Congratulations! There are some very important people in Hollywood who are eager to see more of your creative work. They know you have produced some outstanding pieces in the past, while working as a team, but now they would like to give you the chance to show what you can do on your own. They have asked for you to put together a portfolio on Ancient China, which is the topic of their next multi-billion dollar project. If they are satisfied you are able to cover all the important aspects of this mystical culture, and present it creatively, the job is yours. Are you willing to take on the challenge of this worthy topic? (There is a rumor that, landing this job would definitely secure an Oscar for you next year!)

       Since you always are involved in several projects simultaneously, you don’t have the time now to actually travel to the Orient to research Ancient China on location, but you can’t let this opportunity get away from you either. There are too many other people who would also love to have this job. You will have to make use of the World Wide Web for your searching.

       Using the following links, you are to use the information and graphics presented at each site, to answer the questions given. You should write all of your answers on the separate "Question Sheet" provided. Be sure your answers are in complete sentences and have supporting details using as much description as possible. You will need this information for future tasks toward building your portfolio.
 
 

To begin your research, click on the following site and answer the questions concerning daily life. You do not need to click on any of the links shown, just scroll down the page to find your information, following the sequence of the questions asked.
 
 

 Using all of the categories provided, answer the following as you read down the page.

• What was the system of money that the Chinese used?

• In the Chinese culture, why are periods of time referred to by different names?

• Who are the Lungshan people?

• What important contributions did they make to the Chinese culture?

• What was family life like?

• What were the beliefs about their ancestors?

• What are oracle bones? Explain how they were used.

• How did the kings and nobles live?

• Explain the way the farmers lived? Tell how the nobility treated them.

• Of all the gods and goddesses that were honored, who was the most powerful and respected?

• How long did this dynasty last compared to the others?

• Name 4 important events of this dynasty.

• What do the tombs tell us about the daily life of these people?

• In what way did Emperor Wudi agree with Confucius? What did he do as a result?

• Although outsiders call this land China after Ch’in (Qin) times, the Chinese refer to themselves, even today by what name?

• What is another name this period of time is referred to by? Why?

• What is this dynasty known for as a contribution to the culture?

• Shoes had a special meaning, explain.

• Name 3 games that we enjoy today that were played during this time period as well.

• What are the "Three Doctrines"?

• What was the basic diet for the farmers of this time period?

Confucianism




•  Explain the basic belief of Confucianism.

• What is the literal translation of Tao?

• Explain the basic belief of Taoism.

• Who was Buddha?

• Explain the basic belief of Buddhism?

    Now that you have a basic understanding of daily life in Ancient China, you need to acquaint yourself with one of their great, and lasting treasures.
 

• How old is the Great Wall?
• What distance does it cover?
• What is the wall made up of? Was it built all at once?
• How long did the 1^st section take to build?
• Who is considered the first wall builder?
• When was the wall actually started?
• How did Qin Shi Huang treat his people?
• What did the Qin Dynasty give to the world?
• What was Emperor Huang's tomb like?
• What will we be able to learn from this?
• The Han Dynasty is said to have made great improvements to the culture.  How is this shown?
• While working on the building of the wall the Han added something that was a benefit.  Tell about it.
• What were the contributions of the Han Dynasty to the world?
• How long did the Ming Dynasty last?
• What was the third emperor of this dynasty worried about most?
• What did this emperor of the Ming Dynasty do for the people and way of life?
• What contribution did the Ming Dynasty make to the culture?
• What is the width of the wall?  The height?
• Who was used to build the wall?
• What happened to those who complained about working on the wall?

• Where does the old trade route start?

• Before the Silk Road, did China and Rome know of each other?

• Who named the Silk Road?

• For how long a period of time did the Silk Road remain an important part of trading for Ancient China?

• In what dynasty did the importance of the Silk Road end?

• What did the east bound caravans carry?

• What did the west bound caravans carry?

• Explain the importance of the oasis towns?

• What did the merchants do for safety?

• With the spread of Buddhism, how did this affect the Silk Road?

       Using the map of Ancient China printed out for you, familiarize yourself with each of the 4 routes traveled on the Silk Road. The Silk Road was so important in providing a trade route with the western world. You may use encyclopedias and resource material, in addition to the site listed below, to identify each route.
 
 

Using the computer software "Power Point", or "Hyper Studio", you will create an Ancient China ABC book. You may have more than one concept listed for each letter, if you feel each concept is important to giving a better picture of the culture. You are to use graphics found on the WWW, or on the software "World Book Encyclopedia", or "Encarta". If you find photographs in printed material, they may be scanned so that they may be added to your ABC book.