Year 7 HistoryAncient ChinaStarter Sheet

Readings

Year

7 H

ist

- A

ncie

nt

Ch

ina 1

– G

eog

rap

hy R

ead

ing

Acti

vit

yC

hin

a w

as

one o

f th

e m

ost

succ

ess

ful of

the a

nci

ent

civili

sati

ons.

The

Chin

ese

today c

an b

oast

that

their

civ

ilisa

tion h

as

the longest

reco

rded h

isto

ry.

The C

hin

ese

dom

inate

d t

he e

ast

ern

part

of

the A

sian c

onti

nent

and

develo

ped t

heir

civ

ilisa

tion independentl

y f

rom

people

in E

uro

pe a

nd t

he M

iddle

East

, su

ch a

s th

e G

reeks,

Rom

ans

and E

gypti

ans.

The C

hin

ese

ric

e-b

ase

d f

arm

ing s

yst

em

was

hig

hly

succ

ess

ful and w

as

loca

ted a

round t

wo m

ajo

r ri

vers

, th

e Y

ello

w a

nd t

he Y

angtz

e.

As

their

civ

ilisa

tion g

rew

, th

e A

nci

ent

Chin

ese

cam

e u

p w

ith m

any n

ew

in

venti

ons

such

as

paper,

pri

nti

ng,

gunpow

der

and t

he c

om

pass

.

Th

ree g

eog

rap

hic

al ele

men

ts t

hat

gave r

ise t

o e

arl

y c

ivilis

ati

on

in

Ch

ina

Loess s

oil L

oess

is

a s

ilty t

ype o

f se

dim

ent

that

has

been d

eposi

ted b

y t

he w

ind o

ver

a long p

eri

od o

f ti

me.

It is

very

fert

ile,

pro

vid

es

good d

rain

age a

nd is

als

o s

trong

enough t

o b

e d

ug o

ut

to f

orm

caves

that

people

can liv

e in.

Chin

a h

as

one o

f th

e

worl

d’s

larg

est

deposi

ts o

f lo

ess

, kn

ow

n a

s th

e L

oess

Pla

teau .

Loess

ero

des

very

easi

ly,

and t

he Y

ello

w R

iver,

whic

h t

ravels

thro

ugh t

he L

oess

Pla

teau,

pic

ks u

p a

nd

carr

ies

aw

ay a

lot

of

loess

wit

h it.

Th

e Y

ellow

Riv

er

The Y

ello

w R

iver

take

s it

s nam

e f

rom

the c

olo

ur

of

the loess

that

it

carr

ies

dow

nst

ream

and d

eposi

ts o

n a

larg

e p

lain

. These

deposi

ts a

lso e

levate

the

river

in its

riv

erb

ed a

bove t

he s

urr

oundin

g p

lain

. The Y

ello

w R

iver

has

been b

oth

a

sourc

e o

f w

ealt

h,

wit

h r

ich f

ert

ile p

lain

s on w

hic

h t

o p

lant

crops,

and a

sourc

e o

f danger,

when it

bre

aks

its

banks,

floodin

g a

nd k

illin

g m

any p

eople

.

Th

e C

en

tral P

lain

The C

entr

al Pla

in is

som

eti

mes

refe

rred t

o a

s th

e ‘

cradle

of

Chin

ese

civ

ilisa

tion’

as

it is

where

a n

um

ber

of

earl

y A

nci

ent

Chin

ese

soci

eti

es

were

lo

cate

d.

The p

lain

’s m

ain

featu

res

are

that

it is

vast

, it

is

flat,

and t

he Y

ello

w R

iver

runs

thro

ugh it.

Irr

igati

on w

ork

s allo

wed t

hese

earl

y s

oci

eti

es

to g

row

cere

al cr

ops

such

as

wheat

and m

illet.

The loess

soil

of

the p

lain

is

fert

ile a

nd e

asy

to c

ult

ivate

w

ith s

imple

tools

and is

pro

bably

the r

easo

n t

he e

arl

y p

eople

chose

this

are

a t

o s

ett

le.

In t

he low

er

part

s of

the Y

ello

w R

iver,

people

had f

ound a

way t

o m

anage t

he r

iver

by

build

ing levee b

anks

to p

revent

it fl

oodin

g.

His

tori

ans

thin

k t

hat

one o

f th

e r

easo

ns

the e

arl

y e

mpero

rs b

eca

me s

o p

ow

erf

ul w

as

thro

ugh o

rganis

ing t

he larg

e n

um

bers

of

people

needed t

o b

uild

these

banks

.

1.

What

oth

er

civili

sati

ons

were

occ

urr

ing a

t th

e s

am

e t

ime?

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___

2.

Why w

ould

Loess

soil

be g

ood f

or

a c

ivili

sati

on?

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__3

. W

hat

are

the t

wo r

ivers

? __

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____

4.

Nam

e t

wo legaci

es

of

Anci

ent

Chin

a.

