat from landslides, earthquakes, explosions at nearby stone quarries, acid rain from nearby cement factories eroding the rocks of the caves, vibrations from nearby train lines and improper archaeological excavation and weathering.

Additional activities

• Students use plaster or modelling clay to recreate a replica of the Peking Man skull.

• Students research to ﬁnd the names of other World Heritage listed sites to write a report about.

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• Students write a recount from the point of view of an anthropologist working on the Peking Man project when the discovery of the ﬁrst skull was made.

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China  26 

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Beijing – The mystery of Peking Man 1. Read the information.

n the 1920s, at an abandoned quarry in the small village of Zhoukoudian, 50 km from Beijing, the remains of fossilised teeth, a skull and other skeletal remains were discovered by archaeologists.

The site was excavated for many years until 1937, when Japan invaded China during World War II. To safeguard the important discoveries, the specimens were carefully packed up and sent to the USA for safekeeping. Unfortunately, all the fossils disappeared and have still not been found to this day. Luckily, one of the anthropologists working on the project had made replicas of all the skull fossils to be sent to him in America.

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Teac he r

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The remains were identified and provided evidence that human beings existed in China between 200 000 and 700 000 years ago. The skull, named Peking Man, was of a previously unknown species of human being and showed how people had evolved.

In 2005, the Chinese government established a committee to try to find the missing bones of Peking Man.

The skull was similar to that of a modern person but had a low forehead, protruding eyebrow bones and space for a smaller brain. The teeth were quite large.

Last known location:

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Physical description:

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Special features:

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Name:

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Other information:

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China

 27 11

People of China – Living in China 1 Indicator • Reads and comprehends information about living in China.

Teacher information • The percentage of people living in rural areas in China is decreasing quite rapidly as many people are moving to the cities for work and better employment opportunities.

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• China, today, has one of the world’s fastest changing societies. The way of life, especially in the cities and large towns, is not much different from other places in the world, due to Western inﬂuences.

• Chinese money is known as ‘renminbi’, meaning ‘the people’s currency’. The currency unit is called ‘yuan’. One yuan equals 10 ‘jiao’ and 1 jiao equals 10 fen. The currency is issued in the following denominations: one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred yuan; one, two and five jiao; and one, two and five fen.

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• The more traditional way of life is followed much more closely in rural areas than in the city. The extended family, with three to four generations living under one roof, each contributing to the family’s welfare in some way, can still be followed. In the city, smaller houses can only cater for the nuclear family and perhaps grandparents. Family values and unity are still very important and family members often live close to each other if they can’t live in the same home so they can care for and help each other.

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• The Chinese government introduced a one-child-per-family policy in 1979 to control the population. If couples have more than one child they have to pay high fines or are ineligible for certain health benefits etc. This policy is relaxed in the country, where couples may try for a son if their first was a girl or disabled. Certain ethnic minorities may also have more than one child.

Additional activities

• Students could ﬁnd pictures on the Internet or books in the library to view scenes about people and the way of life in China. They could be displayed with a summary of information about each scene.

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• After further research about living in China, students could write a diary entry about a day in the life of a Chinese boy or girl in the city or country.

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China  28 

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People of China – Living in China 1

an you imagine living in a country with 1.3 billion people? Although China is the third largest country in area in the world, with so many people it is very crowded, especially in the cities. However, more people still live in rural areas on farms and in villages and towns, which are spread out over the countryside.

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Living in China today is different from the past. In the cities, you will now find towering office buildings, shopping centres filled with Western products and modern apartment complexes. These apartments usually have one or two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen and bathroom. Mixed among the modern buildings are older, more traditional style office buildings, shops and housing. Street stalls and markets can be found throughout the cities, selling items such as fresh vegetables, live chickens, dumplings or rice and noodle dishes. Stalls offer services such as bicycle or shoe repairs, or haircuts. Goods are paid for in ‘yuan’ (pronounced yu – an), the Chinese currency unit, and bartering for goods (negotiating to get the price down) is a widespread practice.

Many people live and work on the water in small cargo boats, transporting goods from one port to another or selling food and other products.

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Did you know that China is made up of approximately 55 ethnic groups? The Han people form the largest group with about 1.1 billion people. The other ethnic groups total 160 million, which is still a lot of people! All nationalities are considered equal.

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Similar stalls and markets are common in rural areas. In parts of the country, mud and straw houses can still be found. People live in individual houses which are not as modern as city housing. Many still do not have indoor taps or flush toilets; water is collected from outdoor taps or wells. The majority of people in rural areas are involved in farming and many still work the land by hand using animals and simple farming equipment.

The extended family is very important to the Chinese and, in the past, three or four generations lived in the same house. This can still occur in the country where houses are bigger. Most families in China today have only one child, due to government laws made to stop the population from increasing. Children’s education is considered very important and children attend school six days a week, Monday to Saturday.

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in Western countries and ownership of computers and mobile phones and use of the Internet continue to soar.

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China

 29 1

People of China – Living in China 2 Indicator • Analyses and extracts information from text to answer questions.

Teacher information • Students will need to research to ﬁnd out the population of their country to answer Question 1. This should give them insight to better appreciate the size of China’s population.

2. Answers should indicate the differences in housing, the number of people in one household, the density of the population and the types of occupations. 3. (a) live, work

(b) 55, Han

• In pairs, or individually, students prepare different questions about the text on page 29 to ask another student or pair of students. Answers could be oral or written.

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1. Teacher check

r o e t s B r e ooactivities Answers Additional p u k S

• Provide students with answers based on possible questions that could be formed from the text on page 29. Students have to write an appropriate question to match each answer.

(d) six, Monday

4. clothing more Westernised; ownership of computers and mobiles, and use of the Internet increasing.

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China  30 

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People of China – Living n China 2 Use the information on page 29 and your own research to answer the questions below.

1. (a) What is the population of the country in which you live?

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2. Write words and phrases to describe some differences between living in the city and the country in China. In the city

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(b) How many times bigger is the population of China?

In the country

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3. Use words from the text to complete these sentences.

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o c . (b) China has about c ethnic groups of which the people form the largest. e her r o, t su (c) To try to stop the population from continuing to s per

(a) Small cargo boats, which many people from port to port.

and

government laws limit most families to having just (d) Children attend school

days a week, from

on, transport goods

child. to Saturday.

4. List four things mentioned in the last paragraph that shows China is becoming more modern and Westernised.

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China

 31 1

People of China – Chinese food culture Indicator • Locates words in a word search to complete sentences about Chinese food culture.

Teacher information • Food and the way it is cooked in China can be categorised into two main styles:

• In most Chinese dishes, the food is presented in bite-sized pieces so it is easy to pick up with chopsticks. Each person is given his or her own bowl of rice or noodles and food is taken from accompanying dishes on communal plates. Each diner uses chopsticks to choose pieces of food from these plates. The food is eaten straight from the plate or added to the diner’s bowl of rice. The bowls are usually held in one hand close to the mouth while eating.

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– Southern: The most notable difference in this style is the use of chilli peppers, making dishes generally more spicy. The cuisine is known as Szechwan and Hunan cooking styles. Rice is widely used.

Additional activities

Answers

1. 3. 5. 7. 9. 10.

snake 2. chopsticks, spoon, bowls noodles 4. reach colour 6. duck teapot 8. upright everything pork, congee, mein, fried, rolls, omelette, dumplings, tea

• Students who are proﬁcient at using chopsticks can write a procedure about how to use them for other students to follow. Alternatively, students can demonstrate and explain how to use them so others can copy the correct method. Pieces of bread could be used for practice in picking up food items. • Compile a class cooking book with favourite Chinese meal recipes.

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• Make a list of good and bad table manners. Consider some bad eating habits they may use at home or school and try to improve on them.

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China  32 

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– Northern: The use of vinegar and garlic is common and the dishes tend to be quite oily. Wheat, in the form of pasta, is widely used in dishes such as dumplings, spring rolls, steamed and stuffed buns and in noodles.

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People of China – Chinese food culture You will learn some interesting things about Chinese food and how it is eaten by completing the sentences below. You will find the answers in the word search. The first letter of each missing word will give another clue.

h i n g d u r o e eos d t s p t o e nr o o d lB p ou t eul b o w l s o l k S e a l n m e i n w s m

u p

soup is a favourite in China.

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2. The main table utensils are c with soup eaten with a ﬂat-bottomed s .B eat food from.

r R i. eC. dP i b dl ua ci g t © I . u i c t okns d m c o l o u r a k e s l • f orr evi ew pur posesonl y•

1. S

. t Rice or n e

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8. It is bad manners to stick chopsticks

are used to

or tap them against dishes.

o c . nearly every meal.c e h r 10. s r Some popular Chinese dishes include: o In China, it is polite to r e t super across the table to take something. sweet and sour p ,

9. Finishing e on your plate is considered bad manners.

are served with

5. C , ﬂavour and aroma are important in Chinese cooking. 6. Peking d is a famous dish originating from northern China.

,f , Chinese o

rice, spring and

Chinese d .T is the favourite Chinese drink to eat with a meal.

towards anyone.

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(rice porridge), chow

7. It is bad manners to point the spout of a t

China

 33 1

People of China – The Chinese language Indicators

• Understands some basic facts about the official spoken Chinese language and written Chinese. • Identifies how some English words are written in Chinese characters.

Teacher information • Chinese as a written language has been in use for more than 6000 years. Chinese is written with characters known as ‘hanzi’. Each character represents a syllable of spoken Chinese and also has a meaning. Characters can be used on their own, as part of other characters or in combination with other characters. They are written using the following twelve basic strokes.

horizontal

dot

left-falling

right-falling

rising

hooks

turning

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vertical

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There is a set order in which to write the strokes of each character. A character can consist of as many as 64 strokes or as few as one stroke. • In 1979, the Chinese government adopted ‘pinyin’, a system of writing Chinese using the Roman alphabet. The word ‘pinyin’ means ‘joining sounds together’, the idea being to phoneticise Mandarin for translation to Roman script.

Additional activities © R. I . C.Publ i ca t i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Answers

hand person wood friend forest crowd

3. ﬂame

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2. (a) (c) (e) (g) (i) (k)

(b) eight (d) four (b) (d) (f) (h) (j) (l)

ﬁre ﬂame mouth water paper insect

• Use a website such as :

<http://www.formosa-translation.com/chinese/>

to ﬁnd out how to write the Chinese characters for English words.

• Invite a student at the school, parent, relative or someone who can write and speak Chinese ﬂuently to teach students some basic written Chinese.

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1. (a) three (c) ﬁve

4. It is made up of three ‘person’ characters.

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China  34 

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People of China – The Chinese language The official spoken language of China is Mandarin, but there are thousands of dialects (varieties of the language) all over China. The Chinese call the Mandarin dialect ‘Putonghua’, meaning ‘the common speech’.

Written Chinese, however, is the same all over China. Chinese is written with characters using a series of strokes; for example, this is how ‘rice’ is written in Chinese.

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1. The Chinese characters below are all numbers. Find out each number by rearranging the jumbled letters. (b) eghti

(d) rfou

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(a) etehr

2. The Chinese characters below are all nouns. Find out the English word by rearranging the jumbled letters. The ﬁrst letter is in bold print. (a) danh

(b) reif

(e) dwoo

(f)

(d) lfeam

(g) drifen

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. t sofert e

houmt

o tinesc c . che e r o r st super (j)

repap

(k) rcdow

(l)

Did you notice that the word ‘forest’ is made up of five ‘wood’ characters?

3. What word is made up of three ‘ﬁre’ characters?

4. What do you notice about the word ‘crowd’? R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

China

 35 1

Modern China – Religion Indicators • Identifies the religions different symbols are associated with. • Represents data about the religions of China on a pie graph.

Teacher information Note: Students may need access to the library or Internet to help them identify the symbols.

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• Many Chinese people will not reveal their religious beliefs as they fear being prosecuted, interrogated or arrested. Due to this, it is very difﬁcult to attain true statistics of religious groups in China. It is possible that 3% of Chinese people are Christians (between 30 to 40 million).

• Unlike in the Western world where people adhere to only one faith, many Chinese people are Taoist and Buddhist. An overlap in China between religion and philosophy exists, as it is believed many urban younger people follow the spiritual ideas of feng shui.

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• The People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, bringing about enormous changes to the country. The leader of the government at the time, Chairman Mao Zedong, believed that people should be loyal to the Communist Party and not a religious leader (such as the Pope in Rome). During the Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976, the government was incredibly hostile towards religion, with temples, mosques and churches being either destroyed or looted and turned in to non-religious buildings to be used by all people. Buddhist monks, Muslim mullahs and Christian priests were banned from practising religion and were sent to the country to learn about communism and to work alongside peasants in the ﬁelds.

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• By 1978, restrictions on religion had loosened and a constitution passed that guaranteed ‘freedom of religion’, but only as long as the religious beliefs or groups did not challenge authority! As the Communist government embraces atheism, any new constructions of mosques, temples and churches must be approved by the government. Today there are many underground ‘house churches’, where Christians gather, which are not ofﬁcially registered.

• The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Use the Internet or library to ﬁnd:

1. •

Buddhism:

– a picture of the current Dalai Lama – how a new Dalai Lama is chosen

Taoism:

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•

Islam:

•

Judaism:

•

Christianity:

2. Teacher check

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• Big numbers challenge!

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– why and when the current Dalai Lama was forced to leave China. Remember there are 1.3 billion people in China, so even 1% of the population is still a big number. In small groups, give students a large sheet of paper and ask them to write, in numerals, 1.3 billion. How many zeros are there? What would 1% of this number be?

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• Choose one faith mentioned on the worksheet and create an information poster about it. Include a fact ﬁle and pictures. (Caution: Be aware of artwork restrictions relating to the Muslim faith.)

3. Teacher check. Possible answers: Symbol for Allah (Islam), the Menorah (Judaism), Orthodox Cross.

China  36 

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Modern China – Religion Although most Chinese people are non-religious, many continue to follow the traditions of the centuries old Chinese Traditional (or folk) religion which combines the practices of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. In more recent times, other religions such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism have been introduced in to China and are becoming increasingly popular.

1. (a) Which religions do the symbols below represent? Write the religion under the symbol. Choose from this list.

Buddhism

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Taoism

Lotus flower

Islam

Endless knot

Star and crescent

Star of David

Yin and yang (Taiji)

Judaism Fish

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Cross

Christianity

Buddha

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There have been times when religion has been banned in China. Today, the Communist government which rules China has strict rules about religion. Many Chinese people say they do not believe in any religion.

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2. Look at the data on the religions of China and on the pie graph. Religions of China Colour the boxes and use the colour key on your graph. KEY

o c . c e he r No religion ................. 59% o t r s super Confucianism/Taoism .. 33% Confucianism/Taoism

Buddhism .................. 6%

No religion

Islam ......................... 1.2% Christianity................. Less than 1%

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his m

dd Bu

ris

tia n Isl ity am

3. Do you know any more religious symbols? Draw and label them on the back of this sheet. China

 37 1

People of China – By air, land and water Indicators • Reads information about forms of transport in China. • Creates a picture of a form of transport in China using the pieces of a tangram.

