Third Period: 10:27am to 11:17am
Fourth Period: 11:20am to 12:09pm
Ancient & Medieval China Readings & Checkpoints
Over the course of the unit, we will be going through different sections of the textbook in class. Whenever we start a reading, the questions will be due the next day and there will be a reading checkpoint made available after school for homework (unless there are other instructions). The Google Forms online correspond to a specific topic/lesson in the textbook.
Chinese Belief Systems
Isolated by its geography, ancient China had a unique culture. Two important belief systems, Confucianism and Taoism, developed during the Zhou. Each is a philosophy, that is, a set of beliefs about the world and how to live. These philosophies influenced all aspects of society. Religious practices, such as the worship of certain gods, became connected to these philosophies. Today, Taoist and Confucian temples are found across China. Before these philosophies appeared, the Chinese followed ancient spiritual traditions.
Unification of China and the Han Dynasty
The Warring States period came to an end when the kingdom of Qin (chin) unified China. King Zheng (jung) of Qin, who became the First Emperor, is remembered as a leader determined to build a great empire. Although his dynasty lost power soon after his death, later dynasties built upon his methods for ruling a large empire.
Besides founding China’s first empire, Shi Huangdi also laid the foundation for a system of government to rule a large empire. The next dynasty was the Han. The Han emperors built on the successes of the Qin to create one of the most influential dynasties in Chinese history.