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_

Year 7 Hist - Ancient China 2 - Social Hierarchy Reading ActivityRoyal family and allied noble families

Resided in_____________, palatial compounds and lived on the agricultural surplus and _____________ delivered by their subjectsPower tied to bronze

Privileged class of hereditary aristocratsRose from the military allies of the rulersPossessed extensive land holdings and performed ___________________ and administrative tasksSome access to _______________for those who lived in citiesDetailed rules of etiquette during Zhou era

Artisans and craftsmenLived in _______________hose who worked almost extensively for the privileged classes lived reasonably comfortably

FarmersSemi-servile class that lived in the _____________________ and did not own landProvided agricultural, military, and labor _______________________ for lords in exchange for plots to cultivate, security, and a portion of the harvest

MerchantsSold _____________________to all classesLooked down on because did not create anything but moneyWere ________________but without status

SlavesMost were ______________________enemy warriors– Performed hard labor that required a large work

force such as ______________fields or building city walls

– During the Shang Dynasty many were victims of human _____________________ during funerals and other religious and ritual observances

KING

ARISTOCRATS

ARTISANS

FARMERS

MERCHANTS

SLAVES

captured, Cities, clearing , countrysideeducation, goods Large, military, rules sacrifice services, taxes, wealthy

Year

7 H

ist

- A

ncie

nt

Ch

ina 3

- F

ilia

l p

iety

an

d M

arr

iag

e R

ead

ing

Acti

vit

y

1.W

rite

dow

n t

he h

eadin

g.

____

____

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____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

2.W

hat

do y

ou t

hin

k th

is p

iece

of

wri

ting

is

abou

t?__

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

3.Is

it

desc

ripti

ve, in

form

ati

ve o

r pers

uasi

ve?_

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

_4

.Read t

he p

iece

of

wri

tin

g a

nd c

ircl

e a

ny w

ord

s w

hose

meanin

g y

ou a

re n

ot

sure

of.

5. U

nderl

ine t

he f

ollo

win

g w

ord

s: a

rran

ged, bir

th,

com

pati

ble

, honou

r, im

port

ant,

ind

ivid

ualis

m,

obeyed, pie

ty, re

spect

6. W

hat

is fi

lial pie

ty?

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____

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____

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____

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____

____

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____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

7. W

ho w

as

the r

ule

r of

the h

ouse

hold

? W

hy?

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

8. In

what

ways

were

fem

ale

s dis

crim

inate

d a

gain

st?

____

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____

____

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____

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____

____

____

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____

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____

____

____

____

____

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____

____

___

____

____

____

____

____

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____

____

____

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____

__

Fil

ial

pie

ty

•Fil

ial

pie

ty m

eans

child

ren h

ad t

o r

esp

ect

pare

nts

and e

lders

.•

Age d

em

anded r

esp

ect

. The o

ld w

ere

consi

dere

d w

ise a

nd w

ere

tre

ate

d w

ith h

onou

r.

•M

en w

ere

consi

dere

d m

ore

im

port

ant

than

wom

en in C

hin

ese

soci

ety

. W

om

en

obeyed

m

en (

even t

heir

sons)

•M

en w

ent

to s

chool, r

an

the g

overn

men

t, a

nd

fough

t w

ars

•W

om

en r

ais

ed c

hild

ren a

nd m

anag

ed

their

house

hold

s.•

Wh

y b

ig f

am

ilies

– every

body w

ork

ed

so m

ore

mem

bers

would

help

you b

eco

me w

ealt

hy.

Fa

mili

es

in C

hin

a u

sually

in

clud

ed m

an

y g

enera

tions

livin

g t

ogeth

er

oft

en u

nder

the s

am

e

roof. T

he o

ldest

male

was

usu

ally

in c

harg

e o

f every

one in t

he h

ou

se.

•Th

ere

was

littl

e indiv

idu

alis

m in

Ch

inese

fam

ilies.

Deci

sions

were

made t

hat

benefite

d t

he

enti

re f

am

ily a

nd

fam

ily h

onour

an

d f

am

ily a

chie

vem

en

ts w

ere

more

im

port

ant

than

indiv

idu

al needs

or

ach

ievem

en

ts.

Marr

iag

eM

arr

iages

were

arr

an

ged in

anci

en

t C

hin

a b

ut

they w

ere

als

o c

are

fully

con

sidere

d.

Th

e p

are

nts

of

the c

hild

ren t

o b

e m

arr

ied c

onsu

lted

an a

stro

loger

who r

efe

rred t

o t

he b

irth

ch

art

s of

each

child

. Th

e a

stro

log

er

wou

ld d

ete

rmin

e if,

by t

he t

ime a

nd d

ate

of

their

bir

ths,

th

e c

hild

ren w

ere

com

pati

ble

. A

s a w

om

an

's t

hou

ghts

and

op

inio

ns

were

not

con

sidere

d i

mport

ant,

the f

ath

er'

s w

ord

was

final

on w

ho h

is d

au

gh

ter

would

marr

y. T

he m

orn

ing a

fter

the m

arr

iage,

the g

irl

would

bow

an

d o

ffer

tea t

o h

er

in-l

aw

s as

a s

ign t

hat

she n

ow

belo

nged t

o h

er

husb

and's

fa

mily

. O

nce

marr

ied,

a g

irl

would

liv

e w

ith h

er

husb

an

d's

fam

ily.