Teacher information • In China, trains are divided into four categories—soft-sleeper, soft-seat, hard-seat and hard-sleeper. Hard seats are mostly used on trains which travel short distances. Both hard and soft train sleepers are upholstered, even though the name suggests otherwise. Soft sleepers have comfortable compartments with four berths and bedding provided, while hard-sleepers consist of bunks in open-plan dormitory cars, usually arranged in bays of six (upper, middle and lower) on one side of the aisle, with pairs of seats on the other side of the aisle for use during the day.

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• A ‘tangram’ is an ancient Chinese puzzle consisting of a square cut into fi ve triangles, one square and one rhomboid, which can be combined to form a variety of fi gures. When constructing a fi gure, all seven ‘tans’ must be used, must touch and cannot overlap.

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• The majority of long-distance trains have a restaurant car which serves meals.

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• ‘Sampan’ literally means ‘three planks’ in Cantonese. Some have a small shelter and can be used as permanent dwellings. Sampans can still be seen in Hong Kong harbour and in inland waters. They are usually used for ﬁ shing or transportation, may be propelled by oars or outboard motors and stay close to the coast as they are not built to withstand harsh weather.

• Motorcycles are banned in some cities to try to reduce the amount of air pollution.

Answers

1. Teacher check 2. sampan

Additional activities

• Students research to ﬁ nd bus or train routes to visit a speciﬁ c tourist attraction and calculate possible costs.

• Investigate ways China is trying to combat trafﬁ c and pollution problems in large cities.

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• In groups, students plan a design for building a model of a pedicab.

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China  38 

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People of China –By air, land and water 1. Read the information.

In Ancient China, people travelled by foot, on horseback, in man-carried sedans, in carriages or ox carts. Travellers in Modern China can use planes, trains, bikes, cars, buses, ships and boats, taxis and pedicabs. Bicycles, buses and trains are the main form of transport in China.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u S Air

Rail networks link Beijing to most major cities. In very large cities, the trains are underground. Train travel is usually crowded but inexpensive and safe. Long-distance trains have sleepers and a dining car.

China’s mainland has a coastline over 18 000 km long and rivers totalling over 220 000 km in length. There are about 70 major inland and 20 coastal ports. Barges, sampans (flat-bottomed wooden boats), fishing boats, hovercraft and passenger boats transport people and goods.

all towns and counties can be reached 2. On a separate sheet of paper, use the tangram pieces to create a picture of one form of transport. via the highway system. However, private cars, taxis, bikes, buses and motorcycles cause many traffic jams and much air pollution in cities.

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Water

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Land

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Beijing is the site of China’s international airport. Flights leave there for places all around the world. Domestic flights link all provinces and remote areas. There are over 140 airports for civil aviation in China.

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Buses in China are always crowded and slow, but are a relatively cheap means of travel. Fares on buses are paid to the conductor, who sits near the middle of the bus.

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Bicycles are a very popular way to travel in China. Many highways have special lanes for bike-riders. An entire family can travel on one bicycle with the father pedalling, the mother on the back and a child sitting on the handlebars.

Hand-pulled rickshaws have virtually disappeared, except in older parts of cities. Pedicabs—three-wheeled bicycles with a passenger seat behind—are used instead.

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China

 39 1

People of China – Wushu Indicators • Reads the text provided. • Uses a thesaurus to find words of similar meanings to complete a word search.

Teacher information • Most people think the martial arts are only for self-defence. However, they form a complex sport which develops the body’s muscle strength, posture, breathing, suppleness, inner health and healing, as well as mental discipline. The sport requires dedication and concentration in order to be able to perform the essential movements correctly and in sequence.

• Contemporary sport in China encompasses many different activities, which include table tennis, badminton, diving and gymnastics. It is estimated that around 300 million Chinese play basketball today, making it the most popular of all sports in China. Baseball and football are also gaining popularity and success, particularly in Westernised areas.

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• A popular sport in China, which gained worldwide interest around 1949 when many martial arts practitioners decided to escape the Communist rule that had taken over China. These martial artists moved to different parts of the world and began teaching their craft to Chinese communities and later included anyone who was interested in their lessons.

Answers

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Additional activities

• Research to ﬁ nd out more information and complete a report for either kung-fu or Tai Chi. Present your report to the class.

I . C.Publ i cat i ons a d i t© i R o n. m p l o s i v e a •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• c h i n e s e i

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• Invite guests into the classroom to demonstrate kung-fu and/ or Tai Chi to the class. Allow time for questions and perhaps an introductory lesson for the students.

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Traditional Chinese medicine is part of Wushu.

China  40 

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People of China – Wushu 1. Read the text. ‘Wushu’ is the Chinese word for martial arts; ‘wu’ means military and ‘shu’ means art. It originated many centuries ago in China out of a need for selfdefence, for hunting purposes and as military training to survive attack from enemies. Today, Wushu is practised to maintain good health, for self-defence purposes, mental discipline and competition practices.

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Wushu can be separated into two main categories:

1. External styles (Shaolin)

2. Internal styles (Wudang) ‘Wudang’ is a softer form of Wushu. It relies on utilising the body’s internal energy or ‘chi’. The most well-known form is Tai Chi, with its slow sequence of movements, relaxed breathing and internal meditation. It is used to promote good health and wellbeing and is known for its healing qualities.

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These generally consist of fast, explosive movements which rely on strength and agility. The most well-known of these is kung-fu, with powerful kicks and punches, aerial movements and fluid motion. Traditional Chinese kung-fu also incorporates the use of weapons, such as swords.

Wushu is the most popular national sport in China, with approximately 1.1 billion people of different ages participating at various levels.

2. Find words in the text which mean the same as those below to complete the word search. The left-over letters make a sentence.

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dynamic

nimbleness

. t e inward

employing

i o i y t i l i . gca c ei s adversaries h r p i c i n e e o r st super movement a r t o f m o t invented preserve

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take part

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China



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People of China – Clothing Indicator • Completes a cloze about Chinese clothing.

Teacher information • Colour symbolised more than rank. Green symbolised spring, red–summer, white–autumn and black–winter.

• Students should read the text through to the end before adding any of the missing words in the cloze. Read the text with any students who ﬁ nd reading it independently too challenging.

• The emperor’s robes had 12 symbols of his authority embroidered on them, including ﬁ ve-clawed dragons; the sun, moon and stars; a mountain; a ﬁ re; an axe and a lion-dog, called a ‘Fu’.

• Remind students that they must read to the end of a sentence before adding a word. This will ensure that it makes sense in a wider context and help them to check that they have made the best choice.

• The many layers of clothing worn by members of the imperial family restricted their movements to such an extent that they were unable to complete some everyday tasks without assistance. Long ﬁ ngernails were a similar status symbol and indicated that a person was not required to do any manual work.

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• It is important that students understand that the clothing worn in China changes constantly.

• Some dynasties were characterised by elaborate robes, requiring a lot of silk for layer upon layer of garments, very wide sleeves etc. as well as years of handwork to decorate them, while others considered this was too extravagant and preferred a simpler style.

• Scholars and high-ranking ofﬁ cials wore hats with insignia indicating their rank.

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• Before the students start the cloze they should make sure they understand the meaning of all the words at the top of the page.

• Wealthy women kept their robes from dragging in the dirt by wearing platform shoes. They wore elaborate hairstyles with long hairpins and other jewellery.

• Clothing, as a form of visual communication about its wearer, was very well developed in China and there were once many rules about who could wear what; for example, the merchants who sold silk were not allowed to wear garments made from silk themselves.

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• Research the practice of foot binding: why and how it was done and the special shoes the women had to wear. • Draw and colour a cheongsam.

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shorter, jackets, fabric, ruled, wore, working, mulberry, silk, farmers, warmer, hemp, coloured, important, embroider, wear, cheongsam, modern, tunics

• Read the Danish story, ‘The emperor’s new clothes’ by Hans Christian Andersen and discuss how the story would change if it was written about a Chinese emperor.

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China  42 

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People of China – Clothing

1. Complete the information about clothes in China by writing a word from the list below in each space. modern jackets

coloured wear

fabric silk

warmer shorter cheongsam ruled

embroider important

wore mulberry

tunics working

hemp farmers

In Ancient China, people usually wore a tunic. Long tunics with belts were worn by women but

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, reaching only to their knees. They also often wore pants.

men’s tunics were

When it was cold, they added padded

the emperor

and the rich used silk. During the Sui Dynasty (581–618),

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The poor people made their clothes out of hemp, a rough woven

that only rich people could wear brightly-

coloured clothes; the poor had to wear black or blue. They also

outside.These

cooli hats to shade them from the sun while were large and pointy and made from woven bamboo.

Cotton was introduced to China by the Mongols during the Yuan Dynasty

(1271–1368), but people didn’t want to grow it at ﬁ rst, preferring silk. Because the Mongols had destroyed lots of the

how to grow it. Cotton was better for clothes because it was softer, stronger and cheaper and .

much more popular for clothing than

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for winter and thinner for summer. Soon it was

could be made thicker and

In China, the clothes you wore told people how important you were. Silk robes were edgings and bands and sashes were

embroidered with elaborate, brightly-

you were. Only the emperor could wear yellow and . t e purple could only be worn by the next most important people. There were twelve o c . symbols of authority embroidered on the emperor’s silk robes and it took many che e r o one robe. people many years to r t s super

added to show how

A popular long dress worn in China is called a ‘cheongsam’ or ‘qipao’. It has a high collar, ﬁ tted waist and slits up the sides. It is not too complicated to make, doesn’t need a lot of fabric and is comfortable to

. A

made of silk, usually with beautiful coloured patterns on it. In Chinese cities today, many people wear

clothes and are

interested in fashion. People in the country are more likely to wear more traditional short R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Ancient China – Old and new buildings Indicators • Read facts bout different types of buildings in China. • Uses a description to draw a particular type of building in China.

Teacher information • Architecture in gardens was considered an important part of Ancient Chinese culture. Today, there are considered to be four main styles of Chinese gardens—Imperial Gardens (grand and spacious), private gardens (small and simple), monastery gardens (solemn, sacred, quiet and usually found in mountains) and gardens in scenic resorts (combinations of natural scenery, built landscape and structures in large public areas). A saying states, ‘He who builds a garden builds happiness’.

• Baoyunge Pavillion of Precious Clouds in the Beijing Summer Palace is built from bronze and commonly called the Gold Pavilion. It is a rare form of pavilion because the entire structure is made from bronze.

• Roofs are an important part of Chinese architecture. As well as providing protection from the elements, curved roofs were used to help repel evil spirits, which were only able to move in straight lines.

Answers

Additional activities

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Teacher check

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• The number nine was important in Ancient China as it signiﬁ ed ‘the ultimate masculine’ and was then used to signify the supreme sovereignty of the emperor. The number nine, or multiples of nine, was often used in palace structures and design. For example, there may be nine rows of nine studs on palace gates, nine courtyards in the palace grounds, nine beams or 18 columns holding up structures, or nine dragons on screens or walls.

• Students research to ﬁ nd out what a ‘hutong’ is and what courtyard (Siheyuan) living is in China and use their research to create a model of each.

• Students use the Internet to ﬁ nd pictures of various types of homes and buildings in China to sketch, label and compare.

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• Students research to ﬁ nd background information and legends about the Chinese dragon and phoenix then select one or two legends to write in their own words.

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Ancient China – Old and new buildings 1. Read the facts about different types of buildings in China. (a) The dragon and the phoenix are often used as a decoration on buildings, especially palaces.

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(d) Chinese traditional buildings are built using ideas of balance and symmetry. The main structure is the central line of symmetry (axis), with secondary structures as wings down each side to form a main room and yard.

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(b) Pavilions are traditional structures usually made of wood, stone or bamboo. They may be square, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal or the shape of a ﬁ ve-petal ﬂ ower or a fan. They have columns and no walls. They can be used as a place for travellers to rest, to protect an engraved record of an important event, or as postal stalls, newsstands or a shop. The largest pavilion in China, Kuoruting, or the Pavilion of Expanse, is in the Summer Palace. It covers an area of 130 m2.

(e) Buddhist pagodas are buildings consisting of many storeys with decorations of carved ﬂ owers, shrines, animals or Buddha. Pagodas usually have a palace located underground.

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mostly multistorey buildings like pagodas.

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2. Use the description given in Question 1(b) to draw a pavilion in the box. Include a sign which tells what it is used for.

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Ancient China – The Sakyamuni Pagoda Indicators • Reads and comprehends an information text about Chinese architecture. • Provides opinions on an issue, giving reasons

Teacher information • Pictures of Chinese pagodas could be shown to the class prior to this activity and their main features discussed.

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• Read the information text with the whole class. Discuss the options for preserving the Sakyamuni Pagoda and possible positives and negatives for each option; e.g. danger, loss of history, visual effect etc. The students can then answer the question individually.

• The many storeys enabled people in the pagoda to view the scenery around them. • Flower pagodas developed after the Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties. These were highly decorated with carved ﬂ owers, honeycomb shaped shrines, animals and Buddha or other sculptures.

• The Sakyamuni Pagoda at the Buddhist Fogong Temple is found in the Shanxi province of China, approximately 380 kilometres south-west of Beijing. It is the only pagoda made entirely of wood left in China. It was built in 1056 during the Liao Dynasty under the order of Emperor Qing Ning. Only fi ve of its storeys are visible from outside the pagoda; the fi rst four storeys each has an additional hidden storey within. On 5 September 2006, China celebrated the 950th anniversary of the pagoda, which now has an obvious tilt between its fi rst and second storeys. An organisation has formed to prepare a plan to repair and preserve the pagoda.

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• Approximately three thousand pagodas still exist in China today. Some are made completely from wood, others are constructed from brick, stone, bronze or iron.

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• Also kept in the Famen Temple is one of the most sacred relics in Buddhism—the ﬁ nger bone relic of the Sakyamuni Buddha which monks carried from northern India to the Shaanxi Province about 200 years after the Buddha’s death.

• All pagodas have a palace located underground. The most famous underground palace is at the Famen Temple in Xi’an, Shaanxi, which was discovered unexpectedly in 1987 during reconstruction. More than 2000 pieces of royal treasure and jewellery were found.

Teacher check

• Compare and contrast pictures of Chinese pagodas with pictures of pagodas from other Asian cultures.

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• Research to ﬁ nd out about some of the traditions and customs connected with Chinese pagodas. • Conduct a debate about the expense, time and resources used to repair and preserve examples of ancient architecture or structures such as The Leaning Tower of Pisa etc.

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Ancient China – The Sakyamuni Pagoda Some of the most common buildings in Ancient China were multi-storey towers called ‘pagodas’. These first appeared just over 2000 years ago, when Buddhists arrived in China from India. Most pagodas in Ancient China were used as Buddhist temples. They normally have an odd number of storeys, eight sides and tiled roofs with edges that curve upwards.

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(b) Take off the top three storeys, repair the lower storeys (where the major damage is) with modern materials and then replace the top storeys.

(a) Dismantle and rebuild the whole pagoda, using the original wood.

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Because many of these pagodas were made from wood, most have not survived. But in the town of Yingxian, you can still see what is thought to be the world’s oldest wooden pagoda and one of the tallest ancient wooden buildings left in the world. The nine-storey Sakyamuni Pagoda is 67 metres tall, around 950 years old and has been so cleverly designed that there are no nails holding it together! Inside the pagoda are many ancient statues and murals. In its lifetime, the pagoda has survived storms, wars and earthquakes. But, unfortunately, it is now beginning to tilt! No-one can agree on the best way to preserve it. There are three main options:

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The best:

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important piece of Chinese history. Which options do you think are the worst and the best? Give reasons for your decisions. (b)

(c)

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Ancient China – Paper-making procedure Indicator • Reads a description about the invention of paper and writes a procedure to explain how to make it.

