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Online Textbook for History 1111

Lesson6: China

 

Online Readings

“Confucius”, Wikiquote

 “Laozi” (Lao Tzu), Wikiquote​
Crash Course Video*
Lecture: Narrated PowerPoint
  

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Learning Objectives

(Included in PowerPoint)

Upon successful completion of this lesson, students should be able to:

  1. Describe the basic geography of China—how rivers, mountains, deserts, and plains affected Chinese history using specific examples.
  2. Comprehend key facts about the following dynasties:
  • Shang
  • Zhou
  • Han
  • Tang
  • Ming

3.Discuss the spiritual and philosophical beliefs of:

  • Buddhism
  • Confucius
  • Lao Tzu

4.Analyze major artistic and cultural contributions from China through the Ming dynastic period. 

Terms to Know

  • Abacus
  • Buddha
  • Civil service examination system
  • Confucius
  • Eightfold Path
  • Four Noble Truths
  • Gobi Desert
  • Gunpowder
  • Han Dynasty
  • Himalayan Mountains
  • Journey to the West
  • Kunlun Mountains
  • Lao Tzu
  • Mandate of Heaven
  • Meritocracy
  • Nanling Mountains
  • Pearl River
  • Qinling Mountains
  • Shang Dynasty
  • Silk Road
  • Takla Makan Desert
  • Wu Ding
  • Wu Zetian
  • Yangzi River
  • Yellow River
  • Zhou Dynasty

 

Lesson 6: Thought Questions

  1. Through the years, Chinese ideology became a blend of teachings by Buddha, Confucius, and Lao Tzu. Explain, using quotes from the Analects, Tao-Te-Ching, and Buddhist teachings, what these spiritual and philosophical beliefs might entail.
  2. China remained relatively isolated for many years as a culture. Explain, using specific examples of terrain, how geography contributed to this solitude. How was China similar to and different from other river valley civilizations we’ve studied in previous lessons? 

Discussion Questions

  1. Choose one of the quotes of Confucius from the source listed in the syllabus. Explain what the quote means (and of course, meaning can be individual and unique, depending on the reader). Thinking about the Chinese system of government discussed in the online content, how could this quote's instruction be applied, if you were an official working in the Chinese government during the Tang dynasty (618-907), considered to be one of the most prosperous and artistic periods of Chinese history?

  2. Now, choose one of the quotes of Lao Tzu (in the Tao-te Jing) from the source listed in the syllabus. Explain what the quote means (and of course, meaning can be individual and unique, depending on the reader). Thinking about the Chinese system of government discussed in the online content, how could this quote's instruction be applied, if you were an official working in the Chinese government during the Tang dynasty (618-907), considered to be one of the most prosperous and artistic periods of Chinese history?

Capstone Questions, Lessons 1-6:

  1. What is a primary source? Give a definition and example.
  2. What is a secondary source? Give a definition and a specific example.
  3. How do historians use both of these types of sources?

Further Explorations

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