Sh

e w

ould

be r

equ

ired

to

ob

ey a

ll th

e m

em

bers

of

his

fam

ily, part

icula

rly h

is m

oth

er.

A

gir

l oft

en

beca

me

the

serv

an

t of

her

moth

er-

in-l

aw

and

was

forb

idden

to

d

isobey h

er. A

gir

l g

ain

ed m

ore

resp

ect

in

her

hu

sband's

fam

ily i

f sh

e g

ave b

irth

to a

boy.

The

bir

th o

f a b

oy w

as

alw

ays

cele

bra

ted m

ore

th

an t

he b

irth

of

a g

irl. I

f fa

mili

es

were

very

poor,

th

ey w

ould

sell

their

daugh

ters

as

serv

ants

to r

ich f

am

ilies.

If

a w

ife d

id n

ot

giv

e b

irth

to a

son

, h

er

husb

and o

ften

took

oth

er

wiv

es.

Year

7 H

ist

- A

ncie

nt

Ch

ina 4

-C

rim

e a

nd

pu

nis

hm

en

t R

ead

ing

Acti

vit

y. P

ut

in t

he c

ap

ital

lett

ers

. R

em

em

ber

at

the b

eg

inn

ing

of

a s

en

ten

ce a

nd

for

nam

es o

f cou

ntr

ies .

Eg

Ch

ina

when a

centr

al

govern

ment

was

est

ablis

hed w

ith t

he s

tart

of

imperi

al

chin

a,

offi

cials

were

pla

ced in t

he p

rovin

ces

to im

ple

ment

law

and just

ice o

n b

ehalf o

f th

e e

mpero

r. in r

ura

l are

as,

how

ever,

dis

pute

s w

ere

more

oft

en s

ett

led b

y t

he i

nvolv

ed

part

ies

makin

g c

om

pro

mis

es,

rath

er

than t

akin

g i

t to

the c

rim

inal

court

s. d

ispute

s w

ere

oft

en t

ake

n t

o t

he v

illage e

lders

to r

eso

lve.

this

illu

stra

ted t

he r

esp

ect

for

eld

ers

th

at

was

deeply

em

bedded in c

hin

ese

cult

ure

. m

ost

of

the l

aw

s of

anci

ent

chin

a c

am

e f

rom

the m

ora

l te

ach

ings

wri

tten

in

the

legal-

code

books.

th

e

basi

c la

w

was

devoti

on

of

child

ren

to

pare

nts

and

obedie

nce

to t

he g

overn

ment.

the r

est

of

the l

aw

s co

nsi

sted o

f ord

ers

that

were

handed d

ow

n b

y t

he e

mpero

rs.

it w

as

the d

uty

of

the m

andari

ns

(im

port

ant

chin

ese

offi

cials

) to

teach

the l

aw

s to

the p

eople

, w

ho w

ould

gath

er

twic

e a

month

for

this

purp

ose

many l

aw

s in

anci

ent

chin

a c

once

rned t

he e

mpero

r and h

is p

rote

ctio

n.

law

s and p

unis

hm

ents

were

in p

lace

, fo

r exam

ple

, fo

r th

ose

that

ente

red t

he p

ala

ce

wit

hout

auth

ori

ty a

nd u

sed t

he m

ain

road t

hat

was

rese

rved f

or

the e

mpero

r. a

nyone

that

aim

ed t

o h

urt

the e

mpero

r w

ould

be a

llow

ed n

o s

upport

and w

ould

be t

ort

ure

d

and e

xecu

ted im

media

tely

..

if t

he law

s w

ere

bro

ken t

he p

unis

hm

ents

were

severe

. th

e s

eri

ousn

ess

of

each

cri

me d

ete

rmin

ed t

he f

orm

of

punis

hm

ent

that

would

be r

ece

ived.

beati

ng w

ith a

bam

boo s

tick

was

consi

dere

d t

o b

e a

mild

punis

hm

ent.

pic

k-p

ock

ets

were

bra

nded o

n

the a

rms

for

their

firs

t and s

eco

nd o

ffence

s, w

hile

a t

hir

d o

ffence

bro

ught

them

befo

re

the c

rim

inal co

urt

s. a

rmed r

obbery

was

punis

hed b

y d

eath

.any g

irl w

ho insu

lted h

er

pare

nts

was

stra

ngle

d;

if s

he w

ounded t

hem

she

was

tort

ure

d a

nd c

ut

up into

pie

ces.

a f

ath

er

was

resp

onsi

ble

for

the c

onduct

of

his

ch

ildre

n a

nd h

is s

erv

ants

. if t

hey c

om

mit

ted a

ny c

rim

es

that

he c

ould

have p

revente

d

them

fro

m c

om

mit

ting h

e w

as

charg

ed.

