China Adventures

Mrs. Desler's 6th Grade History Class

During the past month, you have been learning about ancient China. You now have the background necessary to embark on another time travel adventure. Choose one of the following projects and then make a commitment to make this history project your best one yet!

The Great Philosophers Debate - A Group Project

The end of the Zhou dynasty (771 B.C.) was a time of great confusion in China. The Zhou emperors were no longer in control of the country. Feudal lords seized and expanded their power wherever and however they could, with little regard for the overall good of China. It was during this time of great chaos that some of China's greatest philosophers and teachers lived. With so many great thinkers debating, teaching, and voicing their opinions about prevailing rulers and values of Chinese society, this period became known as "The Hundred Schools."

Before you decide whether or not you wish to participate in the Great Debate, you should read through the project packet (Mrs. Desler has it). If you decide this is the project for you, then you need to team up with three other people and then:

• Read the three sample policy questions and pick the one you wish to debate
• Decide who will play which roles: the Confucianist, the Daoist, the Legalist, the moderator
• Prepare your debate! I require a written copy of your argument - due the week before you present your debate.
• If you are the moderator, you will create a labeled poster that explains briefly each philosophy. You will need to think of a graphic that symbolizes Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism

Growing Up in Ancient China or Modern America - An Individual Project

You now have the background and resources necessary to become the author of your own book on life in ancient China. Before you decide whether or not this is the project for you, read through the selections from Growing up in Ancient China (Mrs. Desler has copies). Between this book, your textbook, and the links on this website, you should already have all the material you would need to describe and illustrate everyday events in ancient China.

If you choose this project, your next step will be to complete a rough draft account of each topic in modern American society. For full credit, be sure to:

• Include lots of details and make each topic about one page long
• Use good transitions to help the reader get from the account of ancient China to the account of life in America. Each topic may start with some of the similarities between the Chinese tradition (example: births and birthdays are a time for gifts in modern America also). Your second paragraph might point out the differences (example: rather than a feast for all the births of a year, Americans often have birthday parties to celebrate a person's particular birth day).
• Write an introductory paragraph that says something about life in ancient China and life in modern America being very different, but having some similarities also.
• Draw or scan illustrations for each event
• Design an eye-catching cover
• Edit your work carefully. If you would like me to help you with revisions, just let me know - but at least a week before the rough draft due date!

Rough Drafts due:

Final Drafts due:

Useful Links on China

History Timeline for China - http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/time_line.html

Art of China Homage - http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~agenhtml/agenmc/china/china.html
Creative Impulses: China - http://history.evansville.net/china.html
Oliver Wild's Silk Road - http://www.atm.ch.cam.ac.uk/~oliver/silk.html
National Palace Museum - http://www.npm.gov.tw/english/
World Mythology - http://www.artsmia.org/mythology/mythbyimage.html
Arts of China - http://www.wisc.edu/arth/ah370/medium.htm
Ask Asia - http://www.askasia.org/gateway_to_asia/gta_frame.htm
Art from the Tomb of the First Emperor - http://www.hansonlib.org/bmaxian3.html
Chinese Art Forms - http://www.isaacnet.com/culture/

Daily Life in Ancient China - http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Chinalife.html

Ancient Chinese Technology - http://library.advanced.org/23062/

China - Then and Now - http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~agenhtml/agenmc/china/scenery.html

Festivals of Ancient China - http://www.cernet.edu.cn/china/festivals.html

Jewels of the Silk Road - http://phoenix.goucher.edu/~mnash/Silk%20road.htm

Philosophies of ancient China - http://phoenix.goucher.edu/~mnash/Silk%20road.htm

Hundred Schools of Thought - http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/ancient2.html

The Daoism Information Page - http://clas.ufl.edu/suers/gthursby/taoism

Background on Confucius - http://sac.uky.edu/~mdtuck0/Resources/Confucious.html

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