Topic 1: Chinas Dynasties and Inventions

Read pages 538-539 over Chinas Dynasties. In your notebook, create a chart like the one below

Dynasty Time period How long Contribution

(Hint: do math) (What occurred during their rule)
Shang

Zhou

Qin

Han

Read pages 564-565 in the textbook and review your notebook pg. 100-103

Instructions: Pick the Chinese invention you think was most important. Create a presentation that would
convince all of us that this invention was the best ever invented. Be sure to use persuasive language,
how we use it today and props along with a print ad.

Once completed, the group is to present the info to the class. The requirements are:

Chart in the notebook

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation communicates info taken in your notes

Presentation: can be a commercial, documentary, or podcast or newscast

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Visual aid: poster or power point background behind set of commercial

Optional: props
 Topic 2: Ancient Philosophies of East Asia

Congratulations! Your group will research and teach the class about three historically important East
Asian philosophies; Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto.

Follow these steps:

1) Silently Read pages 542-543, and pages 562-563.

2) In your notebook, answer questions 2-4 found on page 543. Then create and fill out the graphic
organizer below using the information on Confucianism (R58) and the information on Shinto and Taoism
provided:

Religion Origin Holy Text Founder Beliefs

Taoism

Confucianism

Shintoism

Once completed, the group is to present the info to the class. The requirements are:

Chart in the notebook

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation communicates info taken in your notes

Presentation style: can be a skit, song, newscast or interview

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Optional: props or visual aid

Taoism

Taoism was founded during the Zhou Dynasty in the 6th century by Lao-Tzu. Lao-
Tzu wrote down his beliefs and philosophy in a book called the Tao Te Ching.

Lao-Tzu was the founder of Taoism

Taoism believes that people should be one with nature and that all living things
have a universal force flowing through them. Taoists didn't believe in a lot of rules
or government. In this way they were very different from the followers of
Confucius.

The idea of Yin and Yang comes from Taoism. They believed that everything in
nature has two balancing forces called Yin and Yang. These forces can be thought
of as dark and light, cold and hot, male and female. These opposing forces are
always equal and balanced.

Taoism is not a religion. Taoism is a philosophy, a way of looking at life and a way
of thinking about things. Taoists believe if you look at life and think about things in
the right way, you'll be much happier.Today Taoist worship in a Taoist temple
Shintoism
Shinto, the Chinese term for the Japanese Kami no Michi (Way of the Gods), is
made up of the religious ideas and cults indigenous to Japan. Kami, or gods,
considered divine forces of nature that are worshipped, may reside in rivers,
trees, rocks, mountains, certain animals, and particularly in the sun and moon. The
worship of ancestors, heroes, and deceased emperors was incorporated later.

It is difficult to date the origins of Shinto, but it predated Buddhism, which was
introduced to Japan in the 6th century from Korea. Shintoism gradually enfolded
Buddhist beliefs and ceremonies into its own traditions, resulting in a syncretistic
religion, a Twofold Shinto. Buddhist deities came to be regarded as manifestations
of Japanese deities and Buddhist priests took over most of the Shinto shrines.

The centers of worship are the shrines and temples in which the deities are
believed to dwell, and believers approach them through torii (gateways). Most
important among the shrines is the imperial shrine of the sun goddess at Ise,
where state ceremonies were once held in June and December. The Yasukuni shrine
of the war dead in Tokyo is also well known.

Acts of worship consist of prayers, clapping of hands, acts of purification, and

offerings. On feast days processions and performances of music and dancing take
place and priests read prayers before the gods in the shrines. In Japanese homes
there is a god-shelf, a small wooden shrine that contains the tablets bearing the
names of ancestors. Offerings are made and candles lit before it.

Shintoism was once a state religion in Japan, but it is now a sect religion, consisting
of 13 recognized groups. Most important among them is Tenrikyo in Tenri City
(Nara), in which healing by faith plays a central role.
 Topic 3: Silk Road

Congratulations! Your group will research and teach the class about the Silk Road, an ancient system of
trade routes that connected the East to the West.

Follow these steps:

1) Review pages 99 and 105 in your notebook.

2) Silently Read pages 544-545. Answer the following into your notebook.

1. What was the Silk Road?

2. How is it important to world history?

3. What kinds of goods and ideas traveled on the routes?

4. How did ideas and objects get from point A to point B?

5. How might the Silk Road (200 B.C.1400 B.C.) have contributed to European exploration
(1400s A.D.)?

Once completed, the group is to present the info to the class. The requirements are:

Answers to questions above in notebook.