stealin

g f

rom

a m

em

ber

of

the f

am

ily w

as

a

most

seri

ous

crim

e,

esp

eci

ally

if

younger

bro

thers

took a

n inheri

tance

that

should

have b

een s

hare

d b

etw

een o

lder

bro

thers

or

uncl

es.

those

found info

rmin

g,

for

any

reaso

n,

on t

heir

pare

nts

, gra

ndpare

nts

, uncl

es

or

old

er

bro

thers

were

str

uck

one

hundre

d t

imes

wit

h t

he b

am

boo s

tick

and s

ent

aw

ay f

or

thre

e y

ears

’ exile

. if t

he

info

rmati

on t

hey h

ad g

iven p

roved n

ot

to b

e t

rue,

they w

ere

str

angle

d.

severa

l cr

imes

were

punis

hed b

y b

anis

hm

ent

(bein

g s

ent

from

the c

ountr

y),

whic

h w

as

oft

en f

or

life.

som

eti

mes

convic

ted c

rim

inals

had t

o p

ull

the r

oyal barg

es

for

thre

e y

ears

. cr

imin

als

co

uld

als

o h

ave t

heir

cheeks

bra

nded b

y r

ed-h

ot

irons.

this

left

sca

rs o

n t

he f

ace

so

that

oth

er

people

would

alw

ays

know

that

the p

ers

on h

ad b

een c

onvic

ted o

f an

off

ence

.th

e b

uri

al si

tes

for

fam

ilies

were

consi

dere

d s

acr

ed a

nd c

ould

not

be t

ake

n

over

by a

nyone e

lse.

it w

as

forb

idden,

under

pain

of

death

, to

cut

trees

dow

n u

nti

l th

ey d

ied n

atu

rally

and a

mandari

n h

ad b

een s

um

moned t

o e

stablis

h t

heir

age.

nobody w

as

perm

itte

d t

o r

em

ove a

ny ite

m f

rom

a t

om

b.

the m

ost

sham

efu

l of

all

punis

hm

ents

in a

nci

ent

chin

a w

as

deca

pit

ati

on

(beheadin

g).

any p

ers

on f

ound g

uilt

y o

f m

urd

er

and s

om

e o

ther

very

gra

ve c

rim

es

could

expect

this

punis

hm

ent.

in c

hin

a,

the h

ead w

as

consi

dere

d t

o b

e t

he n

oble

st

part

of

the b

ody,

so it

was

sham

efu

l to

have it

cut

off

.so

ldie

rs w

ere

usu

ally

chose

n t

o b

e e

xecu

tioners

and t

hey w

ere

pro

ud o

f th

e s

trength

that

they n

eeded t

o c

arr

y o

ut

their

duti

es.

the e

xecu

tioner

would

acc

om

pany h

is v

icti

m t

o t

he t

ort

ure

cham

ber.

he w

ore

a y

ello

w s

ilk a

pro

n a

nd h

ad a

sw

ord

wra

pped in y

ello

w,

whic

h s

how

ed t

hat

he w

as

act

ing o

n t

he o

rders

of

the

em

pero

r. h

e p

rided h

imse

lf o

n b

ein

g a

ble

to d

eca

pit

ate

a p

riso

ner

wit

hout

spill

ing a

dro

p o

f blo

od.

Year

7 H

ist

– A

ncie

nt

Ch

ina 5

– C

hin

ese N

ew

Year

Read

ing

Acti

vit

yP

ut

in t

he a

The S

tory

of

Chin

ese

New

Year

In _

nci

ent

Chin

_ th

ere

liv

ed

_ m

onst

er

n_m

ed Y

e_r

who, w

ith

_ h

orn

on h

is h

e_d

, w

_s e

xtr

em

ely

fero

cious.

Ye_r

liv

ed _

t th

e b

ott

om

of

the d

eep s

e_

_ll th

e y

e_r

round _

nd

cl

imbed u

p t

o t

he s

hore

only

on N

ew

Ye_r

's E

ve t

o e

_t t

he c

_ttl

e _

nd p

eop

le.

On t

he d

_y o

f every

New

Ye_r

's E

ve, p

eople

fro

m _

ll th

e v

ill_g

es

would

flee, bri

ngin

g _

long

the

old

_n

d t

he y

oung,

to t

he r

em

ote

mou

nt_

ins

so _

s to

_void

th

e c

_l_m

ity c

_use

d b

y t

he m

onst

er

of

Ye_r

. O

n t

he d

_y o

f th

_t N

ew

Ye_r

's E

ve t

he p

eople

of

Pe_c

h B

loss

om

vill

_ge w

ere

bri

ng

ing _

lon

g t

he o

ld _

nd t

he y

oun

g t

o t

_ke fl

ight

when t

here

c_m

e f

rom

outs

ide t

he v

ill_g

e _

n

old

beg

g_r

. W

ith _

sti

ck in

his

h_n

d _

nd

_ b

_g h

_ngin

g u

pon h

is _

rm,

he h

_d e

yes

twin

klin

g lik

e

st_r

s _n

d g

r_ce

ful be_r

d _

s w

hit

e _

s si

lver.

