Name Class Date Ancient China Section 1 MAIN IDEAS 1. China s physical geography made farming possible but travel and communication difficult. 2. Civilization began in China along the Huang He and Chang Jiang rivers. 3. China s first dynasties helped Chinese society develop and made many other achievements. Key Terms and People jade a hard gemstone oracle a prediction Section CHINA S PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY China is a large country with many different geographical features. China is about the same size as the United States. Some geographical features separated groups of people within China, while other features separated China from the rest of the world. These features include the Gobi Desert, which spreads over much of China s north, and rugged mountains on the western frontier. Low-lying plains in the east form one of the world s largest farming regions. Weather patterns vary widely across China. Two great rivers flow from west to east, the Huang He, or Yellow River, and the Chang Jiang, or Yangzi River. In which part of China is the Gobi Desert? CIVILIZATION BEGINS Like other ancient peoples, people in China first settled along rivers. By 7000 BC farmers grew rice in the Chang Jiang Valley. Along the Huang He, they grew millet and wheat. Early Chinese also fished and hunted with bows and arrows. They raised pigs and sheep. Separate cultures developed along the two rivers. As populations grew, villages Where did the Chinese first grow rice? 58 Guided Reading Workbook
Name Class Date Section 1, continued spread. A social order developed. The graves of the rich often contained objects made from jade. CHINA S FIRST DYNASTIES Societies along the Huang He grew larger and more complex. Around 2200 BC, a legendary emperor called Yu the Great is said to have founded the Xia (SHAH) dynasty. It is believed that the first flood control channels were built during the Xia dynasty. The first dynasty for which we have clear evidence is the Shang. It was firmly established by the 1500s BC. The Shang king and his family were at the top of the social order. Nobles and warrior leaders also had high rank. Artisans lived in groups depending on what they did for a living. Farmers worked hard but had little wealth. Taxes claimed much of what they earned. Slaves provided an important source of labor. The Shang made many advances, including China s first writing system. The Chinese symbols that are used today are based on those of the Shang period. Priests carved questions about the future on cattle bones and turtle shells, which were then heated, causing them to crack. The priests believed they could read these cracks to predict the future. For this reason the bones were called oracle bones. Artisans made beautiful bronze containers for cooking and religious ceremonies. They also made ornaments, knives, and axes from jade. The army developed war chariots and bronze body armor. Shang astrologers developed a calendar based on the cycles of the moon. Under which dynasty were the first flood control channels built in China? Which dynasty created China s writing system? CHALLENGE ACTIVITY Critical Thinking: Drawing Inferences Using the library or online resource, study ancient Chinese writing. Use some of these symbols to illustrate something you have learned about China 59 Guided Reading Workbook
Name Class Date Section 1, continued DIRECTIONS Read each sentence and fill in the blank with the word in the word pair that best completes the sentence. 1. One of the physical barriers that separates China from its neighbors is a harsh desert called the. (Gobi/Huang He) 2. The, or Yellow River, stretches for nearly 3,000 miles across northern China. (Gobi/Huang He) 3. Early Chinese filled tombs with food and other items, and the graves of many rich people contained beautiful objects made of _. (oracle/jade) 4. According to ancient stories the dynasty was founded by Yu the Great, but archaeologists have not yet found evidence that these stories are true. (Xia/Shang) 5. The dynasty made many advances, including China s first writing system. (Xia/Shang) 6. _bones were pieces of bone or shell that Chinese priests believed they could read and predict the future. (Oracle/Jade) 7. The cuts through central China and flows from the mountains of Tibet to the Pacific Ocean. (Chang Jiang/Gobi) 8. China s first writing system used, symbols that express words or ideas. (pictographs/jade) DIRECTIONS Look at each set of three vocabulary terms following each number. On the line provided, write the letter of the term that does not relate to the others. 9. a. Chang Jiang b. jade c. Huang He 10. a. Gobi b. Shang c. Xia 60 Guided Reading Workbook