Teacher information • Students will need to understand the format of a procedure. The framework provided on the worksheet could be used for planning and the procedure written in full on a separate page later or it may be sufﬁ cient as it stands. Procedures are written to instruct or inform. They should be brief, with any unnecessary words omitted. The instructions or steps, often numbered, should be easy to understand and follow. Imperative or command verbs often begin a sentence.

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• Diagrams are used in some procedures to clarify text and make the instructions easier to follow. They need to be placed near the information they are helping to explain.

• Printing was developed much later, during the Tang Dynasty (618–906). This achievement was remarkable given the large number and nature of Chinese characters compared, for example, with the 26 less complex letters used in English. The ﬁ rst book was printed in China in 868 and there were soon bookshops in all major Chinese cities. Movable print was developed later in 1045, during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). This led to a dramatic increase in the number of books printed. Some traditional paper-manufacturing businesses are still operating in parts of China and can be visited by tourists.

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For example: 1. Soak bamboo, hemp, silk rags and mulberry bark in water. 2. Mix together.

• Of all the inventions attributed to China, the development of paper, ink and printing is widely considered to be the most signiﬁ cant. Paper and ink were invented during the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). and spread along the Silk Road to Arab countries, taking 400 years to reach Europe. Paper mills were established in Italy in the 14th century and in Britain by the 17th century.

Additional activities © R. I . C.Publ i ca t i ons •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• Answers

Teacher check

• Research the art of Chinese paper folding to ﬁ nd how to do it and what the Chinese did with the paper they folded. • Make paper using recycled paper.

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• Make a paper dragon for Chinese New Year. Instructions can be found on the Internet at: <www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/ chinesenewyear/lion>.

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Ancient China – Paper-making procedure In 105 CE, Cai Lun became famous when he presented to the emperor some paper he had made using bark and hemp.

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Bamboo, hemp, silk rags and mulberry bark were mixed together and soaked in water in a big vat.

A soft, wet pulp was made by boiling, mashing and pounding the mixture.

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1. Read the descriptions written below each illustration.

A thin layer of fibres was gathered on a fine screen dipped in the water. Water was removed by pressing on the screen.

2. Write a procedure to tell how to make paper this way.

The sheet of paper on the screen was left to dry on a heated wall. When it was dry, the paper was peeled off the screen.

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Materials:

Method:

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Ancient China – Confucius Indicator

• Reads text and answers literal and evaluative questions about the life, teachings and legacy of Confucius.

Teacher information • Confucius did not write down any of his ideas but relied on faceto-face discussion with the many different government offi cials and rulers in China at the time. His ideas were recorded and passed to the many disciples who listened and learned from him and continued his work after his death. His descendants were acknowledged in China by successive governments and given honours and titles of nobility. The title, Duke of Yansheng, was bestowed upon successive generations until it was abolished in 1935 by the Nationalist Government.

Answers

Additional activities

1. People could become ‘superior’ by developing ‘jen’, which is kindness and love for others and nature.

• Explain ‘the golden rule’ in your own words and describe a situation in which it could be applied.

2. Teacher check

• Compile a list of Confucius sayings and work in groups to plan and then role-play a scenario where, as in a fable, a Confucius saying is the moral of the story.

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• Confucianism spread through South-East Asia where there are temples in countries such as Japan, Korea and Vietnam. It was introduced to Europe by the Jesuit, Matteo Ricci (1552–1610), who translated documents and Latinised the name.

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• Confucius was born in the village of Zou in the state of Lu. He lived most of his life in Lu until he left his position in the government as justice minister to travel further afi eld trying to inﬂ uence the rulers of other kingdoms. At that time, known as the ‘Warring States Period’, China was not one country but divided into many kingdoms. Confucius believed that good government led to peace and justice for the people and good leaders were those who understood and believed this. He was of the opinion that government offi cials should be appointed because of their education and talent and not through family connections. This concept was later widely accepted and government offi cials were required to sit examinations to assess their abilities and their knowledge of Confucius and his philosophy.

3. Teacher check. (A likely answer is that a man’s position is superior to a woman’s.)

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• Write a letter to your country’s leader explaining the ideas taught by Confucius and selecting one or more that you think he or she should follow.

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Ancient China – Confucius

that people who developed ‘jen’ (kindness and love for others and nature) and became ‘superior’ would be the best leaders and that both rich and poor people could become ‘superior’. He wanted people to respect laws and to behave according to their position. He taught that the parents’ position was superior to the children’s, the men’s position was superior to women’s and rulers were superior to subjects! Confucius is remembered for many wise sayings, but his golden rule was, ‘What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others’.

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Confucius was born to a noble family. After his father died, when he was three, they lived in poverty. He had a good education but before becoming justice minister at 53, he was a bookkeeper, clerk and a farm worker. He left his job and travelled around the country, talking to leaders and trying to change the way they thought and what they did.

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The most remembered man from Ancient China is Confucius, a famous thinker born in 551 BCE. He died more than 2486 years ago, but his ideas about life have inﬂ uenced millions of people in China and in other countries, too. They are still followed today.

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Confucius taught many disciples. Some of them wrote a book about his ideas (Analects of Confucius) and used it to teach other people. The Analects provided a model for offi cial and personal behaviour for Chinese people for centuries. There are still many temples devoted to Confucius and his home town is a place of remembrance and devotion.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons There were many kings in China at that time •f or ev i ew pur posesonl y• who were cruel to r the people they ruled. Confucius believed in peace and justice, that good government only came from good leaders,

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2. Why do you think people took so much notice of what Confucius taught?

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1. How did Confucius believe people could became ‘superior’?

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3. Which of his ideas might be diffi cult for some people to accept today?

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Ancient China – Which invention? Indicators

• Reads information about four inventions and selects the one he/she considers to be the most important. • Plans, writes and gives a speech presenting arguments to persuade others to agree with the invention chosen.

Teacher information • Students will need to consider the factors they believe are relevant to the selection of the most important invention and to use them as a guide. Not all students will use the same criteria. Some criteria could be discussed and a class list made.

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• Expository text seeks to persuade others and does this by presenting arguments.

• The students should fi rst introduce the topic and state their position, then present their arguments, starting with the strongest one.

• Students should end by restating their position and making a concluding comment. • Speeches should be practised in small groups with opportunities for feedback before they are presented to the class.

• Arguments should be reasoned and supported with evidence or examples where possible.

Answers

Teacher check

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• Students should be encouraged to seek further information from a variety of different sources to expand upon and support their position.

Additional activities

• Research another Chinese invention and write a brief report.

• Complete a similarities-and-differences chart to compare modern wheelbarrows with early Chinese ones.

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• In groups of four, students experiment with a small hand-held compass to mark the corners of a square. One student stands at the starting point and the others use the compass to indicate north and move 10 metres in that direction. One student remains there while the remaining two students use the compass to indicate west and move 10 metres in that direction, where one student stands. The last student uses the compass to fi nd south, moves 10 metre in that direction and stands. The four students should be marking the four corners of a square.

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Ancient China – Which invention? 1. Read the information about four important Chinese inventions.

Abacus

Compass During the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE), lodestone, a magnetic object that shows direction, was used to make sure new houses were built facing north (the best direction). The Chinese then used a wooden circle with markings on it with a magnetic spoon on top to indicate direction, so they didn’t get lost while searching for jade.

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The earliest record of an abacus was in 190 CE, but by the Song Dynasty (960–1127) they had become very popular and were used throughout China by tax collectors and merchants. Some people can use an abacus to do calculations faster than a modern calculator.

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The abacus is the world’s oldest calculating machine. It has a wooden frame set with 13 rods or wires, each with seven beads. There is a divider with two beads above (heaven) and five beads below (earth). They were made in many different sizes.

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By the 8th century, compasses with magnetised needles were used to guide boats on the ocean.

Wheelbarrow

The first wheelbarrow was invented by Chuko Liang (181-234). It was made from wood. Its Chinese name means ‘wooden ox’.

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons Wheelbarrows were used toi transport heavy • f o r r e v e w p ur posesonl y• supplies. During wars, wounded soldiers were placed in them and taken from battlefields to safer places. It took two men to push a wheelbarrow.

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Gunpowder

Gunpowder was invented by accident during the Han Dynasty.(206 BCE–220 CE). They wanted the emperor to live forever and tried to make some special medicine they called the ‘elixir of life’ for him. They added charcoal to sulfur and saltpetre and ended up with gunpowder.

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Gunpowder was usually used for fun and entertainment, but by the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-904) it was used to scare enemies. Chinese fire arrows were made by filling small bamboo tubes with gunpowder. In the 17th century, bombs made in bamboo ‘shells’ were used for war.

2. Which invention do you think is the most important? 3. On a separate sheet of paper, plan and write a speech you could give to persuade others that this invention is more important than the others. 4. Present your speech, first to a small group and then to the whole class. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Ancient China – Dynasties Indicators

• Researches information using the Internet and/or library and makes notes. • Plans and writes a report about a Chinese dynasty.

Teacher information • A dynasty is a group of rulers who are from the same family.

in the fi ght against nomads. Buddhism ﬂ ourished early in the dynasty but Buddhists were persecuted towards the end of it. The only female Chinese monarch, Empress Wu, ruled for 15 years during this dynasty. Block printing was introduced and poetry became very popular. Poetry written during this time is still valued and enjoyed in China.

• Some students may prefer to chose a different dynasty to research.

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• Students will need to make notes about each dynasty from the information provided and resources available to them. Their notes must be able to be understood, but need not be in complete sentences.

The Silk Road was open and important for trade. Canals were built and used for communication and for transporting goods. Granaries were used to store food. Tools were developed to aid rice production. Land was given to peasant families to farm so they could be self-supporting and pay taxes, based on the number of family members. But life became more diffi cult for peasants towards the end of this dynasty. Exams were introduced to select government offi cials, providing opportunities for more able people to hold important positions. It was initially a period of territorial expansion and unifi cation, but later became a period of division and military rebellion. The military valued horses and used more than 700 000 of them. They were very important

The capital city was moved from Nanjing to Beijing. Emperor Hongwu was the fi rst of three peasants to become emperor. Taxes were kept low and the granaries fi lled in case of famine. Irrigation systems were installed and production and domestic trade were expanded. Slavery was forbidden. Iron was produced in the north. More than one million men were in the military. Many soldiers were given land so they could feed themselves. A vast navy was developed. The Great Wall was improved, with watchtowers and cannons added. Movable type was invented. Novels written in everyday language became popular. Encyclopedias were produced, as were dictionaries using only 214 Chinese characters instead of the previous 540. Art ﬂ ourished and block- and wood-cut prints were popular. Blue and white and various other coloured porcelain was produced.

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• The Tang Dynasty (618–907)

• The Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

• Research the clothing worn by a Chinese emperor and draw a coloured illustration.

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• Discuss the effect of reducing the number of Chinese characters from 540 to 214 and compare the diffi culty of learning to read and write in Chinese with learning to do the same in English.

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• Find some photographs or an example of Chinese porcelain and write a detailed description of one piece. Include information about its purpose.

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Ancient China – Dynasties 1. Plan a report on one of the following Chinese dynasties using the Internet or the library to fi nd relevant information.

The Tang Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty

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Dynasty dates:

Important emperor(s):

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Title of report:

Achievements: Military

Trade

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The arts

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Ancient China – The Silk Road Indicators

• Reads about the history of the Silk Road. • Draws and labels a diagram showing the life cycle of silkworms.

Teacher information • The Silk Road was the most important link between the West and the Orient until the sea route to India was discovered. During one era, the entire route from China to the Mediterranean Sea was part of the Mongol Empire. It stretched along the edge of mountains and deserts and was a very hazardous journey. A monk, Faxian, travelled along it at the end of the 4th century and reported, ‘the only road signs are the skeletons of the dead. Wherever they lie, there lies the road to India’.

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• Marco and Nicolo Polo travelled along the southern route, a journey that took them many years to complete. • The Silk Road was never known by that name. A German geographer, Ferdinand von Richthofen, was the fi rst to use the name in the 1870’s.

• Silkworms can no longer survive in the wild. The moths have fat bodies and small wings—they can’t ﬂ y or feed. • The silk thread from a single cocoon can range from 300 to 900 metres in length. The thread is continuous and is secreted from two salivary glands in the silkworm’s head.

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• Silkworms have been domesticated in China for about 5000 years. According to legend, Emperor Huangdi wanted to know what was eating his mulberry trees so he asked his wife to fi nd out. She noticed that white caterpillars were eating the leaves and spinning shiny cocoons. She dropped a cocoon into hot water and a single silk thread unwound itself. This was said to be the beginning of silk production in China.

Additional activities

Answers

1. Teacher check

• Obtain silkworm eggs, which can be kept in the fridge until mulberry leaves are available, and observe the insect’s life cycle. Silkworms need fresh, moist mulberry leaves daily. They do not require water. They can eat lettuce leaves but the quality of the silk is not as good. A shoebox with ventilation holes in the lid is ideal. The box should be placed in a cool, dry, quiet place with lots of fresh air and must be kept clean, with the droppings and old leaves removed.

• Write a recount, as told by the Chinese princess, about successfully smuggling silkworms out of China. Explain how and why she did it and how she felt about it.

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• Discuss the expression ‘as soft as silk’ and why silk was so sought after outside of China. • Research Marco Polo and his journeys along the Silk Road.

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Ancient China – The Silk Road Silkworms The silkworm larva hatches from a very small black egg. It is tiny but it eats all the time and grows quickly. It has to shed its skin four times as it grows.

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Silk traders followed the path his army had made along what became known as the Silk Road. The traders didn’t travel the entire length of 11 250 kilometres. However, the silk, jade, spices and other goods they traded for gold, gems, ivory, glass and perfume from the West, did. Their silk passed from trader to trader across India to the Roman Empire, where it was very popular.

The silkworm matures after about 26 days, spins a cocoon using one continuous thread of silk, which hardens on contact with air and the silkworm turns into a pupa. This takes three days.

After about 21 days, a white moth emerges. It can only ﬂ utter, not ﬂ y. The moths mate, then the male dies while the female lays about 500 eggs and usually dies within fi ve days. The eggs hatch in spring when its warmer.

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In 138 BCE during the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu sent one of his generals to fi nd out about the kingdoms to the land west of China. He was imprisoned but when he returned he told the emperor about the 36 kingdoms and the magnifi cent horses he’d seen there. The emperor tried to trade goods for these strong, fast horses for his army, but he couldn’t, so he invaded the kingdoms.

1. Read the information about silkworms and draw a diagram below to explain the life cycle of a silkworm. Your diagram should be labelled clearly to explain each stage of a silkworm’s life cycle.

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Inventions and ideas were also traded along the Silk Road. The West learnt about ploughs and paper, while the Chinese learnt about Buddhism from India.

The people in the West wanted to know where silk came from and how it was made, but the Chinese tried very hard to keep it a secret. They even searched people’s luggage as they crossed the Chinese border.