Seiz

ed w

ith p

_nic

, th

e v

ill_g

ers

were

in _

gre

_t h

urr

y t

o r

un _

w_y

. Som

e w

ere

clo

sing t

he

win

dow

s _n

d lock

ing t

he d

oors

, so

me w

ere

p_c

king, _n

d o

thers

were

urg

ing t

he c

_ttl

e _

nd

dri

vin

g t

he s

heep

. _t

_ t

ime w

hen t

he p

eople

were

shouti

ng

_nd t

he h

ors

es

were

neig

hin

g n

o

one w

_s in t

he m

ood t

o c

_re f

or

the b

eg

g_r

. O

nly

_ g

r_n

dm

oth

er

livin

g in t

he e

_st

en

d o

f th

e v

ill_g

e g

_ve t

he o

ld m

_n s

om

e

food _

nd _

dvis

ed h

im t

o fl

ee t

o t

he m

ou

nt_

ins

to _

void

the Y

e_r

monst

er. B

ut

the o

ld m

_n

stro

ked h

is b

e_r

d _

nd s

_id w

ith

_ s

mile

, "I

f you _

llow

me t

o s

t_y _

t your

hom

e f

or

the n

ight,

I'm

su

re t

o d

rive _

w_y

th

e m

on

ster

Ye_r

."

The o

ld w

om

_n w

_s s

urp

rise

d t

o h

e_r

this

. She looke

d _

t him

un

belie

vin

gly

only

to

find t

h_t

, w

ith w

hit

e h

_ir

_nd

rudd

y c

om

ple

xio

n, th

e o

ld m

_n h

_d _

be_r

ing o

ut

of

the o

rdin

_ry.

She w

ent

on t

o p

ers

u_d

e h

im t

o t

_ke fl

ight.

But

he o

nly

sm

iled w

ithout

reply

. There

upon

th

e

gr_

ndm

oth

er

could

not

help

but

le_v

e h

er

hom

e _

nd fl

ee t

o t

he m

ount_

ins.

_r

ound

mid

nig

ht

the m

onst

er

Ye_r

rush

ed into

the v

ill_g

es.

He f

oun

d t

he _

tmosp

here

w_s

quit

e

diff

ere

nt

from

th_t

of

the p

revio

us

ye_r

. Th

e h

ouse

of

the g

r_nd

moth

er

in t

he e

_st

end

of

the

vill

_ge w

_s b

rilli

_ntl

y illu

min

_ted,

wit

h b

right

red p

_per

stu

ck o

n t

he d

oors

. G

re_t

ly s

hock

ed,

the m

onst

er

g_v

e _

str

_ng

e loud c

ry. The m

on

ster

Ye_r

st_

red _

ngri

ly _

t th

e h

ouse

for

_ m

om

ent.

_nd t

hen h

ow

ling f

uri

ou

sly,

he m

_de _

pounce

on it.

_s

he _

ppro

_ched t

he d

oor,

th

ere

c_

me _

ll of

_ su

dden

the e

xplo

din

g s

ou

nds

of

b_n

g-b

ong

. Tr

em

blin

g _

ll over,

the m

onst

er

d_r

ed

not

m_k

e _

ste

p f

orw

_rd

. It

turn

ed o

ut

th_t

the r

ed

colo

ur;

fl_m

e _

nd e

xplo

din

g w

ere

wh

_t Y

e_r

fe_r

ed t

he

most

. _n

d w

hen t

he d

oor

of

the g

r_ndm

oth

er'

s house

w_s

thro

wn o

pen _

nd

_n o

ld m

_n in

_ r

ed

robe b

urs

t out

l_ughin

g in t

he c

ourt

y_r

d, th

e m

onst

er

Ye_r

w_s

sc_

red o

ut

of

his

wit

s _n

d fl

ed

helt

er-

skelt

er. The n

ext

d_y

w_s

th

e 1

st o

f th

e fi

rst

lun_r

month

. W

hen p

eople

c_m

e b

_ck

from

th

eir

hid

eouts

_nd f

ound e

very

thin

g s

_fe _

nd

sound, th

ey w

ere

quit

e s

urp

rise

d.

The o

ld w

om

_n

sudd

enly

re_l

ized w

h_t

h_d

h_p

pened

_n

d t

old

the v

ill_g

ers

_bout

the o

ld b

egg_r

's p

rom

ise. Th

e

vill

_gers

sw

_rm

ed

into

the g

r_nd

moth

er'

s hou

se,

only

to fi

nd

th_t

the d

oors

were

str

uck

wit

h

red p

_per

, th

e e

mber

of

_ pile

of

b_m

boo w

ere

sti

ll giv

ing o

ut

explo

din

g s

ound o

f b_n

g-b

ong in

th

e c

ourt

y_r

d, _n

d _

few

c_n

dle

s w

ere

sti

ll glo

win

g in t

he r

oom

...