Answer Key 5. Buddhism is the religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. 6. F; The Buddha was opposed to the caste system and taught that anyone could achieve nirvana no matter what caste they had belonged to in life. 7. T 8. F; Missionaries traveled through Asia, eventually spreading Buddhism to China, Korea, and Japan. SECTION 4 (First Page) Candragupta Maurya; his complex government required funding provided by high taxes. (Second Page) Asoka s sons fought each other for power and invaders threatened the country; Gupta Dynasty Answers will vary. Student essays should accurately depict the influence of religion on the policies of their chosen leaders. 1. Candra Gupta II 2. Asoka 3. Candragupta Maurya 4. Huns 5. Gupta Dynasty Written Answers will vary. Sample answer: Early Indian society reached its high point under two dynasties: the Maurya Dynasty and the Gupta Dynasty. The Maurya Dynasty was founded by Candragupta Maurya and reached its peak under Asoka. India grew under Gupta rulers like Candra Gupta II, but invasions by the Huns weakened it. SECTION 5 (First Page) Hindu and Buddhist teachings; Sanskrit (Second Page) metallurgy; Hindu-Arabic numerals; possible answer They mapped the movements of stars and planets visible to the naked eye. Answers will vary. Student plays, stories, or essays should reflect an understanding of the contributions of ancient India. Words or Phrases 1. a mixture of two of more metals 2. the study of stars and planets 3. numbers we use today 4. injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help build up defenses to a disease 5. the science of working with metals 6. astronomy 7. inoculation 8. metallurgy; alloy 9. Bhagavad Gita 10. Hindu-Arabic numerals Ancient China SECTION 1 (First Page) northern China; Chang Jiang Valley (Second Page) Xia dynasty; Shang dynasty Answers will vary. Student illustrations should accurately use Chinese characters to illustrate an element of early Chinese culture. 1. Gobi 2. Huang He 3. jade 4. Xia 5. Shang 6. Oracle 7. Chang Jiang 8. pictographs 6 Guided Reading Workbooks Answer Key
Answer Key Vocabulary Terms 9. b 10. a SECTION 2 (First Page) Kings granted land to nobles in exchange for loyalty and military service. (Second Page) to return China to the ideas and practices of a time when people knew their proper roles; Students should circle the sentence: They regarded humans as just a part of nature, not superior to any other thing. Answers will vary. Student plays should demonstrate an understanding of the teachings of Daoism and Legalism. Letter Answers will vary. Student letters should demonstrate comprehension of the chosen vocabulary terms. Vocabulary Terms 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. F; Laozi was the most famous Daoist teacher and is credited with writing the basic text of Daoism, The Way and Its Power. 5. T 6. F; Legalism was the belief that people were bad by nature and needed to be controlled through strict laws and punishments. 7. F; Daoism stressed living in harmony with the Dao, the guiding force of all reality. SECTION 3 (First Page) His rule was marked by strict laws and severe punishment, which are Legalist beliefs; possible answers uniform law system, standard rules and punishments, standardized written language, uniform money system (Second Page) Possible answers standardized currency system, standardized weights and measures, unified writing system, new highway system, canals; to protect China from northern nomads Answers will vary. Students should support their positions with ideas from Confucian and Daoist teachings. 1. F; The Great Wall, a barrier that linked earlier walls across China s northern frontier, was built to stop nomads from invading China. 2. F; The emperor who unified China gave himself the title Shi Huangdi, which means first emperor. 3. T 4. T Sentences 5. Shi Huangdi ordered the destruction of writings. 6. The Great Wall require the labor of thousands of soldiers and workers. SECTION 4 (First Page) Possible answers lowered taxes, reduced punishments, made Confucianism official government policy; merchants did not make anything but only bought and sold what others had made. (Second Page) Father; Students should circle the sentence: An older widow could even become the head of the family; paper Answers will vary. Student essays should support their positions. Words or Phrases 1. practice of inserting needles through the skin to cure disease or relieve pain 2. a device that measures the strength of an earthquake 7 Guided Reading Workbooks Answer Key