Explain what you see and by using “I-See Statements.” Use
your “I-See Statements” to make an inference concerning
the purpose of this structure.
I.
The Birth of Chinese Civilization
Pages 279-282
The ancient civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia,
and India developed along rivers.
A. Another civilization that developed near a
river was the Chinese.
1. Huang He River or “yellow river,” was their
source of water.
a) The Huang He stretches more than
2,900 miles and flows to the Pacific
Ocean.
b) The soil deposited was called loess and
it was rich farming soil.
c) The Huang He gets its name from the
rich yellow color of the loess.
2. This area of China became a large wheat
producing area.
3. The Huang He would be called “China’s
Sorrow” due to overflowing and destroying the
civilizations on its banks.
B. The Yangtze and the Chang Jiang Rivers
were another main river that serviced that
provided rich soil for farming to grow rice.
II. Mountains and deserts cover much of China.
The Himalaya separated China from South Asia.
The Kunlun Shan and Tian Shan were vast
mountains along with the Gobi Desert.
A. These physical barriers isolated China from other
civilizations, which is why it was called the “Middle
Kingdom.”
C. The early people of China was founded in the
Huang He valley.
1. Myths arose during this time. For example,
Yu the Great defeated dragons and dug
the first channels to control the floodwaters
of the Huang He. Legend has it Yu founded
the Xia Dynasty.
a) Archaeologists have not found any proof
of this dynasty.
2. However, the Shang were the first to build cities in
China. The royal capital was Anyang with its
palace and public buildings.
3. Shang kings ruled their kingdom with a large army
controlled by warlords or military leaders.
4 Aristocrats were royal officials of noble birth that
controlled the land.
5. The Chines raised cattle, sheep, and millet. They
had several gods and honored their ancestors. The god
Shang Ti ruled as the supreme god over lesser gods.
China Locations
• Label the following areas:
1. Yantze River
2. Yellow River
3. Mongolia
4. Russia
5. Taiwan
6. Korea
7. Beijing
8. India
9. Canton
10. Shanghai