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There are different stories told about how the fi rst silkworms left China. One story is about a Chinese princess who wanted to please the king she was going to marry. He loved silk, so she smuggled some silkworms out of China in her hair, taking some mulberry seeds with her, too. Trade along the Silk Road decreased in the 14th century. Sea trade became more popular because it was safer and easier. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Ancient China – Marco Polo Indicator

• Reads the text provided and performs additional research to complete a table outlining the impact Marco Polo had on the world.

Teacher information • The Chinese would trade silk, fur, tea, spices, gunpowder, paper, compasses and bamboo for gold, silver, wool, ivory, horses, white and green jade and coloured glass. Westerners considered silk more precious than gold and were prepared to pay the weight of the silk in gold.

Answers

Additional activities

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Impact on the world

• The precise detail and descriptions of the route Marco Polo traversed from one side of Asia to the other is considered by modern topographers as a precursor to scientifi c geography. He was the fi rst traveller to record what he saw in such detail. His work was clearly incorporated in the drawing of many famous historical maps.

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• Research to fi nd out more about the Silk Road to China.

From bartering, there came a need for a form of currency to allow exchange as sometimes one trader paper wouldn’t be interested in the item of the other. Paper currency currency allowed for free-trading practices to be upheld. It took a long time for paper currency to be widely accepted around the world.

• On a map, show the route taken by Marco, his father and his uncle from the Mediterranean Sea to China.

coal

This introduced a system of heating never before seen by Europeans. Coal burns much longer than wood and was used to heat bath houses. This surprised Marco, as the Chinese bathed several times a week, while Europeans bathed less often and rarely ever during winter because of the cold.

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postal system

Westerners were not yet aware of a system of passing written messages from one place to another. Seeing this in China, the Romans then put into a place a sophisticated and effi cient method by which to pass written messages from place to place.

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Inspired Christopher Columbus to travel to what he thought would be China; hence he was the fi rst Marco’s European to discover America. book Also provided detailed information to help with the drawing of maps.

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• The Silk Road to China links the Mediterranean Sea to China. It was used to travel along to trade sought after items from Europe to China and China to Europe. It was also used to share and spread different cultural and religious ideas throughout the lands. It was the ‘superhighway’ of its time to exchange goods, knowledge, information and ideals. Different leaders fought to control parts of the Silk Road as it was a lucrative source of income. Travellers were taxed high amounts for using the Silk Road for trade. Trade along the Silk Road resembled a chain, as each trader would exchange goods along a segment of the road, rarely travelling the entire route themselves.

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Ancient China – Marco Polo 1. Read the text below. Marco Polo was one of the fi rst Westerners and probably the most famous person to travel along the Silk Route to China in the 13th century. Marco’s father and uncle were merchant traders and spent many years away from home, travelling to distant and amazing places to trade goods. Marco was fascinated by the stories he heard and had his own dream to travel to faraway places.

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When Marco was aged 17, he set out on a journey with his father and uncle that would change his life forever. It took them almost three years to reach China. When the emperor, Kublai Khan, met Marco, he was impressed by his observational skills and his ability to speak several languages and employed him to journey deep into China and report his fi ndings. Marco was also allowed to trade freely throughout China, which exposed him to many amazing cultures and experiences.

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Marco was very impressed by the wealth and forward development of China. He had never before seen paper currency, coal, a postal system or asbestos. He was fascinated that people were able to purchase goods with paper and maintain warm fi res with coal. After 17 years in China, the Polos returned home. Marco was captured and jailed for two years during a conﬂ ict. While in prison, he dictated his amazing adventure to a famous writer. His book, The travels of Marco Polo, is credited with inspiring Christopher Columbus to take his famous journey.

Impact on the world

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paper currency

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postal system

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perform some additional research.

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coal

Marco’s book

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Ancient China – Genghis Khan Indicator

• Reads the text provided and uses a dictionary to record word meanings for given words.

Teacher information • Not all sources paint a positive picture of Genghis Khan. He was considered to be a ruthless and bloodthirsty warrior. He reportedly used unimaginable torture against his rivals during warfare to secure victory. However, the Mongol people consider him to be hero, one who united them and provided them with security.

• Genghis Khan developed a code or set of laws for day-to-day living called the ‘Yasa’. It clearly outlined various laws for various people and the most common form of punishment was death. It was devised to ensure unity between the Mongol people and their allies and to reduce possible social issues between the different races.

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• He accepted all peoples and religions except those who challenged him. He did not divide his military or his people based on ethnicity—an early acceptance of multicultural beliefs. Towards the end of his life, he was believed to be working on a system of equality for all, including women. He was a man who was ahead of his time.

Additional activities

Answers

having achieved his military goals in creating a powerful empire in uniting the Mongol people

(b) empire

a large territory ruled by an emperor

a collection of secret information by the military which can be used against its rivals

(d) merit

an excellence in ability

(e) descendants

offspring of an ancestor

• Research to fi nd out more about the Mongol people. Their beliefs, culture and history. • Research the family tree of Genghis Khan. Select one other member of his family and research him/her in greater detail and share any contributions made to history.

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(a) successful

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Ancient China – Genghis Khan 1. Read the text below. Some people consider Genghis Khan to be one of the most signifi cant and successful military leaders in history. He is famous for creating one of the most powerful empires in history—the Mongol Empire. This empire stretched from the Caspian Sea to the Sea of Japan.

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Genghis Khan was a simple man with few possessions. He did not approve of people living in luxury and being wasteful. It is thought that there are around 16 million descendants of Genghis Khan living in the world today.

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Genghis Khan was a forward- thinking man who introduced several new ideas to the world. He was the fi rst leader to introduce and use a spy network to gather intelligence about his rivals. This helped him greatly in his efforts to unite the Mongol nation.

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He was also a tolerant man who selected people to lead based on merit rather than how wealthy they were, which was common practice at this time. Genghis Khan also provided the Mongol people with stability as a nation in a time of great uncertainty.

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2. Find the words listed in the table below in the above text and underline them. Use the text and your dictionary to fi nd the defi nitions of each word.

(a) successful

. t (b) empire e (c) intelligence

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(d) merit

(e) descendants

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Wonders of China – The Great Wall of China Indicator

• Reads and understands information about the history and construction of the Great Wall of China.

Teacher information • In 1987, the Great Wall of China was listed as a World Heritage site. Some parts, near tourist centres, have been preserved, but in most locations, the wall is in disrepair. For some villages it has been a source of stones for rebuilding houses and roads and it has also been prone to graffi ti. Some sections have been bulldozed to make way for new construction projects.

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• It is believed that at one time there were thousands of forts and towers along the wall and it was guarded by more than one million men. The watchtowers were used to store weapons, house troops and send smoke signals. Each tower had a unique staircase and an entrance designed to confuse attackers. Towers for sending signals were located on hilltops or high points chosen for visibility, while administration centres were located at larger intervals along the wall.

• The achievements of Qin Shi Huang include the standardisation of Chinese writing, scholarship, bureaucracy, law, currency and weights and measures; and the building of roads, palaces and the capital, X’ian. • Qin Shi Huang was a cruel leader who killed or banished those who opposed his ideas. He sent many of his enemies to work on the wall and burnt books from earlier regimes. • The claim that the Great Wall of China is the only built structure visible from the moon is incorrect. Some astronauts have claimed to have seen it from space when visibility was exceptionally good, but this is doubtful. The Chinese astronaut, Yang Liwei, convinced most of his countrymen that it was not visible. However, a Chinese-American astronaut took an indistinct photo from the International Space Station that some believe shows the wall. The state-run China Daily newspaper concluded that the wall can be seen if you know where to look and if visibility is exceptionally good.

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• During the Ming Dynasty, fortifi cations were established, which in some areas were 7.6 m high, 4.6-9.1 m wide at the base and 2.7–3.7m wide at the top. It was wide enough for troops to march along and to take wagons with them. Where it exists as a tourist site, it can be quite a challenge for some tourists to climb up all the steps to the top.

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• The name ‘Shi Huang’ means ‘fi rst emperor.’ He was from the Qin (pronounced ‘chin’ ) province.

• It is said that the construction of every 30 cm of the wall cost one human life. It has been reported that many who died were buried in the wall itself, but it is probably not true because this would have weakened the wall.

Additional activities

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• Students experiment to taper soil. They should mark a scale from 1 to 8 cm on the inside of container, add loosely packed soil to the 6 cm mark, then use a spoon or another ﬂ attening-type tool to compact the soil. Like the workers on the wall, they need to persist with their tampering and record how far the level of soil can be reduced.

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• Research to explain where the idea that the Great Wall of China would be visible from the moon originated. • Write a letter to the Chinese government requesting that they preserve the wall. Explain why this is necessary and suggest how it could best be done.

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Wonders of China – The Great Wall of China

When Qin Shi Huang became the fi rst emperor of a united China in 214 BCE, he joined and extended four smaller walls that had already been built to fend off the Huns from the north. The new wall took ten years to construct and stretched for 5000 km. Although it was built for defence, it soon became a symbol of the emperor’s power. There is very little of this wall left today; it has been worn away and local people have used materials from the wall for their own buildings.

Soldiers were positioned along the wall to provide early warning of invasion. They must have communicated using signal fi res because huge piles of straw and dung have been found during excavations.

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Construction

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History

Most of the wall was constructed using stones but when they were unavailable or in short supply, other local materials were used. During the Qin Dynasty, wooden frames were used to be fi lled with soil and tapered down for many hours.

The Han Dynasty (209 BCE) extended the wall through the Gobi Desert. Some parts are still standing, due in part to the dryness of the desert and their clever method of construction.

During the Han dynasty, a stronger wall was built using a layer of reeds and twigs covered by gravel and water, tapered down and repeated.

1644 CE). Watchtowers and cannons replaced the slits used for bows and arrows, and were added during renovations over the next 200 years.

across very steep mountains.

© R. I . C.Publ i c at i osection nsof wall was built during The strongest The Great Wall was extended to over 6000 the Ming Dynasty. A centre of tapered soil was • f o r r e v i e w p u r p osesonl y• km in length during the Ming Dynasty (1368– covered with a shell of hard brick. They even built

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It is not surprising that a section of the wall, 50 km from Beijing, is visited by thousands of tourists each day.

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The Great Wall of China has been described as a gigantic dragon wandering from east to west for more than 6000 km across the mountains, deserts and grasslands of China. It is the world’s longest built structure. It attracts a lot of interest because of its history, the way it was constructed and because parts of it still exist to see and climb.

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Wonders of China – Planning a poster Indicators

• Selects information suitable for a poster. • Plans and produces a poster.

Teacher information • Students will need to think about the information they found most interesting and anything more they would like to know about the Great Wall of China. This information could be brainstormed and recorded using a graphic organiser. This would assist students to research and select appropriate information to include in their posters.

• Encourage students to offer constructive criticism of other students’ posters by starting with a positive statement; for example, ‘Your poster has interesting information but there is just too much for me to read and take in’.

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• Before students start their posters, care should be taken in planning how much information can be included and how to set it out so it provides the information in such a way that it attracts the reader and is quickly and easily accessible. Students should record their ideas on the layout plan on the worksheet.

Answers

Teacher check

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Additional activities

• Working with a partner, take turns to role-play a tourist asking a guide for information about the Great Wall of China. • Research the Ming Dynasty. Take notes and use these notes to write a paragraph describing what you think is the most interesting thing about this period of Chinese history.

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• Compile a list of ten reasons why people visit the Great Wall of China.

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Wonders of China – Planning a poster 1. Many tourists visiting Beijing in 2008 for the Olympics would have heard about the Great Wall of China. Prepare a poster to persuade people to visit the wall. Make sure you provide interesting information about it and its history so everyone will want to see it. Use the planning sheet below to organise the information you have selected for your poster. There is information you can use on page 63 and you may like to use the Internet or library for more. Decide how you will present your information; you may decide to either write it or print it out.

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Planning sheet Information:

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Remember to make your poster eye-catching and include information that will interest and excite people. Pay particular attention to selecting suitable colours and include some illustrations. Use this page to plan how you will set out your poster.

Layout:

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Illustrations:

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Colours:

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2. (a) Create your poster on a large sheet of paper and display it. Ask class members to comment on both the information you have provided and how you have set it out. (b) What was the best comment made about your poster? R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Wonders of China – Terracotta Warriors Indicators

• Reads and understands text. • Completes a crossword. • Calculates years from BCE dates.

Teacher information • Students should be familiar with the concept of BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) dates and, for example, understand that the year 79 BCE is more recent than 206 BCE.

• The Chinese government has allowed some Terracotta Warriors to be displayed in museums at different locations around the world. They arouse great interest and have been seen and appreciated by millions of people.

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• The Museum of Qin’s Terracotta Warriors are spectacular and have been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Jacques Chirac, the former president of France, once said, ‘If you close your eyes and listen, you can hear the soldiers breathing, the horses snorting and pawing the ground …’

• The Terracotta Warriors are considered to be one of the most signifi cant archeological excavations of the 20th century.

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Additional activities

Answers

B A A R T O M T Y L E M P

12.

13.

14.

16.

20.

W C B R A H T E R R A C O T B R R W I I V O O O I E R O R T S K I N E D E N T R R O R D I S C L

I C K R A T A S F S T E S M M B E L A N C E

2. (a) Teacher check

(b) 2184 years

10.

11.

15.

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19.

17.

18.

H C O V E R R E S A E T S E

• Research other signifi cant dates concerning Qin Shi Huang and the Terracotta Warriors to place on a time line. • Research how the Terracotta Warriors were arranged in each of the three pits and draw a diagram to show the formation of the warriors in one of the pits.

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• Students create and display their own terracotta warriors, horses and chariots using modelling clay.

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B A N L P I T V W E L

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• The military formations of the Terracotta Warriors in rows and columns facing different directions provides viewers with a glimpse of the Qin army and an understanding of its organisation and why it achieved great success. The soldiers all stand at attention and look as if they are waiting for someone to order them to attack.

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Wonders of China – Terracotta Warriors The practice of burying slaves alive to look after their dead master was banned in China after 384 BCE. So, before the country’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, died in 210 BCE, he had more than one million workers create an army of life-sized warriors, horses and chariots to guard his tomb. His workers made and assembled the figures and then craftsmen covered them with a thin layer of clay and made them all look different.

The emperor’s army stood in five-metre deep pits until 1974, when some workers digging wells near X’ian, discovered them. Three separate pits were found. The first and largest one was made from earth and wood and had a black brick floor. It had five separate sloping entrances. There were 6000 warriors, each armed with crossbows and with horses and chariots at the back. They were arranged in battle formation. This pit was opened to the public in 1979 and has more than two million visitors each 1. 2. 3. 4. year. The other two pits are now open and it is believed that more may be 5. 6. 7. discovered in the future.

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1. Complete the crossword.

Across 3. Hard block of clay 8. Type of clay 9. Burial place 12. Ruler 13. Not permitted 15. The way in 16. Hole in the ground 19. Find 20. Hole dug to find water

10.

11.

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13.

14.

15.

16.

17. 19.

20.

6. Large numbers of fighters 7. Put together 10. Labourer 11. Guests

18.

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Down 1. Soldier 2. Carriage used in ancient times 4. Skilled workers 5. Fight

12.

14. Opposite of ‘dead’ 17. Four-legged animals 18. To make

o c . che e r o t r s super 2. (a) How many years ago did the Chinese ban the practice of people burying slaves with their

masters?

