Great Chinese Inventions
Gunpowder and Fireworks
You may think that fireworks are as American as the Fourth of July, but we would not
have them without the Chinese. The first fireworks might have been an accident. Legend
tells that a cook discovered the ingredients for black powder, the
stuff that makes fireworks explode, and quickly the Chinese were
entertaining themselves with beautiful displays in the night sky.
In the year 1161 C.E., the Chinese used explosives for the first
time in warfare. And who invented cannons and guns? The
Chinese, of course. They also used gunpowder to make primitive
flamethrowers and even explosive mines and multiple-stage
rockets.
Chinese firearms, fireworks and gunpowder were popular items
of trade along the Silk Road to Europe.
Inference Break!
How were fireworks and gunpowder beneficial to the people of ancient China? Use details from the text to
support your answer.
I can infer that
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Paper, Printing and Publishing
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The people in ancient China were some of the world’s earliest writers, as there is
evidence that they used to carve writing into bones as early as 1400 B. C. E. In 105 C.E.,
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the Chinese invented the process to make paper. The paper was much stronger and better
in quality than the baked clay, papyrus and parchment used in other parts of the world.
The first printing press was also invented by the Chinese, which was a machine that
could print many pages at once. The first printed newspaper was available in Beijing, the
largest city in China. Also, the Chinese produced the first printed maps
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Inference Break!
How do you think reading and writing led to the growth of many civilizations in ancient China? Use details from the text
to support your answer.
I can infer that
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Farming Inventions
Around 300 B.C. E., China produced a special plow for preparing farmland for crops.
This plow was important because it turned the soil up more easily and efficiently, which
made it better for planting seeds in. Eventually, these plows became
so successful that they would become very important in other parts of
the world.
Chinese farmers also greatly improved the ability of horses to pull
wagons or plows with the "collar harness." A harness is something a
horse or cow wears to pull a cart or a piece of equipment. Unlike the
"throat harnesses" used in Europe, the collar harness did not choke
the animal. When horses breathed easier, they could pull more weight
greater distances.
The wheelbarrow is another tool that saved farmers a lot of time and effort and was
invented by the Chinese in approximately 100 B.C.E. This important tool was not seen in
Europe until almost 200 years later.
Inference Break!
How were the farming inventions an advantage to the people of ancient China? What do you think changed as a
result of these farming inventions? Use details from the text to support your answer.
I can infer that
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Scientific Inventions and Discoveries
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 When Chinese invented the magnetic compass, it was originally a religious device.
People believed their homes should face north to be in harmony with nature. So,
they used the compass before they built. Later, the compass was used so that
people could figure out where they needed to go, both on land and when they were
sailing in the ocean. This became a very important tool for explorers to use all
around the world.
Hoping to help predict oncoming earthquakes, the Chinese invented the world’s first
seismograph, a tool that measures how strong earthquakes are, in approximately
200 C.E.
By 1080 C.E., Chinese scientists were exploring ideas that the Earth’s temperature
had changed over time, based on their studies of plant fossils. Twenty years later,
they explained the causes of solar and lunar eclipses.
As early as the 200 B.C.E., there is evidence that Chinese scientists were able to
explain how blood circulated in the body
The Chinese invented the first decimal system for mathematics in 400 B.C.E.
Cast iron, a very important and strong type of metal, was first invented in China in
400 B.C.E.
The abacus was a great invention in ancient China and has been called the world’s
first calculator.
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What can you infer about the value of education in ancient China, based on all the important
scientific inventions and discoveries that they made? How do you know that your inference is true?
Use details from the text to support your answer.
I can infer that
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Information
People in ancient China made many
important changes to farming. For
example, they used terracing.
Terracing meant that they turned the
slopes of hills into flat steps. They
were able to grow their crops on the
flat steps.
Archeologists believe that people in
ancient China were the first people to
try to do surgery. People in ancient
China also created many important
medicines from plants and were the
first people to keep track of patient
records.
The Chinese are also known for
creating paper. While they originally
wrote on bamboo, paper was
invented in China by combining tree
bark, string, rags, and fishnets
together to create a wet mixture.
This was put on a piece of bamboo
and then dried.
People in ancient China were able to
figure out how to make many swords
at one time and they invented the
crossbow, which is a powerful type of
bow and arrow made out of wood.
The ancient Chinese were very good
at math and it showed in many of
their inventions. For example, they
were able to study the stars to figure
out the calendar system that we still
use today. They also created a clock
that was timed by water and they
were able to create a tool called a
seismograph that measured how
strong earthquakes were.
What can you infer about
ancient China?
What evidence do you have
from the text to support
your inference?