The Middle Ages: China Toolbook - Performance Education

The Middle Ages - China
[BZ-4322]

$29.95

Click to Enlarge.

Available Options:
Format:

What are Teacher's Toolbooks? Click Here.
Hint: You need only one for the entire class!

View a sample
Downloadable Version

The Golden Age of China!
Student speeches: “I am Kublai Khan.“
Action-packed lessons – students perform in front of the class!
Projects: Students teach the class.
Homework on the internet.
Lectures with graphic organizers.
Group analysis and debates.
Events: “Screaming Headlines.”
Lotsa mapping. Interpret photos. Games galore.
Out of the box: ”What if your school were run by Confucius?”
Historical figures: Rank the famous people from best to worst.
If you lived in Beijing, what would change in your daily life?
Using the five senses, what do you remember about the Chinese way of life?
Heavy on terms: “The ABCs of Chinese culture” (recall terms).
“Can you speak Chinese?” (define terms).
“Let your classroom BLOOM!” (Using Bloom’s taxonomy, explore terms in depth.)
Assessment: Learn the logic of a multiple-choice test by playing “Honk if you hate history!”
Absolutely fascinating: Using Chinese art and folktales, students draw a distinction between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
In “Three Cinderellas,” students compare and contrast the Confucian Cinderella, the Buddhist Cinderella, and the Taoist Cinderella.

The spread of Buddhism
The Golden Age of China
The impact of Confucianism
Overland trade and maritime expeditions
Chinese inventions – and their impact on Europe
Rise of the imperial state and the scholar-official class

The Test
338 questions

Simple to use
One book for the whole class.
No learning curve: Lessons are ready to reproduce.

Saves time
All the facts are included:
There is no need to use a textbook or reference books.
Your students will zip through the worksheets.
Each lesson is 20 minutes in and out. Perfect for block scheduling.

(Detailed information below}

1. The Topics
Medieval China: The geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures.

TANG dynasty - Reunification of China. Chinese Empire reached its greatest size: From the Pacific to Persia, including Korea and Central Asia. Buddhism spread to China along the Silk Road. It then spread to Korea and Japan. Zen Buddhism, a distinctly a Chinese religion. Korea and Japan adopted many aspects of traditional Chinese culture.

SUNG dynasty - Neo-Confucianism became the official government philosophy. It was a blend of Confucius’ moral standards and the religion of Buddhism. Neo-Confucianism was a set of rigid rules. Foot-binding.

INVENTIONS & INNOVATIONS: Tea, the manufacture of paper, woodblock printing, the compass, gunpowder. The impact of each on world history.
The magnetic compass - so ships could navigate. China takes to the sea. With the magnetic compass, ships sailed to Southeast Asia, where Chinese merchants set up businesses.
The invention of wood-block printing!
The Grand Canal united North China and South China.
New farming techniques allowed for a super production of rice. China had 100 million people.

THE IMPERIAL STATE: Revival of Confucianism: Respect for authority and tradition. China’s vast empire required able, efficient government. The Merit System: Government officials were chosen by ability, not birth. The Civil Service Exam: To become a government official, you had to study Confucianism and score high on the exam. Any man, rich or poor, could take the exam. Education became all-important. A Major Social Shift: The Scholar-Official Class became the ruling class.

MONGOL rule - Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan. Foreigners occupy China for 89 years. The Mongol Empire stretched from China to Russia. Kublai Khan established the Yuan dynasty and adopted Chinese culture. His biggest problem: How to rule China. He trusted Mongols and foreigners, so he put them at the top of government. The Mongols opened China to foreign visitors. Marco Polo introduced Europe to the wonders of China. Continued sea trade with Southeast Asia. Kublai Khan lost face when he failed to conquer Japan. Kamikaze winds. Mongols were regarded as foreigners and were eventually overthrown by rebellions.

MING dynasty. At the same time as the Renaissance in Europe. Great maritime expeditions: From 1405 to 1433, the Ming sponsored overseas expeditions. China was the world’s No. 1 sea power. Admiral Zheng He and the Imperial Fleet sailed to Southeast Asia, India, Persia, Arabia, and East Africa. Zheng He lived at the same time as Prince Henry the Navigator. In 1433, Zheng He died. Confucian scholars convinced the Ming emperor to end the voyages. From then on, it was against the law to make maritime expeditions. Because of their experience with the Mongols, the Ming looked down on all foreigners. The Ming became isolationist. They wanted nothing to do with the outside world. The Forbidden City: The Ming built the Imperial Palace and China looked inward.

2. The Lessons
The worksheets are . . .
Designed to involve students at the moment and on the day of the state test.
Chock full of facts: Using reasoning, students manipulate the facts.
Action-packed: Students perform what they know in front of the class!

Timeline	All the major events of the Tang, Sung, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.
The Golden Age of China	Game: Students categorize 127 facts about the Golden Age of China.

Photo Tour: The Tang dynasty	Homework on the Internet.
The Grand Canal	Mapping: How it united the North and South.
The Silk Road	Mapping: How it united Europe and China.
The Silk Road	Mapping: How Chinese inventions were introduced to Europe.
The Great Mapmaster	Game for the Great Outdoors: Develop a mental map of China.

Chinese inventions and innovations	Homework on the Internet.
Name that Invention!	Game: Chinese inventions and innovations.
Impact of inventions on Europe	Homework on the Internet.

The spread of Buddhism	Mapping
Zen Buddhism	Homework on the Internet: Buddhism becomes “Chinese.”

The Three Doctrines	Using Chinese art and folktales, students draw a distinction between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This is absolutely fascinating.
Compare & Contrast	Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.
Three Cinderellas	What if Cinderella had been a Confucian? Buddhist? Taoist?
What if your school were run by . . .	Confucius? How your life would change!
Name that Philosopher!	Game: Distinguish between Confucius, Buddha, and Lao-tzi.
The Great Race	Game: Guys vs. Gals. Confucianism, Taoism, Zen Buddhism.

Neo-Confucianism	Homework on the Internet.: A rigid set of rules. Foot-binding.
Meritocracy	Lecture: The Scholar-Official Class. Quotations from Confucius.
Life is like a Rock Group	Examine an issue from 5 different viewpoints: Meritocracy.

The Mongol Invasion of China	Homework on the Internet: Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan, Marco Polo.
“I am Kublai Khan”	Student speeches - expressive, narrative, informative, persuasive.
Life is like a Rock Group	Examine an issue from 5 different viewpoints: Mongol rule.

The Ming dynasty.	Lecture
Admiral Zheng He	Homework on the Internet: Maps of his maritime expeditions.
The Forbidden City	Lecture: China ends voyages and looks inward.
The Forbidden City	It symbolizes China for centuries. How so?
Film: The Last Emperor	How this film gives insight into medieval China.

Name that Dynasty!	Game: To distinguish between the Tang, Sung, Mongol, Ming.
The ABCs of medieval China	Recall terms.
Can you speak Mandarin?	Define terms.
Screaming Headlines	Write one paragraph on the major events.
The Five Senses	When you think of Imperial China: What do you see, hear, etc.
Honk if you hate history!	Students hear the test before they take it.
Stump the Teacher	Whenever you miss a question, blame it on having no breakfast.
The Last Man Standing	Game: Based on the movie starring Bruce Willis

3. The Test
Students HEAR the test - long before they take it! Our test is tough: If your students can do well on our test, the state test should be a breeze.

What are Teacher's Toolbooks? Click Here. Hint: You need only one for the entire class!

What are Teacher's Toolbooks? Click Here.
Hint: You need only one for the entire class!