Unit: Asian Civilizations
Lesson Title: Tang and Song Achievements
(See textbook pages 170 - 175)
Under the Song Dynasty (960-1279) Chinese
farming advancements reached new heights.
The invention of the dragon
backbone pump allowed a few
people to move water into fields
(irrigate crops).
How did this work?
Chinese farmers learned how to grow crops on hills
by making terraces (steps). This new approach
increased the amount of land that could be farmed.
They also discovered a new type of rice that ripened
faster, so farmers could grow several crops in a
year.
The advancements in agriculture led to the growth
of the Chinese population and cities.
China’s population grew to 100 million during the Song
Dynasty—the largest in the world at that time. Some
Chinese cities had as many as a million people.
Why did better farming help cities grow?
The improvement of farming and growth
of cities led to the growth of trade.
During the Tang Dynasty the Grand Canal was
improved. It became a series of water ways that
linked major cities and carried a huge amount of
trade goods.
Why would trade be important for cities?
The Chinese also traded with other lands during
the Tang and Song Dynasties, including India,
western Asia, Korea, Japan and even Africa.
The Chinese used both land routes and sea routes
to export tea, rice, jade, spices, silk and
porcelain.
The farming surpluses also encouraged the
production of fine arts and inventions
during the Tang and Song Dynasties.
In class reading activity:
Read “Arts and Inventions” including “Artists and Poets”
and “Important Inventions” on pages 173-175.
Answer these questions:
1. What types of art and literature were popular during
this period?
2. List 5 inventions during the Tang and Song Dynasties.
3. Which do you think was most important and why?
What are two inventions coming from China during
the Song Dynasty or earlier, that are used at our
school today? Look on your person and around the
classroom.
What if these inventions never happened? How would
this impact our school day?
And where would the agricultural and other
advancements eventually lead China?
Right Side Notebook Activity
You are a boy or girl living in the Tang or Song
Dynasty. You have a friend that lives in West
Africa. Write a letter to him/her about (at least) 3
new inventions in China that have come to your
village or city. Explain how the inventions have
changed your life or the life of your village or city.