TUESDAY
Activation:
Map from the last unit.
Add China, Huang River.
If you lost your map, draw a rough sketch that
shows all four ancient civilizations on it.
SSWH2: The student will identify the
major achievements of Chinese and
Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500
CE.
c. Describe the development of Chinese
civilization under the Zhou and Qin.
d. Explain the impact of Confucianism on
Chinese culture; include the examination
system, the Mandate of Heaven, the status of
peasants, the status of merchants, and the
patriarchal family, and explain diffusion to
Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea.
TUESDAY
Essential Question:
What role did rivers play in Chinese life?
How did geography influence the
development of Chinese culture?
TUESDAY
Instruction:
Geographic and Cultural Influences: Physical
Setting, Isolation
Work:
Fill in the Blank Activity about
Geography/Discussion of Activity
Assessment:
completion of map, geography questions
ISOLATION
China was isolated from the other ancient
civilizations because of its geography.
Mountains to the west
Gobi desert
Distance
Developed a distinctive culture
Influenced less by other cultures than
any other ancient peoples
Strong identity, felt superior to others
RIVERS
Huang (Yellow)
 2900 miles across China to the Yellow Sea
 Fertile soil (loess) gives the river a yellow tint.
 “China’s Sorrow” – often devastating floods
 Unpredictable rainfall – floods or drought and famine.
Chang (Yangtze)
 3434 miles
 Ocean-going ships can travel 600 miles upstream
Xi (Shee)
 Southern China
 Large commercial waterway
TUESDAY
Summary/Closing Activity:
What role did rivers play in Chinese life?
How did geography influence the
development of Chinese culture?
WEDNESDAY
Activation:
Chart on page 83:
You will complete one section on calendars,
economy, government, religion, or writing.
You will be assigned which section
SSWH2: The student will identify the
major achievements of Chinese and
Indian societies from 1100 BCE to 500
CE.
c. Describe the development of Chinese
civilization under the Zhou and Qin.
d. Explain the impact of Confucianism on
Chinese culture; include the examination
system, the Mandate of Heaven, the status of
peasants, the status of merchants, and the
patriarchal family, and explain diffusion to
Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea.
WEDNESDAY
Essential Question:
What were the main features of Shang
religious beliefs?
WEDNESDAY
Instruction:
organizer
Shang Dynasty
Work:
Read about your topic, complete the graphic
organizer, terms and matching
Assessment:
Participation in discussion, gathering
information on a topic, reading for facts
SHANG DYNASTY
• Invaded the Huang River Valley between 1750 and
1500 B.C.
• Introduced irrigation and flood control systems
 Helped them control people of the region
• Stretched across 40,000 square miles
• Created a complex bureaucracy (government with
different levels and tasks).
 Ruled by hereditary king
 Used war chariots and bronze
 weapons to defend itself
SHANG DYNASTY
• Farming – millet and rice
• Raised silkworms - spun thread and
wove cloth
• Artisans worked jade, bone and ivory
• Potters worked kaolin, glazed
• Solar and lunar calendars
Shang Silk
Clothing
Shang Jade
ANIMISM
[AN-UH-MIZ-UHM]
Believed spirits inhabited everything.
All-powerful, kind dragon lived in seas and rivers – could
rise into clouds.
 DRAGON as symbol of Chinese rulers.
Shangdi – god who controls human destiny and nature.
 rulers offer sacrifices and ask ancestors to plead with
Shangdi on their behalf.
Oracle
bones:
priests
interpret
messages
from
spirits
of
ancestors
–
bones heated and cracks are interpreted.
LANGUAGE AND WRITING
Developed a written language
Spoke many dialects
Written language could be used for all dialects
Special symbols for words in language
Pictographs an ideographs
Phonetic sound signs told how to pronounce
Could invent new characters by
Combining signs.
Scribes kept records
Writing became an art
 - calligraphy
WEDNESDAY
Summary/Closing Activity:
What were the main features of Shang
religious beliefs?
If you had lived at that time, what would you
have liked/disliked about the Shang religious
beliefs?
ZHOU DYNASTY
[CHIN]
Zhou = Began ruling China in 1050 B.C.
The Zhou did not create a centralized government, instead
they granted territories to members of the royal family and
their allies.
Zhou rulers believed that the god of heaven decided who
should rule - “ MANDATE OF HEAVEN”.
************When a new group overthrew a dynasty they claimed that the previous
group had lost the mandate of heaven.*********
ZHOU INVENTIONS
• Invented the crossbow and began to use
cavalry in battle.
• Used iron plows and developed better
irrigation systems.
• Built better roads, which allowed the
empire to make contact with outsiders
and to trade.
END OF THE ZHOU DYNASTY
An invading force destroyed the Zhou capital in
771 B.C. The Zhou ruler fled and established a
new capital. The Zhou dynasty lasted for 500
more years but lost a lot of its power.
New powers, known as the Warring States began
to compete for power in China
One of the Warring states the Qin [chin], emerged
as the leaders
QIN DYNASTY
Came to power in 221 B.C. through its military might.