The s

tory

w_s

soon s

pre

_d f

_r _

nd

wid

e _

nd e

very

bod

y w

_s t

_lki

ng _

bout

it.

They c

oncl

uded in

th

e e

nd t

h_t

the o

ld b

eg

g_r

w_s

su

rely

the c

ele

sti_

l bein

g w

ho c

_me t

o e

xpel th

e c

_l_m

itie

s _n

d

ble

ss t

he p

eople

, _n

d t

h_t

red p

_per,

red

clo

th,

red c

_ndle

s _n

d t

he e

xplo

din

g fi

recr

_cke

r w

ere

ce

rt_i

nly

the m

_gic

we_p

on

s to

dri

ve o

ut

the m

onst

er

Ye_r

. To

cele

br_

te t

he _

rriv

_l o

f th

e g

od,

the h

_ppy v

ill_g

ers

pu

t on

their

clo

thes

_nd

new

h_t

s _n

d w

ent

one _

fter

_noth

er

to t

heir

rel_

tives

_nd

fri

en

ds

to s

en

d t

heir

reg_r

ds

_nd

con

gr_

tul_

tions.

Th

is w

_s s

oon

spre

_d t

o t

he s

urr

oundin

g v

ill_g

es,

_n

d p

eop

le _

ll g

ot

to k

now

th

e w

_y t

o d

rive _

w_y

the m

on

ster

Ye_r

. Fr

om

then o

n,

on e

_ch N

ew

Ye_r

's E

ve,

e_c

h f

_mily

sti

ck o

n t

heir

doors

w_r

nin

g

lett

ers

wri

tten o

n r

ed p

_per,

blo

w u

p fi

recr

_cke

rs, ke

ep

their

hou

ses

bri

lli_n

tly illu

min

_ted _

nd

st

_y u

p l_t

e into

th

e n

ight.

E_r

ly in t

he m

orn

ing o

f th

e 1

st o

f th

e fi

rst

lun

_r m

onth

they g

o t

o

their

rel_

tives

_nd f

riends'

to s

end t

heir

reg_r

ds

_nd c

ong

r_tu

l_ti

ons.

Th

ese

cu

stom

s h

_ve

spre

_d f

_r _

nd w

ide _

nd

kept

for

gen

er_

tion

s. It

is t

he m

ost

cere

monio

us

tr_d

itio

n_l

fest

iv_l

of

the C

hin

ese

people

.

Confucianism

• Confucius – China’s first great thinker and teacher• Believed that love, respect had disappeared and was responsible for violence in

society; restoring respect for tradition would make society stable• developed a model of a state--a highly hierarchical system in which every person

knew their role in society and behaved accordingly; the ruler was under an obligation to be just and humane, and those under him to be loyal and obedient.

• Duty- was important above all else• “Golden Rule”- Do unto others as you would have people do unto to you. • People should respect members of family, devote selves to public service• Leaders should be kind and lead by example…Ruler should treat subjects fairly;

subjects reward ruler with respect, loyalty• Certain aspects of Confucianism are probably an extension and elaboration of

ideas that go far back in Chinese custom—the strict hierarchical relationship of people in society, the deep respect for ancestors, including one’s living parents and grandparents, the importance of ritual, and the division of society into the peasants who farmed and the much smaller group of educated men who ran the court and carried out the King’s orders.

• Unpopular with aristocrats because Confucius felt ALL men with a talent to govern should be able to work in the government.

LeYear 7 Hist – Ancient China 7 - Confucius Reading Activity. Read and do the following activities1.Write down the heading. ____________________________________________________________________2.What do you think this piece of writing is about?_________________________________________________3.Is it descriptive, informative or persuasive?_____________________________________________________4.Read the piece of writing and circle any words whose meaning you are not sure of.5. Underline the following words: aristocrats, Duty, Golden Rule, hierarchical , public service, talent, teacher, thinker, 6. Why did the aristocrats dislike Confucianism? ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________7. Describe the concept of filial piety. _________________________________________________8. Write down what you think Confucius believes in one sentence.9. Write down the 10 commandments of the Christians. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10. Which ones are similar to Confucius _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Year 7 Hist - Ancient China 7 – Prehistory to Zhou Dynasty

Chinese Civilization began as early as 7000 BC along the Huang He River also known as the Yellow River which is 3000 miles long, it is also called China’s Sorrow because of frequent floods killing people and destroying landsEarly Chinese farmed, fished, hunted with bows and arrows, domesticated sheep and pigsFeatures of early China settlements are homes in villages buried partly underground, straw covered roofs, animal pens, storages pits, cemeteries, walls to protect settlements from flooding and hostile neighbours, and water wellsAfter 3000 BC people used potter’s wheels, and dug wellsPopulation GrowthSettlements began to crop up along the Yellow and Yangzi RiversCreated a need for recognized authorities who could maintain order, resolve disputes, and organize public works projectsVillage-level organizations could only act locallySmall dynasties followed that extended their control over progressively larger regionsDraw an early Chinese settlement and label it