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation communicates info taken in your notes

Presentation style: can be a skit/play, song/rap, documentary or interview

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Optional: a prop or visual such as a poster or backdrop for presentation

 Topic 4: Japan ESPN

Congratulations! Your group will create a mini lesson and product that introduces and teaches the class
about Japans ESPN. Create a presentation that highlights Japans ESPN. The group is to convince the
class to come and visit Japan. There needs to be a mention of at least one element in each ESPN
category. (Presentation Ideas- travel brochure, skit, newscast, or commercial)

Before creating your presentation, do the following:

Economic

Silently read & answer the question in your notebook:

Explain the impact that the lack of natural resources has had on Japans trade with other
nations. 582-583

Social:

Review your notes on pages 108-109 and read silently Japanese Anime on pages 570-571 to get ideas on
what are options to cover concerning Japanese culture.

Political

Review notes on page 109.

eNvironment:

Silently read and answer the question in your notebook.

What is the connection between scarcity, or limited resources, and the economic
interdependence between Japan and other countries? 530-531
Based on what you know of Japans geography, how do you think Japans need for raw
materials affected its policies with other countries at that time? 552-553

Once completed, the group is to present the info to the class. The requirements are:

Answers to questions above in notebook.

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation communicates info taken in your notes and on pages 108-109 of NB

Presentation style: can be a travel blog, travel TV show, documentary

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Visual aids: a prop or travel brochure for presentation

 Topic 5: Asia Wildlife

Congratulations! Your group will create a mini lesson and product that introduces and teaches the class
about Asias wildlife. Your group will focus on animals that are threatened or endangered.

Follow the steps:

1) Read pages 520 and 638-639 in the textbook. In your notebook, answer the following questions:

What is an endangered species (definition)?

What can cause and animal to become endangered?

2) Choose three animals from the list below to research. For your research, create a chart in your
notebook like the one on the back of the page. It is crucial that you write down where you found the
information (work cited)

Animal
Bengal tiger Snow Leopard Komodo dragon
Indian Rhinoceros Asiatic Lion Red Panda
Ganges or Indus River Dolphin

Start your internet research on www.worldwildlife.org

Once you have the notes in your notebook, you and your group will come up with a way to present info
to the class. Requirements are:

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Chart in notebook and answers to questions in notebook

Presentation communicates info taken in your notebook

Presentation: can be documentary, podcast, or newscast.

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Visual aid is required such as a documentary movie poster or poster

Animal Facts about Habitat area Why/how they Why or how How can we or
the animal (geography) are important to they are organization help
their ecosystem threatened? the animals?
 Topic 6: 20th Century China to Today

Congratulations! Your group will create a mini lesson and product that introduces and teaches the class
about Chinas change from an imperial dynasty to a Communist system. Communicate the change that
brought communism about in the 20th century and how the political and economic system changed
over the course of the century. Also be able to explain one way the government of China has brought
change to the society of the people there.

Follow the steps:

1) Silently read pages 548-549.

2) Read Chinas Economy Today on pages 574-575. Answer the following in your notebook.

What steps has China taken to grow and diversify its economy?

What is the result of these steps?

Once completed, the group is to come up with a way to present the info to the class. The requirements
are:

Answers to questions above in notebook.

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation communicates info

Presentation style: can be a documentary, mock school lesson, interview, or human timeline

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Optional: a prop or cue cards for timeline of events

 Topic 7: Cold War: Asia Style

Congratulations! Your group is to learn and teach the class about two civil wars that occurred in Asia
during the 20th century and why the US got involved.

Follow these steps:

1) Watch and answer the questions for the the Korean War BrainPop!
(https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/koreanwar/)

Username: hisdlanierMS Password: hisd

2) Read pages 556-557 silently and answer the question in your notebook:

Based on the map on 557, why do you think it was easy for Chinese forces to rapidly come to
North Koreas aid?

3) Watch and answer the questions for the the Vietnam War BrainPop!
(https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/vietnamwar/)

Username: hisdlanierMS Password: hisd

4) Read pages 614-615

Once completed, the group is to present a lesson to the class about the 2 wars.

Requirements are:

Answers to questions above in notebook.

Presentation in front of class by all group members

Presentation includes info you read about and took notes over

Presentation style: can be a skit, documentary or newscast

Presentation is 4 5 minutes

Visual aids: a prop or visual such as a poster or map