(b) How long had the Terracotta Warriors been buried before they were first discovered? (c) Why do you think they were there for so long? R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Wonders of China – Baiji Indicator

• Reads and completes the text provided using the words at the bottom of the page.

Teacher information • The rate of decline in population of the Baiji was incredibly fast: Year

Number of dolphins 5000

1950s CE

6000

1986

300

1990

200

1997

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1998

2004

last sighting

2006

declared ‘functionally extinct’

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3rd Century BCE

• The Baiji was also illegally hunted by poaches for its meat and body parts to be used in tradtional Chinese medicines.

Answers

3. length 5. peace

2. food

7. echolocation

• Students write their own version of the traditional Chinese story of the Baiji. • Students research to fi nd out about the dams which were built in the Yangtze River. What was the purpose of building them?

8. habitat

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1. freshwater

Additional activities

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Wonders of China – Baiji 1. Read the text below. The Baiji, also called the Chinese River Dolphin, was a

dolphin

found in the Yangtze River in China. It fi rst appeared around 25 million years ago in the Pacifi c Ocean and moved into the Yangtze River around 20 million years ago, making it one of the world’s oldest species.

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This dolphin had a long, narrow beak which allowed it to dig around in the mud for 2

. Its eyes were small and not fully functional, so the dolphin relied

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on its echolocation system to fi nd its way through water. It was generally blue-grey or brown in colour could grow up to 2.5 metres in

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and was very shy. The Baiji lived in small pods of around two to three dolphins. This species of dolphin and live to approximately 24 years

of age.

Traditional Chinese folklore explains the origins of the Baiji as a

a princess which was drowned in the river by her family when she did not want to marry a man she did not love. The Chinese consider the dolphin to be a symbol of

and

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons It is now believed that the Chinese River Dolphin is extremely endangered and the animal was declared •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• prosperity and gave it the name: ‘Goddess of the Yangtze’.

‘functionally extinct’ (meaning there were not enough of the species left to reproduce) in December 2006. The main

to this species were:

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• entanglement in fi shing gear • collisions with boats and ships (the noise pollution from these

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vessels interfered with the dolphin’s system) • loss of

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• pollution from industry

• over fi shing, causing a great reduction in food available for the dolphins to eat

• hunting between 1958 and 1962 for the dolphin’s ﬂ esh and skin. The Baiji is the fi rst marine mammal species to become extinct as a result of human activity since the 1950s.

2. Use these words to complete the text above.

reincarnation length

echolocation peace

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freshwater threats China

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Celebrations and customs – Celebrating Chinese New Year Indicators

• Constructs a circular calendar. • Annotates calendar accurately.

Teacher information • Allow students to research the Internet for ideas for decorating their calendars. Encourage students to make them as bright and colourful as possible.

• Other festivals celebrated by the Chinese people throughout the year include:

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• Explain that many of the ideals of the Chinese New Year are similar to those of Western cultures; especially the concept of turning over a new leaf: being positive about what is to come and letting go of the past.

• The holiday period begins with a banquet for ancestors, the night before the fi rst day of the fi rst lunar month of the year, and ends with the Lantern Festival, on the 15th day of the new year. • From the 20th to the 23rd day of the last month of the old year, people spring-clean their homes to sweep away bad luck from the last year to make room for good luck. After this, brooms must be locked away so that the new year’s good luck cannot be swept away. • On this night, the living enjoy a family meal with the spirits of their ancestors to celebrate the approaching new year as one family community. This celebration is called ‘Surrounding the stove’ and symbolises family unity and honours past and present generations.

Tin Hau – 23rd day of the 3rd moon. Celebrated in late April, it honours the young girl, Mo Niang who was re-named Tin Hau, meaning ‘Queen of Heaven’. She is known as the mother of boat people and sailors.

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• Many of the traditions are based on superstitious beliefs which people today do not necessarily believe but, as part of their culture, they wish to perpetuate.

Ching Ming Festival – celebrated in April and known as ‘Remembrance of Ancestors Day’. This festival honours deceased relatives. Families visit cemeteries and tidy graves. Young children are taught to pray to and for the family spirits. Branches of the willow tree, regarded as a symbol of light and an enemy of darkness, are hung in doorways to ward off evil spirits.

Birthday of Buddha – 8th day of the 4th moon—celebrated in May. Legend says that as Buddha was born, over 2500 years ago, nine dragons spat on the water. Buddha, meaning ‘enlightened one’, is the sacred name given to the Indian prince, Siddhartha Guatama, who founded the Buddhist religion. Cheung Chau Festival – 8th day of the 4th moon. Known as the festival of the buns, is a four-day event of religious ceremonies, Chinese opera and burning paper clothing as gifts to make nervous spirits happy. It is celebrated in May. Huge towers are built and covered with bread buns. At a signal, young people clamber up the towers to collect as many buns as possible. It is said that the number of buns collected is proportional to the amount of good luck and blessings the person and his/her family will receive from the spirits.

• During the holiday period, family and friends get together to share the hopes of the year to come.

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• At the Lantern Festival, on the fi nal day of the holiday period, families walk the streets in the evening, carrying lanterns lit by candles, to enjoy the parade and watch the magical dragon dance as it bobs and weaves through the streets. The dragon, held up by young people, is made with bamboo, silk and paper and is about 30 metres long.

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Tuen Ng – 5th day of the 5th moon. Also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, this is celebrated in June. It honours the death of Qu Yuan, the famous poet and patriot who wrote beautiful and passionate poetry for his country, to protest against evil offi cials. He became so disillusioned with the corruption that he drowned himself in the Mi-Lo River. The people were so upset that they took to their boats, beating the water with their paddles to prevent fi sh from eating his body and throwing rice dumplings into the water to entice the fi sh away from Qu Yuan.

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• ‘Lai-see’, little red envelopes containing gifts of money, are given to young people by their elders.

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• ‘Chun lian’ is a special ‘duilian’ (Chinese rhyming message) which is displayed in homes during the festival.

Mid-autumn Festival – 15th day of the 8th moon. Celebrated in September, it honours the moon. People travel to the best vantage points to study the moon closely. Children carry lanterns of all shapes, lit by candles to light the way for people paying their respects to the moon.

Additional activities

• Research to learn the story of Tin Hau and present the information to younger students.

China  70 

•

Create an art display to tell the story of the Dragon Boat Festival.

•

Find out about chun lian and make one to decorate the classroom door during Chinese New Year.

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Celebrations and customs – Celebrating Chinese New Year Chinese people all over the world celebrate a number of festivals during the year, but the most important by far is the Chinese New Year. The celebrations last over 16 days, from Chinese New Year’s Eve to the Lantern Festival.

Make a Chinese New Year celebrations calendar You will need:

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• two large sheets of construction paper

• a protractor

1. Measure and cut out two large circles, up to 50 cm in diameter. 2. Divide one circle into 16 segments (22.5º each)

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What to do:

• a split pin

3. Draw one segment (22.5º) on second circle and a border 1 cm in from edge of the segment. 4. Cut out single segment on second circle, leaving border intact.

5. Place circle with cut-out on top of circle with 16 segments and join with split pin.

6. Move top circle clockwise over lower circle and write what happens on each day of holiday period, from New Year’s Eve to Lantern Festival.

Day 7 – Farmers display produce and make drinks from seven types of vegetables. New Year’s Day Birthday of all people— Welcome gods of heaven and earth. Abstain everyone a year older from eating meat. The Chinese believe this will from today. Noodles eaten help them live long and happy lives. Give gifts for long life; raw ﬁsh for of lai-see envelopes. success. Day 2 – Pray to ancestors and all gods. Day 8 – Celebrate another family Be kind to all dogs as today is feast and pray to Tian Gong, their birthday. God of Heaven. Days 3 to 4 – Sons-in-law pay respect to Day 9 – Make offerings to the Jade parents-in-law. Emperor, ruler of heaven. Day 5 – Stay at home to welcome Po Days 10 to 12 – Invite friends and relatives Woo, the God of Wealth. Do to dinner. not visit family or friends as Day 13 – Eat cleansing diet of rice this will bring bad luck. and mustard greens. Day 6 – Visit friends and relatives. Pray Day 14 – Prepare for the Lantern at temple for good fortune and Festival. health. Day 15 – Lantern Festival

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‘Surrounding the stove’.

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7. Decorate the top circle with Chinese designs. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Celebrations and customs – The legend of Chinese New Year Indicators

• Reads the text. • Plans and creates artwork for parts of the story.

Teacher information • Different versions of this legend and other legends relating to the origin of the lion dance may be found at: <http://www.web.mit.edu/lion-dance/www/about/index.html> <http://www.namyang.co.uk/learn-martial-arts/articles/ southern-shaolin-lion-dance.php> <http://yi_dao.tripod.com/id4.html>

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• In groups, students read the legend and discuss ideas for illustrations for each part. • Students use a sheet of A3 paper for each illustration.

• Students write palm-sized notes to help them remember the main points of the story.

• Since Ancient Chinese times, lions have been portrayed as peaceful creatures, symbolising both courage and wisdom. Although there are a number of versions of the history and origin of the lion dance, it plays an important part in Chinese culture and the lion represents the spirit of every Chinese martial arts school. • Lions may be painted different colours to represent each of the three brothers from the novel, Romance of the three kingdoms:

• Before a newly-made lion can be used in a dance, it must fi rst be blessed by a ceremonial awakening. This ceremony is called ‘Hoi gong’, which means ‘eye dotting’. Before the lion performs its fi rst dance, its eyes are painted to awaken its spirit and give it life. If this ceremony is not performed, it is believed that anyone involved with the lion and its dances will have misfortune. • Performing the lion dance takes great strength and skill as the lion is awkward and diffi cult to manoeuvre and the two dances need to maintain timing and rhythm. The dancer at the head also has to pull strings and levers to operate the eyes, ears and mouth. The dancer at the tail has to keep in time with the head and sway the body to give the lion life. The steps of the lion dance are traditionally kung-fu moves, so lion dancers are generally kung-fu practitioners.

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The youngest brother, General Chang Fei, was the most ferocious and brave of heart, with a love for battle. He is represented by a lion with a black or green face, a black beard and a black and green or a black and white tail.

• All the movement is performed to the rhythm and beat of the drum, gong and cymbals. A teaser is often used to take the lion through a series of tricks which vary in diffi culty from acknowledging the crowd to picking the green (choi cheng), which is the highlight of any lion dance. The green or cheng is a vegetable bound to a red money envelope by a length of string. The green may be positioned in a diffi cult to access place and so the dancers have to use all their skill to successfully complete the task.

The eldest brother, General Liu Bei, who was the most revered and sincere, is represented by a lion with a golden-yellow face, white beard and brightly coloured tail of yellow, green, blue and red.

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General Kwan Kung, who was dignifi ed, loyal and courageous, is represented by a lion with a red face, black beard and red and black tail.

Additional activities

• Find more detailed versions of the other origins of the lion dance. In groups, dramatise each version and perform to the rest of the class.

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• Create an art display of the different coloured lion heads, describing the different characters from Romance of the three kingdoms.

• In pairs (one behind the other), take a skipping rope and give each person one end of the rope, each holding the ends of one in the right hand and another in the left hand and create a synchronised, skipping lion dance, lasting for one minute. Develop by including accompanying drum, cymbals and gong.

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Celebrations and customs – The legend of Chinese New Year

To the Ancient Chinese people, the lion was a special animal they could turn to for help. This story tells how the lion helped to save people from a fl esheating creature (‘Nian’) and explains the origin of the traditional lion dance.

During the winter, the Nian would come down from its home in the highest mountains and feast on humans to satisfy its hunger. The people were terrifi ed of this evil creature and asked a lion for help.

On the eve of each Chinese New Year, dancers all over the country perform the lion dance. It symbolises keeping evil away for another year.

True to its promise, the Nian did return. But the lion was guarding the gates of the emperor’s palace and could not leave his post to help the people. What would the people do?

© R. I . C.Publ i cat i ons 1. Describe how you would illustrate each part of the story. •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• The villagers decided to make a lion costume and scare the Nian away themselves. Using bamboo for the frame

The Nian attacking humans.

The lion attacking the Nian.

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Each year as they saw the Nian approach, the villagers took out the lion costume and scared the Nian away with their wild performance.

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The lion stood tall and proud in front of the Nian. He shook his head, tossed his mane and struck out in a giant leap towards the beast. Badly injured by the lion’s attack, the Nian turned away but vowed to return the next year.

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and bright red and gold cloth for the mask and cover, they made a lion costume. Two men climbed inside the costume and danced wildly towards the Nian while the villagers made a loud noise using drums, cymbals and gongs. Terrifi ed, the Nian fl ed once again.

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o c . c e her r The Nian threatening to return. The lion dance frightening the Nian. o t s super

2. (a) Use a range of art materials to create your illustrations on a large sheet of paper. (b) Use the illustrations to tell the story to younger students. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Celebrations and customs – Chinese dragons Indicators • Orders puzzle pieces correctly to create a picture. • Recognises and lists the animals from which different body parts come.

Teacher information • Enlarge the dragon puzzle to A4 or A5 size. Students cut out pieces and arrange them correctly to give the picture of a dragon. Students paste the pieces in place on a separate sheet of paper and colour.

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• Using the Internet, provide a number of sample dragon pictures for students to study before colouring their dragons.

• In pairs, students discuss the body parts and the animals named in the box. Compare answers with the rest of the class.

• For many centuries, the dragon was a symbol of the emperor and some emperors even claimed to be descendants of the first dragon. • The Chinese or Oriental dragon can fly even though it has no wings, can change the size and shape of its body and is generally a gentle creature whose main purpose is to help people.

• The legend of the mythical Dragon’s Gate symbolises the strength of character and determination shown by people who strive to overcome obstacles to achieve a goal.

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• Legend tells that the first dragon appeared to Fu Hsi, a mythical emperor, and filled the hole in the sky which had been created by Kung Kung, a wicked monster. The dragon’s body rhythms of sleeping, waking and breathing created night and day, the seasons of the year and the weather, in all its forms. It was believed that foul weather, including floods and storms, occurred when a human upset the dragon.

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• In China, there are three Nine Dragon Walls. The oldest and largest is in Datong in the Shanxi province. It was built during the Liao Dynasty, 916–1125 CE. The most spectacular of the three is the Nine Dragon Wall in Baihai Park in Beijing, which was built in the middle of the 18th century. It is 21 m long and about 15 m high and the borders are decorated with many smaller dragons, bringing the total number to 635.

• In the legend, a carp saw the top of a mountain and decided he would reach it no matter how hard the journey. He swam upstream, successfully tackling waterfalls and rapids until eventually he reached his goal. At the top of the mountain the carp saw the Dragon’s Gate. As he jumped over it, he turned into a revered dragon. • There are many waterfalls and cataracts in China which are reputed to be the secret location of the dragon’s gate.

• The internationally famous dragon dance is the highlight of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The dragon is manoeuvred by many people, manipulating specialised stage props to simulated the various movements of the dragon. The movements symbolise the many traditional roles of the dragon, always showing power and dignity.

• The dragon has always been a part of Chinese mythology and can be found in paintings, stories, poetry, architecture and craft work.

• The spectacular double dragon dance involves two troupes of dancers intertwining their dragons in a clever display of skill and accuracy of movement.