Year

7 H

ist

- A

ncie

nt

Ch

ina 8

-A

ch

ievem

en

ts o

f Em

pero

r Q

in R

ead

ing

Acti

vit

y

Pu

t in

th

e c

ap

itals

. R

em

em

ber

at

the s

tart

of

a s

en

ten

ce a

nd

for

the n

am

es

of

peop

le a

nd

pla

ces.

em

pero

r qin

set

about

org

anis

ing h

is h

uge e

mpir

e a

nd s

tandard

isin

g m

any

thin

gs

in c

hin

a t

o m

ake

it

more

effi

cient.

chin

ese

cult

ure

diff

ere

d f

rom

regio

n t

o r

egio

n.

each

regio

n h

ad its

ow

n c

ult

ure

, cu

stom

s, m

oney,

measu

res

and w

eig

hts

and w

riti

ng

syst

em

he r

epla

ced t

he f

eudal sy

stem

wit

h a

hig

hly

effi

cient

bure

aucr

acy

.. h

e

div

ided c

hin

a into

36

unit

s ca

lled c

om

manderi

es.

each

com

mandery

had 3

offi

cials

to

run it.

civ

il offi

cial in

charg

e o

f th

e law

and a

gri

cult

ure

, a m

ilita

ry o

ffici

al in

charg

e o

f he

arm

y a

nd a

n im

peri

al offi

cial w

ho o

vers

aw

the o

ther

two o

ffici

als

and info

rmed t

he

em

pero

r of

all

govern

ment

matt

ers

. each

com

mandery

was

deci

ded into

sm

alle

r co

unti

es

that

was

overs

een b

y a

judge w

ho h

elp

ed e

nfo

rce t

he law

s .

he c

reate

d a

vast

unifi

ed s

yst

em

of

law

s and p

unis

hm

ents

that

all

men r

ich

and p

oor

had t

o c

onfo

rm t

o.

they w

ere

extr

em

ely

deta

iled.

he im

pro

ved c

hin

as

irri

gati

on a

nd w

ate

r sy

stem

there

fore

expandin

g

chin

a’s

farm

land.

he p

revente

d r

ebelli

on b

y m

elt

ing d

ow

n t

he w

eapons

of

his

enem

ies

into

hum

an s

haped b

ells

and f

orc

ed t

he f

am

ilies

of

12

00

0 e

x f

eudal lo

rds

to liv

e in h

is

capit

al ci

ty s

o h

e c

ould

keep a

n e

ye o

n t

hem

.

one o

f his

firs

t act

s w

as

to s

implif

y a

nd s

tandard

ised t

he w

riti

ng s

yst

em

and f

orc

e e

very

one t

o u

se it.

this

im

pro

ved c

om

munic

ati

on a

nd f

orm

ed a

str

ong

foundati

on f

or

chin

ese

cult

ure

he c

hose

the n

um

ber

6 a

s th

e b

asi

s of

all

measu

rem

ents

and o

rdere

d a

ll m

easu

ring c

ups

to b

e t

he s

am

e s

ize.

he a

lso r

epla

ced r

egio

nal co

ins

wit

h

a s

mall

round c

oin

made o

ut

of

bro

nze

or

gold

calle

d b

anlia

ng w

hic

h h

ad a

sm

all

hole

in t

he

mid

dle

so t

hey c

ould

be s

trung o

n a

str

ing.

he b

uilt

an im

pre

ssiv

e n

etw

ork

of

roads

connect

ing t

he c

apit

al w

ith v

ari

ous

regio

ns

of

he e

mpir

e.

he s

tandard

ized t

he w

idth

of

cart

wheels

, m

akin

g long-d

ista

nce

tr

ade e

asi

er.

qin

shi huang

als

o h

ad

pie

ces

of

the g

reat

wall

(sti

ll eart

hen,

not

the

maso

nry

str

uct

ure

that

exis

ts t

oday)

linke

d a

imin

g a

t pro

tect

ing c

hin

a’s

bord

ers

.

Whic

h a

chie

vem

ent

do y

ou t

hin

k w

as

the m

ost

im

port

ant?

Why?

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

____

___

____

____

____

____

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Year 7 Hist - Ancient China 9 – Terracotta Warriors Reading ActivityUNDERGROUND TERRACOTTA ARMY IN A BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL 6 July 2005

They may have guarded the tomb of China’s first emperor for thousands of years, but the terracotta warriors are facing their toughest battle yet. The life-sized clay figures unearthed three decades ago in Shaanxi province are starting to fall apart and Chinese and US scientists have launched a two-year research project to study the impact that indoor air pollutants are having on the Emperor Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum in Xi’an.

Cao Junji, executive director of the aerosol and environment division at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Earth Environment and head of the research team, said it was time to take action to save the relics. If nothing is done now, in 100 years the warriors may have corroded to such an extent that the pits will look just like a coal mine and not have any aesthetic value, he said.

If a leg or a shoulder falls off, the whole figure is damaged. There are only a few hundred of them—how many more can we afford to have damaged? The richly coloured terracotta figures with individual facial expressions lay underground for about 2,000 years, but began to lose their luster and turn an oxidized grey once they were exposed to air.