The Qin ruler Cheng, founded their dynasty, he took the
title Shih Huang Ti (first emperor).
They established an autocracy , in which the emperor
held total power.
 Officials who resisted his control were put to death, or
sent north to work on the Great Wall.
QIN DYNASTY
The Great Wall of China was started during the Qin dynasty
Was about 1,500 miles long during Qin times.
The Qin employed forced labor for public projects like this,
this angered many people.
•
In 206 B.C. a rebel army revolted against the dynasty.
•
Qin died in 210 B.C. – dynasty fell shortly after.
 1974 his tomb was discovered – 6,000 life size terra cotta
soldiers, each with different faces (realism).
•
In that same year Liu Bang, an army general overthrew the
empire and established the Han dynasty.
•
HAN DYNASTY
- Kept power for about 400 years.
- Great influence over development of
China – some Chinese today call
themselves “People of Han”.
- Established a civil service system to
govern China – system of examinations
rather than recommendation based on
family connections alone.
- Leveling system – price controls to
balance economic effects of shortages
or surpluses.
HAN DYNASTY
Silk Road
 Trade route from China across Asia to the
Mediterranean region.
Sold jade, silk, and other Chinese goods to wealthy
Greeks and Romans.
Brought gold, silver and wool back to China.
For 2,000 years, this was the world’s longest road.
Allowed spread of luxury items from China and the
way for the positive influence of Buddhism to
spread into China.
- Fall of Han dynasty followed by countless nomadic
people coming through China.
PHILOSOPHIES OF ANCIENT CHINA
Zhou period was one of the most creative in the area of Chinese
philosophy.
At the root of many Chinese philosophies was an ancient Chinese
belief regarding dualism, or two-sidedness of nature.
This idea states that everything in the world results from a balance
between the two forces.
The force known as yin is female, dark, and passive.
The opposite force yang is male, bright, and active.
Yin and Yang are not in conflict with each other instead they depend
on each other.
CONFUCIUS
• Lived from 551 B.C. – 449 B.C. his followers collected his ideas
and teachings in a work called the Analects, his teachings
became known as Confucianism.
• He taught the importance of family, respect for one’s elders , and
reverence for the past and one’s ancestors.
• These three concepts form the basis of Confucius philosophy!!!!!
• He sought to end political disorder of his time.
• He was concerned with ideas about political and social unrest
and how moral and ethical leadership could solve those
problems (not concerned with purely religious matters)
CONFUCIUS
• His teachings were the most influential philosophy in
Chinese life.
• He aimed to encourage strong, positive behavior from
Chinese leadership.
• He had two ways to accomplish this:
Every person should willingly accept his or
her role in society and should perform the
duties of that role.
The government and its leaders
should be virtuous.
THURSDAY
Summary/Closing Activity:
Write a paragraph designed to persuade
readers that the achievements of the Han
dynasty mark a cultural and economic
highpoint in Chinese history. Consider the
following in your answer:
•The development of the civil service
•Liu Ch’e’s policy of leveling
•Trade along the Silk Road
DAOISM
Founded by Laozi.
He taught that people should withdraw from the
world and contemplate nature.
that people should not strive for material wealth, he
also shunned politics, he advised people not to
seek power, rather they should work to bring
themselves into harmony with the Dao.
Tao (Dao) “ The Way ”
DAOISM
Daoism and
Confucianism =
balance
Daoism came second in
importance only to
Confucianism in
Chinese life.
It appealed to many
peasants because of
its focus on natural
forces.
LEGALISM
Concerned itself with politics.
Legalist believed in power – not virtue –
and in harsh laws.
people were naturally selfish and
untrustworthy.
Peace and prosperity could only be
accomplished by threatening severe
punishment if people did not obey the
laws.
LEGALISM IN PRACTICE
The first Qin emperor Cheng followed legalism, he
succeeded in creating a very powerful empire.
The government of the Han accepted many of the
legalistic ideas.
The Han rulers followed more moderate principles
of Confucianism.
The Han found balance between legalism and
Confucianism.
BUDDHISM IN CHINA
Missionaries from India brought
Buddhism to china during the Han
dynasty
When the Han dynasty fell many Chinese
especially peasants turned to
Buddhism, because it helped to
explain the social unrest they were
experiencing.
Buddhist temples provided a refuge from
the turbulent times.
Mahayana Buddhism is what was
popular in China.
 Worship Buddha as savior
 Believe he is committed to helping all
humans escape miseries of the world.
CHINESE FAMILY
Revolved around nuclear
family – parents and
children.
Hierarchical – father,
eldest son, younger
sons, mother,
daughters.
Focus on duty, respect for
ancestors, filial piety =
needs of male head of
family or ruler come
first.
SOCIAL CLASSES
Based on desire for order and harmony.
Landowners at the top
Peasants (90% of society) rank just below landowners not at bottom as in most societies.
Merchants, shopkeepers, traders were the lower class.
 Movement between classes wasn’t prohibited, but it
didn’t happen often.
Chinese Peasant
FRIDAY
Summary/Closing Activity:
How did these beliefs influence Chinese
history?