Additional activities

2. antlers – stag, scales – fish, head – camel, eyes – lobster, ears – ox, body – snake, tail – whale, claws – eagle

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• Use research to find the five types of dragon described in Chinese mythology. In five groups, students learn the story of one dragon and share with the rest of the class. (The five types of dragon are: those guarding the gods and emperors; those controlling the weather; earthly dragons which deepened the rivers and seas; those guarding hidden treasure; the first dragon.)

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• Create a Nine Dragon Wall with one giant dragon flanked by four smaller dragons on either side. • Use research to find information to draw up a graphic organiser listing the first dragon’s nine sons (Haoxian, Yazi, Chiwen, Baxia, Pulao, Bixi, Qiuniu, Suanmi and Jiaotu), the characteristics each displayed and places where representations of each may be found.

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Celebrations and customs – Chinese dragons Dragons have been an important part of Chinese culture for thousands of years. They symbolise all that is good and kind. Throughout China, there are many shrines and temples dedicated to the dragon. In ancient times, it was believed that dragons controlled the weather, could ward off evil spirits and protect innocents from harm. Over the centuries, the Chinese dragon has evolved into a mythical creature bearing the body parts of a number of different animals.

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1. Choose the animal from which each body part comes. snake

camel

eagle

lobster

stag

whale

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fish

• antlers

• scales

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• head

• eyes

• ears

• body

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• tail

• claws

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Celebrations and customs – The Chinese zodiac Indicator

• Reads the script and performs a role in its presentation as a play.

Teacher information • Read through the play script with the students and discuss how the play might be performed to an audience of younger students. Include use of music, movement and dance, appropriate props and simple costumes.

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• Divide students into two groups, giving each time to prepare their performances for two separate classes.

• Suggest students highlight their own individual parts of the script.

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water fire

earth

Animals monkey, rooster, dog tiger, rabbit, dragon boar, rat, ox snake, horse, ram

Year ending in ...

all animals of the zodiac

Element

Year ending in ...

Element

Yang metal

Yin metal

Yang water

Yin water

Yang wood

Yin wood

Yang fire

Yin fire

Yin earth

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Animal Year Animal horse 2005 rooster ram 2006 dog monkey 2007 boar

Note: The change over from one year to the next occurs on the first day of the Chinese New Year and not on 1 January. • The inner animals assigned to the lunar month of birth – what an individual believes to be his/her true self.

Lunar month 1st 2nd 3rd

Animal

Lunar month tiger 4th rabbit 5th dragon 6th

Animal Lunar month snake 7th horse 8th ram 9th

Animal

Lunar month monkey 10th rooster 11th dog 12th

Animal

boar rat ox

• The secret animals assigned to the hour of birth – an individual’s true personality.

• These five elements were increased to ten as each has a Yin and a Yang form. Each year is associated with either the Yin or the Yang direction of one of these elements.

Animal Year Animal Year rat 1999 rabbit 2002 ox 2000 dragon 2003 tiger 2001 snake 2004

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Yang earth

Hours 2300 – 0100 0100 – 0300 0300 – 0500 0500 – 0700

Animal rat

ox tiger rabbit

Hours 0700 – 0900 0900 – 1100 1100 – 1300 1300 – 1500

Animal dragon

snake horse

Hours 1500 – 1700 1700 – 1900 1900 – 2100 2100 – 2300

Animal monkey

rooster dog

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wood

Characteristics determined, strong, persistent, reserved generous, persuasive, idealistic, enthusiastic diplomatic, compassionate, intellectual, creative energetic, enterprising, adventurous, competitive patient, reliable, ambitious, disciplined, helpful

Year 1996 1997 1998

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• Ancient Chinese astronomers believed certain elements have a bearing on the characteristics of individuals born under them. Each element governs a number of animals of the zodiac. Element metal (gold)

• According to Chinese astrology, an individual’s personality is determined by, the animal assigned to the year of birth – the personality we present to others.

ram

boar

Additional activities

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• Each student determines the three animals assigned to his/her birth time and the element and Yin or Yang form associated with his/her year of birth. • Design a poster showing all of this information and include the supposed characteristics of an individual born at this time. • Write the play as an illustrated narrative to read to younger students.

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Celebrations and customs – The Chinese zodiac Legend tells that the order of the zodiac was determined by a race across a river.

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Jade Emperor: (to all the animals in the kingdom) I need twelve animals to represent the lunar months of the year, so there will be a race across the river. The first twelve will be in the Chinese calendar in the same order as they reach the shore. Cat: (whispers to rat) Let us hop on Ox’s back and he will take us across the river. Rat: Excellent idea, my friend. (To himself) But I shall make sure that you do not get ahead of me! The two animals climb on Ox’s back, but Rat pushes Cat into the river and, just as Ox reaches dry land, Rat jumps over his head and claims first place. Ox is declared second. Rat and Ox: (together) Here comes Tiger! He’s got third place in the calendar. Tiger: (puffing and panting) That was hard work! The current was very strong. Ouch! What was that? Rabbit: (bouncing) Sorry, Tiger! I was jumping across the river on the stepping stones but I slipped. Luckily, I caught hold of a log which brought me safely to shore! I’m fourth! Yippee! Who’s next? They see Dragon soaring above them. He lands next to them, in fifth place. Jade Emperor: (in surprise) Dragon! How is it that you were not able to reach the shore in first place? Dragon: (humbly) If you please, sir, I first had to make rain for the planet, so I was held up a little. Then I saw a bedraggled creature clinging to a log in the river, so I blew him safely to shore. The Jade Emperor accepts Dragon’s answer with a nod. Horse comes thundering toward the group but rears up in fright a metre from the finish. Snake: (slithering over the line and smirking to himself) Thanks for the ride, Horse. Sorry if I made you jump. That makes us sixth and seventh, I think! A short distance away, three animals step ashore together from a raft which Rooster had spotted and Ram and Monkey had steered. Jade Emperor: (with great pleasure) Well done for working so well together. Ram, Monkey and Rooster, you shall have eighth, ninth and tenth place in the calendar. Dog: (scampering along, out of breath) Sorry I’m late guys. Did I make it in time? I just couldn’t resist having a soak in the river. I’ve been so whiffy lately! Everyone: (laughing) You made it ... just ... eleventh place! Boar: (grunting, snuffling and snorting) I’m sure I would have made it sooner but I needed a feed and then a sleep and .... what on earth? A loud screeching pierces the air. Everyone stops to look at as Cat bounds angrily to join them. Cat: (looking at each animal in turn) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. (turns to Rat and hisses) Rat! You tricked me! I shall never forgive you! And, I shall always hate getting wet! Jade Emperor: (looking at Cat) I’m sorry that you are not happy, Cat, but you are not in the calendar. Cat slinks away in disgust. The twelve animals cheer and celebrate.

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Celebrations and customs – Make a Chinese kite Indicator • Follows procedure accurately to make a kite.

Teacher information • To save time, the holes in the balsa wood can be made before the lesson, using a strong darning needle. • Plastic sheeting from white goods packaging is ideal for the sail.

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• Construct a kite before the lesson and use it to explain the names of the different parts; i.e. spine, spar, frame, sail, tail and reel. • Collect Chinese illustrations for students to use as inspiration for their kite designs; e.g. dragons, birds, butterflies, goldfish.

• Minor adjustments in construction can improve a kite’s stability and flying. As students try their kites, ask them to evaluate how well their kites fly and to make suggestions for possible adjustments. • The frames of Ancient Chinese kites were made from readily available bamboo and the sails and tails from silk, produced by silkworms which feasted exclusively on mulberry trees which are native to eastern and central China.

• Another legend tells of General Han Hsin, who defeated an evil emperor and established the Western Han Dynasty in 206 BCE. The weapon of his success was the kite, which was flown over the walls of the emperor’s heavily-armed palace. Hsin marked the reel of the kite as it flew above the courtyard of the palace. His soldiers dug a tunnel towards the palace to the same distance as was marked on the reel. The general and his soldiers came to the surface inside the palace courtyard where they surprised and defeated their foe.

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• Choose a windy day and a safe place, away from traffic and overhead powerlines, to fly kites.

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• One Chinese legend tells of General Huan Theng, who, one night in 202 BCE, used kites made from the hollow bamboo to frighten the soldiers of an enemy army as they slept in their camp. The story goes that the soldiers were woken by the sounds of the kites whistling and shrieking as the wind blew through the bamboo. They believed they were being attacked by evil spirits and so ran away in fear of their lives.

• Another version of this legend is that the general himself was attached to a kite which flew over the enemy at night. In a commanding voice, he ordered the soldiers protecting the palace to return home to their families. The men were startled and afraid, for they could not see where this god-like voice was coming from. The soldiers fled and Hsin and his army were able to take over the palace and defeat the emperor.

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• Kites come in many different shapes and designs and in this modern era, they have many different names. The most common are diamond, box, winged box and delta. Even though they differ in appearance, the aerodynamic forces acting on the kites are exactly the same. It was by observing this similarity in forces that Wilbur and Orville Wright began their research into the possibility of inventing an aeroplane at the beginning of the 20th century.

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• Because the components of old kites were delicate and natural, rather than robust and built by people, there are very few left in existence. The oldest kites that exist are no more than 200 years old. Traditions, legends and illustrated documents are the only resources available by which to determine the development of kites. The true origin of kites can therefore never be determined absolutely but many believe that they were first flown in Ancient China, from where the earliest written records have come.

Additional activities

• Demonstrate to younger students how to make a kite. Give a running commentary, explaining the parts of the kite and the importance of each step in the process.

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• Research the history of kites from the days of Ancient China to the present day. Present findings in an illustrated time line. • Make a collection of kite pictures to create a montage.

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Celebrations and customs – Make a Chinese kite Weifang, in the province of Shandong, is often called the kite capital of the world. Each year, it stages the World Kite Festival which is attended by kite-flying enthusiasts from around the world.

What to do: 1. Make frame

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• Lay out spine and spar in a cross shape, so hole at 15 cm on spine is in line with hole in centre of spar.

• Secure two pieces of wood together by winding string several times through holes. • Cut length of string at least 150 cm. Thread it through hole at top end of spine and secure. Thread it twice through hole at one end of spar and pull tight. Repeat for holes at bottom of spine, other side of spar and top of spine again to create a kite shape.

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You will need:

• for spine, 50-cm length of thin balsa wood, with a hole 1 cm from each end and one 15 cm from one end

for © R. I . C.Publ i cat i o•n sspar, 40-cm length of thin balsa wood, with a 2. Create sail hole 1y cm • from each end • orsheet. r ev i e wmarker pu po seso nl Lay frame onf plastic Use black tor draw sail and one at the centre 3. Decorate sail

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Use black marker to draw Chinese design on plastic, keeping it inside outline of sail. 4. Attach sail

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Lay frame on sail so that plastic overlaps frame. Cut out sail. At each end of spine and spar, secure plastic using needle and thin thread to sew sail to frame. Use sticky tape to secure string frame to back of plastic.

• 60 cm x 50 cm rectangle of clear plastic

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outline according to size of frame.

• 15 cm x 15 cm squares of assorted colours of crepe paper

o c . che e r tape o t r 5. Attach tail s •• sticky super empty cardboard roll • Make loose loop of string through holes at top and • strong nylon string

• thin nylon thread and a needle

(cling wrap etc.)

bottom of spine. • Cut 1-m length of string and tie one end to loop at top of spine. Make loop in string, 10 cm from top. Thread string through loop at bottom of spine.

• black marker

• Fold squares of crepe paper into bows. Staple to tail at regular intervals. 6. Attach reel Wind 15 m of string around empty cardboard roll. Tie free end to loop close to top of spine. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Celebrations and customs – What is feng shui? Indicators • Reads the text. • Chooses correct words to complete a crossword.

Teacher information • Explain to students that feng shui also involves removing unnecessary clutter from an environment. How can this help with how we feel about a place? Consider the classroom area, how might ‘de-cluttering’ help? What are students’ rooms like at home? Can they relax in there and read a book or listen to music or do they just use it for sleeping? Is there anything that could be removed and given away to make their space more soothing?

• The origin of feng shui as an actual belief system dates back to the Song Dynasty of the 12th century and the writings of Chu Hsi. But the underlying principles of feng shui go back further to the origins of Chinese philosophy.

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• Show students magazines with home and garden designs and discuss the overall order of each environment. What do they think are the positive or negative aspects of each design? Answers may include: uncluttered; not fussy; tidy, yet homely.

• An octagonal-shaped diagram, using the eight compass points (directions), used in the analysis of Feng shui is known as the ‘bagua’. Each direction is associated with a particular aspect of arrangement. The bagua is aligned with the area under study and, from this, information about beneficial design can be found.

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• Discuss how a negative flow of energy might manifest itself; for example, not being able to relax or feel comfortable even if the area is tidy. What changes could be made to improve this; for example, alter the lighting, adjust arrangement of items on a shelf.

• A basic belief of feng shui is that there are two basic forms of all matter in the universe, that of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’. Although opposites, Yin and Yang are not in opposition but are complementary to one another, such as night and day, up and down, cold and heat etc.

There are two versions of the bagua:

• At the time of the Tang Dynasty (10th century), Yang Yun Song and his followers wrote many books about feng shui, but most knowledge about the subject has been passed orally through the generations. It is widely believed that knowledge and understanding of feng shui is an intuitive thing which can be derived through common sense and a feel for what is natural.

– the Early Heaven bagua, representing the sacred, unchanging universe, is used to position places such as temples and graves.

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D A T E R S G H U I A I R G R N D E G E M E N T N H O M E R G Y

10.

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• Students write a before-and-after description of their rooms at home after using feng shui. Include a physical description of the room but, more importantly, how did the process affect how they felt about being in the room.

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– the Later Heaven bagua, representing the changing universe, is used to position practical spaces such as homes and places of work.

• Draw up a list of twelve words and their opposites that are complementary rather than in opposition. • Use a range of art materials to create a Yin-Yang sign.

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Celebrations and customs – What is feng shui? Over recent years, feng shui (pronounced fung shway), has become very popular in the world of home and garden design. But what is it and why is everybody talking about it? Feng shui is an Ancient Chinese practice of arranging things in such a way that there is harmony with the environment and a positive ﬂow of energy (chi). Since Ancient Chinese times, chi has been thought of as the ‘breath of nature’. The Chinese thought of nature as an actual thing or spirit and not just as the natural world and its forces.

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As all life exists in either air or water, chi is said to be the energy that ﬂows through these two elements, giving life to all things. Feng shui literally means ‘wind (air) and water’.

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People who practice feng shui aim to place things in such a way so they can work with this energy ﬂow and not against it.

1. (a) Think about the table at home where you work. (b) How are your books, pens and paper arranged? neatly

untidily

Maybe you need to practise a little feng shui!

2. Read the clues and complete the crossword. Choose the answers from the words in the box. environment

positive

air

water

harmony

garden

chi

feng shui

arrangmement

energy

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design

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Across 2. A natural element 4. Ancient Chinese practice 6. The gas all around us 7. How things are placed 10. Where you live 11. A sense of peace 12. Feeling good

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Down 1. Plan of where things go 3. An area outside 5. The world around us 8. A force 9. Force that flows through things R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

10.

11.

12.

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Fables and legends – Chinese proverbs Indicators • Discusses the possible meanings of some proverbs and matches each to its correct meaning. • Writes an original proverbial saying and provides an explanation for it.

Teacher information • In groups, students discuss the three proverbs before matching them to their meanings. To prevent students from reading the meanings before discussing them, first write the proverbs on the board and hand the worksheet out after the discussion period.