Acidic particles in the air have eaten into the surfaces of the statues, leaving a fine powder. These particles are also weakening the gypsum that holds the joints together. Dr Cao said the damage caused by corrosion was often minor at first, but larger features of the statues—their noses, for instance—could shrink as the surface was worn away.

He said the individual features of the warriors—such as a moustache or certain hairstyle which indicate age or rank— might become less noticeable over time, eroding the figures’ cultural value.

Temperature, humidity, pollutants and solar radiation all pose threats to the statues. Dr Cao said the team could only delay the ageing process by targeting the main pollutants and finding ways to reduce them. Even then, he could not say how many more years the warriors would last. ‘Air pollution is a disease affecting cultural relics. [We cannot] wipe out air pollution, but we can alleviate and minimize it.

‘It’s very hard to restore the original colour of the statues that have already been exposed to air’, Dr Cao said. But as the museum is still excavating new ones, we need to conduct more research to avoid a repeat of old problems. It is estimated that the museum’s three underground pits house 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses. About 2,000 have been unearthed so far, of which 1,172 are on display, said Rong Bo, the museum’s conservation scientist. Create a poster to raise funds to help preserve the army.

Year 7 Hist – Ancient China 10 Reading ActivityOn Wu TiProsperity and strength reached a peak under Han emperor

Wu Ti (140–87 BC). He was one of ancient China’s most important emperors. During his 50-year reign, he expanded China’s territory, and greatly increased its power and wealth through trade. Confucianism had been slowly restored and, by Wu Ti’s time, it was almost China’s official religion.

Education was encouraged. A new social class was emerging—bureaucrats whose qualifications and abilities earned them a career in the public service. Their status was gained through learning, not wealth or birth. This development remained a feature of the way China was organised for the next 2000 years.

He was also committed to improving life for the people. Besides his internal reforms, he spread China’s influence through his military conquests and trade. One of his strategies was to make allies of the tribes who lived in the lands surrounding China. These efforts had long-term impacts. He obtained, for, example, huge numbers of large horses, which were called celestial (or heavenly) horses, from outside China; these horses greatly improved his cavalry.

In 138 BC, Wu Ti sent an official messenger, Chang Chien, to travel great distances to set up a military alliance with countries to the west. When the messenger returned 13 years later, he reported on all the amazing things he had seen— including the heavenly horses. Many others followed him westwards for trade and other official diplomatic business. This is how the eastern Silk Road began. Many Chinese people still call themselves the ‘Han’. In part, this reflects the huge military, economic and cultural impact that Wu Ti had on Chinese history.

List the evidence that indicates that Wu Ti was an excellent emperor.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Year 7 Hist - Ancient China 11 – Silk Reading ActivityOne of China's greatest contributions to the world was the production of raw silk and the raising of silkworms. Legend says that Lei Zu, the wife of the Yellow Emperor of Chia was sitting under the mulberry trees in the garden of her palace when she suddenly heard a rustling in the leaves. As she looked up, she saw silkworms spinning their cocoons. So she took one in her hand and found that the silken thread was shining, soft and flexible. She then thought that if she could wind the silken thread off and weave into clothes, it would create a very beautiful cloth.

Product• Clothes are light weight• Warm in winter• Cool in summer Silk Privilege• First – reserved only for emperor and

family• Wore robe of white inside palace, yellow

outside (colour of the earth)• Other classes began wearing silk• Silk developed as an industrial product• Instruments, fishing lines, bowstrings,

paper• Tribute paid in rice and silk• Currency – items were priced in lengths

of silk• Lost monopoly in 200 AD when Chinese

immigrants began to move to Korea• West gained sericulture in 550AD when

two monks appeared in Justinian’s court with eggs in hollowed staffs

The Silk CultureThe worm• Many varieties throughout the world• Chinese species is blind, flightless• Lays 500 eggs in 4-6 days• 100 eggs weigh less than 1 gram• Silk worm has a smoother, finer filament than other speciesCultivation• Entire process of feeding to weaving takes 6 months• Dip puff balls in water to loosen filaments• Unwind filaments onto a spool• One cocoon is between 600-700 meters long• 5-8 filaments are twisted together to make thread• Considered part of household duties for womenSecrets of Cultivation (sericulture)• Need to be carefully changed from 65 to 77 degrees to hatch• Baby worms are fed night and day until they are plump• Roomful of worms have to be kept at a constant temperature – sounds like

heavy rain falling in the roof• Have to be kept warm when cocooning and isolated from noises and smells• Produce white fluffy looking cocoons• After 8 days in a warm place, worms are steamed/baked to kill the worms

Write the procedure to obtain silk from moths.1. __________________________________________________________________________________________2. __________________________________________________________________________________________3. __________________________________________________________________________________________4. __________________________________________________________________________________________5. __________________________________________________________________________________________6. __________________________________________________________________________________________7. __________________________________________________________________________________________8. __________________________________________________________________________________________9. __________________________________________________________________________________________