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• Each student writes his/her own proverbial saying and provides an explanation for it.

Additional activities

Answers

2. (a) 1.c (b) 1.a (c) 1.b

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• Before handing out the worksheets, discuss a variety of Chinese proverbs with the students. Choose ones which would be meaningful to them. Explain how they can be translated into everyday experiences. Encourage students to describe experiences relating to the proverbs discussed. Demonstrate how they could be dramatised with characters using simple dialogue or with non-speaking characters and a narrator. At the end of each ‘performance’, reinforce the meaning of the proverb.

• Look on the Internet for a list of Chinese proverbs. In groups, students choose a proverb to discuss, plan and act out and explain to the rest of the class.

Note:

Many Ancient Chinese proverbs found on the Internet are not authentic. Validating websites and checking references are necessary to ensure students find the real thing. Many fakes are immediately obvious as they are either anachronistic or spoofs.

• Using different fonts and sizes, students use a word processor to create a poster of their favourite Chinese proverbs.

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• Make an illustrated class book of the students’ original proverbial sayings accompanied by explanations.

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Fables and legends – Chinese proverbs Proverbs are short, wise sayings containing a message or truth that is useful for everyday life. They have been quoted for many generations as a means of teaching people life skills or advice about life. There are many old Chinese proverbs which are still used today.

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1. In a group, read through the three proverbs and discuss what you think each one means.

(a) ‘A bit of fragrance clings to the hand that gives flowers.’

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(b) ‘Teachers open the door. You enter by yourself.’

2. Read through the explanations and write the proverb that you think matches it.

(a) If you want to know what to expect from something, listen to someone who has had that experience.

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Fables and legends – The legend of Meng Jiangnu Indicators • Reads the text. • Illustrates and annotates a story map of the legend.

Teacher information • Before giving the students the worksheet, read them a more detailed version of the legend as this will give them a greater understanding and appreciation of the setting.

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Fuller, yet different, versions of this legend may be found at,

<http://www.chinatour360.com/greatwall/legend/mengjiangnu. htm> <http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/culture/ mengjiangnu.htm>

• Typing ‘legends of China’ into a search engine will yield many websites containing examples of many Ancient Chinese legends. The same story may be found in any number of different versions. This indicates how widely spread the stories are, as they change slightly with each delivery and, in many cases, the legends would have been delivered orally.

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<http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/culture/legends/ meng.html>

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• Legends are generally told as though the events actually occurred at some time in the past. They may or may not be based on an elaborated version of an actual historical event. Legends are usually about human beings, although gods may intervene in some way during the story.

• In groups, students read the legend and discuss ideas for illustrations for each part of the story map. Allow students to make rough sketches of their illustrations before writing the accompanying text. Students should use A3 paper to draw their story maps.

Answers

Teacher check

Additional activities

• In groups, students act out different versions of ‘The legend of Meng Jiangnu’.

• Students use the Internet to find an appropriate collection of Ancient Chinese legends to include in a class book for younger students.

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• Students write synopses of a number of Ancient Chinese legends and use images from the Internet to illustrate their work.

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Fables and legends – The legend of Meng Jiangnu Legends are stories of olden times which may be based on real people or events. There are many stories told about the building of the Great Wall of China which have been told all over China and passed down through the generations. One such story is that of the tears of Meng Jiangnu.

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Many men were needed to build China’s great wall. Some were soldiers and prisoners, but many were also local people who were taken by force from their homes to serve their emperor and help with the wall’s construction. Meng Jiangnu’s husband, Fan Xiliang, was one of these men.

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For many months she travelled, with little protection from the harsh conditions and rough terrain. At times she felt weak, but her love for Fan Xiliang was strong and it gave her the strength to continue. Eventually, Meng Jiangnu reached the place where her husband had been working. But the joy she was expecting to feel at their reunion was crushed like a delicate flower in an iron fist. Fan Xiliang was dead.

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Meng Jiangnu was distraught when her husband was taken from their home. She waited to hear news of him but as the weeks and then months passed, she began to lose hope. Eventually, she decided that she would go in search of him.

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1. Write brief text for the four parts of a story map of the legend.

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down and wept. Legend has it that the tears she shed and the sound of her wailing caused the collapse of that section of the wall.

(a) The separation of Fan Xiliang from his home.

(b) Meng Jiangnu’s journey to find her husband.

(d) Meng Jiangnu’s reaction to the news.

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2. On separate paper, draw four illustrations for each part of Question 1 and write the text underneath each picture. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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Fables and legends – The legend of the willow pattern Indicators • Reads the text. • Draws a likeness of his/her image of each character.

Teacher information • After reading the story as a class, discuss the possible personalities, characteristics and physical features of each character. Use clues from the text; e.g. fair maiden, humble secretary.

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• Show students examples of willow pattern pottery (plates would be ideal) so they can see the places mentioned in the story.

• The willow pattern, by B L Bowers and The legend of the willow plate, each tell the story of the pattern in verse and can also be found on this website.

• Another useful site is, <http://www.spode.co.uk/History/willow_ware.html>

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• Since it was designed in England in 1780, the willow pattern has been continuously reproduced on pottery. The blue and white scene is instantly recognisable to people all over the world. The pattern has been copied by many potters and although the scene is generally the same, there are a few slight differences, such as the number of fruits on the tree, whether the fruits are apples or oranges and the number of people on the bridge.

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• The differences in design are highlighted in the variations of a willow pattern verse, originally penned by Mary L Stollard, which can be found using links on this website: <http://www.thepotteries.org/patterns/willow.html>

• The true willow pattern can be distinguished by the presence of these exact features: – the bridge with three people on it – the willow tree – the boat

– the main tea-house – the two birds

– the fence in the foreground of the garden

Additional activities

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• Copy the willow pattern design onto a large circle of white paper. Colour with blue paint. Display in a blue-painted, circular frame. • Locate poems written about the willow pattern story. Learn one by heart and recite to the class. Write your own poem of the story.

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• Create a diorama of the story and present to younger students.

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Fables and legends – The legend of the willow pattern Most people recognise the willow pattern which has adorned pottery since the late 18th century. Although the origin of the story is unknown, it has been told in China for over 2000 years. It reached central and western Asia and Europe via the Silk Road. Chang was successful in his attempt to rescue Knoon-shee and they ran away across a bridge. They sailed to an island in a small boat and took refuge in a little wooden hut.

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Knoon-shee refused to marry the man of her parents’ choice and so her father imprisoned her in a little house in the garden’s apple orchard. From here, with the help of a devoted servant, she was able to send a message to Chang.

Knoon-shee’s father and rejected suitor tracked down the lovers and, while they were sleeping peacefully, set ﬁre to the hut. Knoon-shee and Chang perished but their spirits rose in the form of two doves with outstretched wings.

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The legend of the willow pattern relates the story of the fair Chinese maiden, Knoonshee, who loved her father’s humble secretary, Chang. Her parents disapproved of the match and wanted her to marry a wealthy businessman instead.

They ﬂew away together, free at last to share and enjoy their eternal happiness.

1. Name the four main characters in the story and draw a picture for each.

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Fables and legends – The tale of Yan Chao Indicator

• Reads text. • Completes cloze activity to demonstrate understanding of the text.

Teacher information • Students read through text in groups before completing the cloze activity.

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• Ensure students read the text fully before attempting the exercise. Encourage them to read the whole cloze passage to ensure they choose the most suitable words for each sentence. • A legend is a ﬁ ctional story told as though the events were actual historical events and the characters, real people. Legends may or may not be based on an elaborated version of an historical event. They are generally about human beings, but gods and mythical creatures are often involved in the story.

• The peach trees in Xi Wangmu’s garden were believed to bear fruit only once every 3000 years. Shou Xin carries the peach, a symbol of immortality, to show that a long and fruitful life may be had by those who pay him homage. • Legend tells that the peach is served in heaven on the birthdays of the gods and it is the primary ingredient for making longevity pills and potions to grant good health, long life and immortality.

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• Shou Xin is always shown carrying a long staff and a peach. Both of these symbols represent longevity. They are said to come from the celestial, magical peach garden owned by Xi Wangmu.

• Shou Xing is the Ancient Chinese god of longevity, one of the Three Star gods. He is often referred to as the old man or deity of the South Pole.

• In the legend, Journey to the west, the monkey god stole peaches of immortality from the garden of Xi Wangmu, the goddess of the west, to attain immortality.

• Legend tells that he was conceived after his mother had been gazing at Argo, a star in the Southern Hemisphere constellation. It is said that he spent nine years in her womb.

• There are many pictures of Shou Xin’s constant companion, a fairy crane—a type of crane that can be ridden by immortals.

• He is usually depicted with an over-sized forehead, a result of his time in the womb collecting wisdom. He also has a very long white beard, representing his long life.

2. (1) fortune, (2) twentieth, (3) death, (4) arranged,

(5) changed, (6) ninety

• In groups of six, dramatise the story and present it to younger students.

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• Research to ﬁ nd out about the Three Stars: the God of Happiness, the God of Good Fortune and the God of Longevity (Shou Xing). Create a framed, illustrated poster of the Three Stars. • Research the Internet to ﬁ nd the famous Chinese legend, Journey to the West. Write a simple play script to tell the story. Include props and musical accompaniment which could enhance a performance. Present the play to an audience.

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Fables and legends – The tale of Yan Chao One Ancient Chinese belief was that the god of the North Pole determined a person’s time of birth and the god of the South Pole, Shou Xing, determined his/her time of death.

1. Read this story of how Shou Xing, god of the South Pole, helped Yan Chao.

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Kuan Wei was a famous fortune teller who lived during the time of the Three Kingdoms. One day, he visited a poor farmer and his wife in the countryside. The farmer was not a well man, but the couple had a strong young son, Yan Chao, who was able to do the hard work on the farm.

Back on the farm, Yan Chao and his parents had no recollection of Kuan Wei’s visit or of his distressing prediction but Yan Chao lived to the ripe old age of 91!

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When Kuan Wei met Yan Chao, his eyes clouded. Sorrowfully, he predicted that this healthy young man would not live beyond the age of 19. The family was distraught but Kuan Wei thought he might have the answer to their plight.

He sent Yan Chao across a field with a jug of wine and two glasses. As he walked, he saw two old men playing chess under a mulberry tree. Without disturbing the men, Yan Chao poured them each a drink.

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‘I can’t change his time of birth.’

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The second man replied, ‘19 shall be reversed to 91’. With that, the two men disappeared. As he returned home, Yan Chao felt an inner peace.

. tin the box to complete the cloze passage about the story.o 2. Use the words e c . che e r o r st super changed

death

fortune

Kuan Wei was a

ninety

arranged

twentieth

teller. He visited a farmer and his wife. He told

them that their son would not reach his

birthday. To change his age

, Yan Chao needed to meet the god of the South Pole. Kuan Wei

this for him. Shou Xing

Yan Chao’s

-one.

age of death from nineteen to R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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The arts – The Chinese art of calligraphy Indicator • Completes a cloze about Chinese painting using Hánzi from a key. • Creates Hánzi (Chinese characters) of his/her own.

Teacher information • The Chinese have been producing art for many centuries. The themes used usually related to religious or supernatural beliefs or were to do with nature or the environment.

• When the students have completed the cloze, ensure they read the completed text again to retain the information.

r o e t s Bo r e p ok u Answers Additional activities S

1. Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing. It is one of the oldest and simplest forms of art. Chinese calligraphy uses ink brushes to write Chinese characters called Hánzi. Hánzi ﬁ t into a square space and are all about the same size and shape.

The tools used originally for calligraphy were the brush pen made from animal hair and black inks made from soot and glue.

Chinese calligraphy was used to make inscriptions, for handlettering and to make ﬁ ne artworks. Before paper was invented, these were usually produced on silk. Often the calligraphy was mounted on scrolls and either hung on walls like paintings or rolled up.

• Students use black ink and pens with nibs to write their full names on a scroll of white paper to hang in the classroom.

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• Chinese art was built on the tradition of calligraphy, using a few simple brush strokes and often abstract forms.

• View calligraphy paintings by a variety of Chinese artists at <http://www.chinapage.com/calligraphy.html>. Discuss and write art appreciation reviews about them. • Ask students to create artworks about nature or the environment using simple brush strokes and black paint. Insist on abstract paintings with an economy of lines.

A style of calligraphy is called a hand or alphabet.

The art of calligraphy is over two thousand years old. Noble people, scholars and priests were expected to master the art.

Calligraphy is used today in menus, greeting cards, invitations, legal documents, diplomas and business cards. However, a variety of pens are used as well as brushes.

Chinese ink- and wash-painting uses similar tools, skills and techniques to those of calligraphy.

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The arts – The Chinese art of calligraphy 1. Use the made-up characters in the key to complete the cloze.

Key (Hanzi)

Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing. It is one of the oldest

thousand brushes

and simplest forms of art. Calligraphy uses ink

pens

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soot

Hánzi. Hánzi ﬁ t into a square space and are all about the same .

The tools used originally for calligraphy were the brush pen made from animal

silk

alphabet

and black inks made

from

shape

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size and

lettering

invitations

and glue.

paintings

Chinese calligraphy was used to make inscriptions, for hand-

hair

and to make ﬁ ne artworks. Before ©R . I . C.Publ i cat i ons Chinese paper was invented, these were usually produced on •f orr e . Often the calligraphy was mounted vi ew pur poseson l y• 2. Use the squares to

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or rolled up.

A style of calligraphy is called a hand or

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draw some Hánzi of your own.

on scrolls and either hung on walls like

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The art of calligraphy is over two

, legal documents, diplomas and business cards. However, a variety of are used as well as brushes. Chinese ink- and wash-painting uses similar tools, skills and techniques to those of calligraphy. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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The arts – Chinese lanterns Indicators • Reads paragraphs containing information about Chinese lanterns. • Matches paragraph endings to beginnings. • Writes a riddle for a traditional Lantern Festival lantern.

Teacher information • Ask the students to read the paragraphs and think about which ending suits each best before writing their answers in the boxes.

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• The Lantern Festival has been celebrated in China since the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–221 CE). It marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. It also signiﬁ es the return of light and spring. During this time, lanterns are hung in marketplaces for about two weeks. On the 15th day of the Chinese New Year, lanterns are made using materials such as wood, bamboo, silk and rice paper and carried through the streets to a public square or place. Here the participants present and share their lanterns.

Answers

Additional activities

1. (a) Chinese paper lanterns are believed to have existed since 250 BCE.

• Students create a Chinese lantern to celebrate a signiﬁ cant event in their family. Ask students to select an appropriate colour (red, blue or white) and follow a simple set of instructions to create a lantern. (Refer to <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/ chinesenewyear/lantern/>) Repeat the activity to create a lantern in any colour for the Lantern Festival and attach a riddle written on cardboard. Hang across the room.

(b) Chinese lanterns were not just used as a form of decoration, but also to announce a birth or death in the family, to warn of danger or to tell how important the householder was.

(c) Where lanterns were placed and the colours of lanterns varied for different purposes. Red lanterns placed outside a door were used to show there has been a wedding or a birth in the family. A white strip of material draped across a doorway with a white lantern on each side told of a death in the family. Blue lanterns showed that there was illness in the family.

(e) Simple lanterns were used to light the way home at night, or hung on boats or outside homes and shops.

(f) More elaborate lanterns were made for two important Chinese holidays — the Lantern Festival and the Midautumn (Moon) Festival.

(g) The lanterns for the Lantern Festival would show scenes from history painted on silk. They also have riddles on them which have to be solved during the festival.

(h) Lanterns for the Mid-autumn (Moon) Festival often show pictures of animals, fruit and fl owers in imaginative shapes.

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• Solve these Chinese riddles:

(a) A small maiden sits in the middle of the water. Wearing a pink jacket, she rows her boat without oars. (Clue: a fl owering plant) Answer: lotus/waterlily (b) A red maiden lives in a small lane. In the winter she is short, in the summer she is long. (Clue: an everyday item) Answer: thermometer

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(d) Traditional Chinese lanterns consisted of a bamboo, redwood or cheap wire frame surrounding a candle. Thin or oiled paper, gauze or silk covered the frame, so that the bright light from the candle was softened.

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• Students design, plan and create a lantern using the information in 1(d) using readily available materials.

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2. Teacher check

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The arts – Chinese lanterns 1. Write to which paragraph each ending belongs. (a) Chinese paper lanterns are believed to have existed ... (b) Chinese lanterns were not just used as a form of decoration, but also to ...

• there was illness in the family. • since 250 BCE.

• outside homes and shops.

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• announce a birth or death in the family, to warn of danger or to tell how important the householder was.

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(c) Where lanterns were placed and the colours of lanterns varied for different purposes. Red lanterns placed outside a door were used to show there had been a wedding or a birth in the family. A white strip of material draped across a doorway with a white lantern on each side told of a death in the family. Blue lanterns showed that ...

• animals, fruit and flowers in imaginative shapes.

• the bright light from the candle was softened. • have to be solved during the festival.

• the Mid-autumn (Moon) Festival. © R. I . C . Publ i cat i ons (d) Traditional Chinese lanterns 2. Write a riddle to hang from the lantern. •f o r evi ew pur posesonl y• consisted of ar bamboo,

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redwood or cheap wire frame surrounding a candle. Thin or oiled paper, gauze or silk covered the frame, so that ...

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(e) Simple lanterns were used to light the way home at night, or hung on boats or ...

o c (f) More elaborate lanterns were . c e h made for two important r e o t r Chinese holidays—the s s r u e p Lantern Festival and ... (g) The lanterns for the Lantern Festival would show scenes from history painted on silk. They also have riddles on them which ... (h) Lanterns for the MidAutumn, or Moon, Festival often show pictures of ... R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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The arts – Chinese opera Indicators • Reads and discusses information about Chinese opera. • Uses information in a text to colour and describe the characters in a Chinese opera.

Teacher information • Because the ﬁ rst opera school was given the name Liyuan meaning ‘Pear Garden’, performers of Chinese opera are still called ‘disciples of the Pear Garden’.

• Chinese opera facial make-up dates back to at least 960 CE, when simple patterns of painted faces were found in murals of tombs.

• Chinese opera has evolved into more than 300 regional styles. The best known style of Chinese opera is the Beijing Opera, which combines many of the regional styles.

• More information about Chinese opera face masks can be found at <http://www.paulnoll.com/China/Opera/index.html>.

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• Discuss the information on the worksheets with the students after reading. Clarify the meaning of any unknown words or understandings about information. • When students have coloured and written their descriptions of their character, selected students may display and read their descriptions for the class.

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• Beijing Opera developed into its present form in the 19th century. It includes traditional Chinese string and percussion instruments used to accompany the acting. The acting involves bodily movements such as gestures, footwork and actions such as riding a horse. The serious characters recite dialogue and the females and clowns use everyday (colloquial) speech.

Additional activities

Answers

Teacher check

• Enlarge the examples of Chinese opera masks in Question 2 so that each is large enough to ﬁ t the face of a student. Photocopy onto card and allow students to paint or colour with crayons or pastels. Cut out eyeholes, add string or elastic to tie to the face and use when performing a simple Chinese opera scene. (See below)

• Compose a simple ‘Chinese’ opera using the steps below. ~ Select a well-known historical or military event as a class, decide on the characters required and discuss what the characters are like.

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* movement/actions

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~ Divide the class into groups of ﬁ ve or six students to work out the following components of the opera: * dialogue (recited speech and everyday language)

* rhythmic musical accompaniments using string or percussion instruments

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• facial make-up

~ Meet at regular intervals to compare progress and information. ~ Select actors to practise and perform for a school assembly.

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The arts – Chinese opera 1. Read the information. Chinese opera is one of the world’s oldest dramatic art forms. It is believed to have been started during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) by Emperor Taizong.

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At ﬁrst, Chinese opera was only available to court ofﬁcials and emperors but later (16441911), common people were able to see opera in tearooms, restaurants and on makeshift stages.

One of the most popular aspects of Chinese opera is the facial make-up used by the performers. Applying the make-up requires very distinctive painting techniques. The make-up tells about the personality, role or fate of the character. A

Many regions of China have developed their own particular style of opera, but the most popular is Beijing Opera. Beijing Opera performs over 1000 different operas, most of which are taken from historical novels about political and military events.

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Chinese opera is a mixture of traditional music using the gong and lute, unusual melodies, dialogue and movement in the one performance.

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character with a red face is usually loyal and brave, while one with a black face is heroic. Yellow and white faces tell that a character is deceitful or cannot be trusted. Gold or silver faces were used for gods or spirits or suggested a mystery surrounding the character. Lines and the amount of colour used on the face are also important; for example, the more white paint on a face, the nastier the character is.

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2. Use the information about Chinese opera make-up to colour and write a description of each character.

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The arts – Traditional Chinese musical instruments Indicators • Reads information about traditional Chinese musical instruments. • Writes the name of a musical instrument based on information in a text.

Teacher information • Traditional Chinese music is played in small groups or solo.

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• Chinese music, as we recognise it today, is predominantly derived from China’s largest ethnic group, the Han.

• In Ancient China, musicians were not considered as important as painters. • Chinese vocal music is sung in a high-pitched voice, usually as a solo rather than in groups and most probably began as poems or verses which were sung.

• Other well-known Chinese percussion instruments include the drum, the chime bells (bianzhong), the gong and the cymbals.

• The Chinese drum is considered to be one of the oldest instruments (possibly 3000 years old). Drums were used to launch an attack in battle, for religious and ceremonial occasions, in dancing music, when hunting animals, to sound alarms and to tell the time. Chinese drums were made of wood with stretched animal skin on the top and struck by a pair of sticks.

• The gong is played in bands, concerts, opera, drama and during singing and dancing during celebrations such as boat races, lion dances and harvest festivals. They are made from metal, bamboo or other materials. It has a simple circular structure and is struck by wooden sticks or mallets. • The cymbals are pairs of brass circular shapes which are banged or rubbed together. They can also be played by being tapped on the rim by a stick. Chinese cymbals come in different sizes. The larger ones make a loud, booming sound and are used in ensembles and in ceremonies. The smaller ones have a clear, bright sound and are often used in the traditional Chinese Lion Dance.

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sticks or a long rod. In Ancient China, chime bells were only available to the upper classes.

• The chime bells, or bianzhong, is a set of large bells of different pitches hung on a rack and struck on the rim by small metal

1. (1) pipa, (2) erhu, (3) dizi, (4) guzheng

• Students conduct a science experiment to compare a variety of materials to create sounds for a simple drum or a plucked instrument. Students should record and evaluate the best materials to use to create the best sounds.

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• Students plan and make a simple version of one of the traditional Chinese musical instruments using readily-available materials. Groups of students should practise and then perform a wellknown song accompanied by their instruments.

• Visit <http://www.melodyofdragon.org/sample.html> to hear samples of Chinese music played by ensembles, dizi, erhu, pipa, guqin and yangquin.

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The arts – Traditional Chinese musical instruments Traditional Chinese musical instruments include a variety of string, wind or percussion instruments. They are divided into eight main groups—silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide— based on the materials from which they are made.

Write the name of each musical instrument in the correct picture.

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(a) The ‘erhu’ is a two-stringed instrument played with a bow and made from hardwood. It has a soundbox covered by snake skin and a long, carved neck, often shaped like a dragon head. Silk has previously been used to make the strings.

(b) The ‘pipa’ is a four-stringed, pear-shaped instrument which is related to the lute. It is placed on one’s lap upright and plucked with a plectrum rather than the ﬁ ngers. The once-silk strings are now made from steel.

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(c) The ‘guzheng’ is one of the oldest plucked instruments in China. It has a wooden soundbox. The number of strings varies from 13 to 25. The strings were originally made from silk but are now are made from metal or nylon. It is also called a ‘zither’. It is played laid horizontally across a stand.

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(d) The ‘dizi’ is a transverse fl ute (a tube with one end closed and a blowhole to blow across to split the air). It has six holes and a tone hole which is covered with a rice paper membrane to give the instrument a buzzing sound.

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The arts – Chinese brush painting Indicators • Reads information about Chinese brush painting. • Follows steps to complete a Chinese brush painting. • Creates an inscription and seal to complete a brush painting.

Teacher information • Traditional Chinese painting involves two main techniques: meticulous (gongbi) and freehand (xieyi). The meticulous style is very decorative and requires great care when completing the ﬁ ne brushwork, while a freehand style uses general ideas of shapes and a lot of brush and ink techniques. The meticulous style of painting is more difﬁ cult to master.

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• The many and varied ways to hold and use the brushes create a wide variety of lines, shades and textures.

• Colour is used to express the characteristics of the subject of the painting. • The Chinese painter had complete freedom over the structure of the painting. Backgrounds could be left blank to draw attention to the subject or the subject may look completely different to the way it does in reality.

• The artist’s seal was usually carved from stone and included the artist’s name, a saying and a design or symbol connected to the painting. The stone seal was pushed into a container of red, cinnabar paste (a mixture of mercuric sulﬁ de, ground silk and oils) and pressed onto the painting. Adding a red seal to a painting of one single colour was referred to as ‘adding the eye to the dragon’.

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• Black is the main colour for use in traditional Chinese water colour (brush) painting. Calligraphy and brush painting use the same techniques and materials. Ink is mixed with water in varying amounts to create different techniques. Thick black ink appears glossy; thin ink appears lighter and almost translucent, creating different effects on paper or silk.

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• Formerly, Chinese paintings were often completed by adding inscriptions using calligraphy. The inscription may have been simply the artist’s name and the date or it may include the special occasion for which the painting was completed, the name of the person who commissioned the painting, information about the subject of the painting, a piece of poetry or mention a piece of literature. These were usually followed by the artist’s seal.

• Other well-known arts and crafts in China include ﬁ ne china, paper cuttings, lacquerware and pottery. The seals used to complete paintings were also considered a form of art.

Note: Students will need to be familiar with the background information about inscriptions and seals as this forms part of the worksheet.

• Students research to ﬁ nd how other forms of art and craft such as paper cutting is made. (See <http://www.blss.portsmouth. sch.uk/hsc/chpapercut.shtml>)

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• Invite members of a Chinese cultural group to the classroom to demonstrate simple brush painting techniques for the students.

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The arts – Chinese brush painting Traditional Chinese brush painting uses brushes, ink, paint and paper or silk to create artworks of birds, ﬂowers, people, animals or scenery.

1. Follow the instructions to complete a Chinese painting of a ladybird. Tick each step as you complete it.

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(a) Collect your materials: • a thin brush

• runny, red paint • white paper

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• a medium brush • a thick brush • black ink

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(b) Use red paint and the large brush to paint (c) Use black ink and medium brush to paint a round body. one vertical stroke.

(d) Use the same brush and ink to add six (e) Use thin brush to paint the head and spots around the outside of the body and legs. one big one in the centre.

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2. In the box, design a seal to be added to the completed painting when it dries.

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3. Write a simple inscription to add to your painting.

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The arts – Chinese cloisonné Indicators

• Reads information about cloisonné. • Uses a dictionary to ﬁnd the meaning of words in a text. • Uses a dictionary to ﬁnd the meaning of words in a text.

Teacher information • ‘Cloisonné’ (pronounced klwu’zonay) is a very unique art form originating from the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368). It was further developed during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) as the emperor was very interested in bronze casting techniques. During this time the bright-blue colour which became known as Jingtai/Chingtai Blue was created. The work became more delicate during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) and many more objects were made using this technique.

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• Today, the technique is applied to objects and sculptures made from wood, jade, ivory and lacquer. The production of cloisonné objects is a thriving industry in China with many objects exported to countries all over the world.

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• St Mark’s Cathedral, Venice, contains an altarpiece with small scenes in cloisonné enamel. The Alfred Jewel (an Anglo-Saxon ornament dating from the late 9th century) is made of ﬁ ligreed gold and includes a piece of quartz crystal with a cloisonné enamel plaque showing an image of a man. It is kept in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Britain.

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• Objects made using the cloisonné technique include folding screens, incense burners, tables, chairs, chopsticks, bowls, vases, snuffboxes, jewellery (particularly beads), clock cases and eggs.

Answers

Additional activities

2. enamel — a glassy substance, usually opaque, applied by fusion to the surface of metal, pottery, etc., as an ornament or for protection. cloisonné — enamel-work in which colour areas are separated by thin, metal bands ﬁ xed edgeways to the ground or base. copper — a malleable, metallic element with a reddish brown colour. brass — a hard, malleable yellow alloy, consisting mainly of copper and zinc. soldered — to join closely partitions — parts, divisions, or sections frit — a fused or partially fused material used as a basis for glazes or enamels; powered glass mixed into a paste with water ﬁ red — applied heat to in a kiln for baking or glazing corrosion — the act or process of corroding or rusting

• Students create cloisonné designs on art paper using wax crayons or oil pastels and bright-blue vegetable dye.

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Deﬁ nitions obtained from Macquarie dictionary (Fourth edition), 2007.

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• Create a display of copper, brass, enamel and cloisonné objects in the room with donations from students and their parents.

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The arts – Chinese cloisonné (a)

(b)

1. Read the information. ‘Cloisonné’ is an ancient metalworking technique of producing decorative items. The technique is also called ‘inlaid enamel’. Cloisonné is a complicated and time-consuming process and as a result, items such as a small vase may take many months to complete.

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The steps for creating a cloisonné object are:

(c)

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(d)

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(a) The artist forms an object from copper or brass by hammering pieces into shape and joining them at high temperatures. (b) Copper wire is curved into patterns or shapes, such as fl owers, and soldered onto the object creating partitions (in French, ‘cloisons’) of a design.

© R. I . C.Publ cat i ons(f) (e)i •f orr evi ew pur posesonl y• (d) ‘Frit’ is ‘painted’ into the partitions to add (c) The object is then heated to permanently glue the wire to the object and then cooled.

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(e) The object is ﬁ red in an oven so the frit dries onto the metal.

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(f) The frit is applied, dried and ﬁ red several times until the layers are built up to the height of the partitions.

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colours to the enamel and allowed to dry.

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(g) The artist polishes the object until its surface is smooth. (h) A thin ﬁ lm of gold is added to the exposed metal to prevent corrosion and to create a pleasing effect.

2. Use a dictionary to ﬁ nd the meaning of the words in bold and write them on a separate sheet of paper. 3. Select an object to create using the cloisonné process and draw pictures to show the stages of development in the boxes. R.I.C. Publications® ~ www.ricpublications.com.au

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