Timeline • Timeline of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes a dynasty , a chronological outline with short descriptions of key dynasties, and a "dynasties song" to help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.

Western Zhou, ca. 1,046 to 771 BCE
Printable Map • Maps of Chinese Dynasties: Chou (Zhou) Dynasty [The Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Zhou dynasty relative to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.

• Ancient Tombs: Western Zhou Tomb of the Count of Yu, ca. 950-900 BC [A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps, and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses five archaeological sites, one of which is a tomb from the earliest years of the Zhou dynasty believed to belong to a count of Yu and his wife, Jing Ji.

Eastern Zhou, ca. 771 to 256 BCE; Spring and Autumn Period, 770-ca. 475 BCE; Warring States Period, ca. 475-221 BCE
• Ancient Tombs: Eastern Zhou Tomb of the Marquis Yi, 430 BC [A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps, and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses five archaeological sites, one of which is the tomb of a marquis of the state of Zeng, a smaller state under the domination of the Chu state during the Warring States Period (ca. 475-221 BCE), which was "a time of turmoil and violence, with constant warfare between the regional states, but ... also a time of great intellectual and artistic activity, when the intellectual traditions of Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism originated."

Additional resources on Bronze Casting during the Zhou Period
can be found in the Technology, Inventions, Science section of Time Period 4000-1000 BCE

Timeline • Timeline of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes a dynasty , a chronological outline with short descriptions of key dynasties, and a "dynasties song" to help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.

Qin, 221 to 206 BCE; King Zheng/Qin Shihuangdi, r. 247-210 BCE
Printable Map • Maps of Chinese Dynasties: Ch'in (Qin) Dynasty [The Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Qin dynasty relative to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.

• China's Terracotta Army: Emperor Qin Shihuang's Terracotta Warriors [Smithsonian Learning Lab]
In this activity, students explore the Terracotta Army, a group of approximately 7,000 terracotta figures of warriors and horses made for China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuang (259–210 BCE). After learning about Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE) afterlife beliefs analyzing the types of figures, layout of pits, and other object included, students will create their own arguments about what the Terracotta Army reveals about Emperor Qin Shihuang. This collection is Part 2 in a series of collections created for a social studies classroom; for more information, click "Read More."

• The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army - Resources for Teachers [PDF] [British Museum]
An excellent PDF file of background information for teachers on topics such as "Why is he called the First Emperor?" "What was entertainment like at his court," and more.

• The First Emperor: Introduction and Guide to the Museum of the Terra-cotta Army [Museum of the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses of Qin Shihuang]
This is the website of the official Qin Shihuangdi tomb site museum and an excellent resource for information about the more than 8,000 clay warrior figures and 10,000 bronze weapons that have been found in the tomb. This website is in Chinese - some internet browsers offer translation.

• Emperor Qin Shih Huang's Terracotta Army [Smithsonian Institution Learning Lab]
These learning resources provide a unique opportunity to explore Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Complex, home to China's Terracotta Army. Objects found in Emperor Qin Shihuang's elaborate tomb complex, which covers a total area of 17.6 square miles, make up the majority of surviving objects from the Qin dynasty, a significant period in Chinese history. They are some of the best archaeological evidence researchers have for understanding the spiritual beliefs, military practices, and values of the ruler responsible for unifying China for the first time in its history. (See also China's Terracotta Army; Information and Teaching Resources)

• Fall of the Qin Dynasty [Stanford History Education Group/SHEG]
After centuries of war among the states of ancient China, the Qin conquered all others in just twenty-five years. Under the rule of Qin, China saw sweeping reforms and massive public works projects. Despite these achievements, the Qin dynasty lasted only fifteen years. In this lesson, students read three documents to answer the question: What caused the fall of the Qin dynasty? Teacher and student materials, power point and documents available as free download. (Curriculum unit for purchase through Stanford's SPICE program - includes the Qin, Chinese Dynasties, Part 1: Shang Dynasty through the Tang Dynasty, 1600 BCE to 907 CE.)

Timeline • Timeline of Chinese History and Dynasties [Asia for Educators]
An overview of Chinese history through its major dynasties. Includes a dynasty , a chronological outline with short descriptions of key dynasties, and a "dynasties song" to help students remember the major Chinese dynasties in chronological order.

Western/Former Han, 206 BCE to 9 CE; Eastern/Later Han, 25-220 CE
Printable Map • Maps of Chinese Dynasties: Han Dynasty [The Art of Asia, Minneapolis Institute of Arts]
Color map showing land ruled by China's Han dynasty relative to present-day political boundaries. Can be downloaded as a .pdf file.

• Ancient Tombs: Han Tomb of Liu Sheng, 113 BC [A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent resource, with images, questions for discussion, timelines, maps, and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses five archaeological sites, one of which is the tomb of the prince Liu Sheng, son of Emperor Jing Di.

The Silk Road
AFE Special Topic Guide • The Silk Road [Asia for Educators]
AFE's own compilation of recommended resources about the Silk Road.

Han China and the Roman Empire
• Han China and Ancient Rome: Comparing Two Classical Civilizations [China Institute]
This curriculum unit, "a broad comparison between the Roman Empire and the roughly contemporaneous Han Dynasty," discusses geography, politics, the expansion of empire, and social organization.

• The Chinese Language [Asia for Educators]
This overview of the Chinese language, both spoken and written, includes an introductory reading for teachers; a pronunciation guide to Mandarin Chinese; and a reading about the history, pronunciation, and writing system of the Chinese language.

• Chinese Language: Myths and Facts [Asia Society]
Short, informative essay debunking popular notions that Chinese "write in pictures" or that Chinese is a monosyllabic language, where every word is a single syllable. An informative introduction to the language and its place in China and the larger East Asian civilization.

Special Note from the Editor • On Chinese Characters throughout China and East Asia
The meaning of Chinese characters, used as a writing system, can be understood by people who speak different dialects and languages throughout China and in the other East Asian countries of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The easiest way to think how this is possible is by analogy to the use of Arabic numerals, “1,” “2,” etc, which have the same meaning wherever they are written, despite the pronunciation of the numeral in the language of the writer.

• Chinese Writing [Asia Society]
Brief essay explaining the nature of Chinese characters as a writing system.

• Chinese Calligraphy [Asia for Educators]
This introduction to Chinese calligraphy includes a reading on Chinese calligraphy, discussing its various styles, techniques, and materials; two calligraphy exercises for the classroom; and discussion questions.

• Calligraphy [A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, University of Washington]
A Visual Sourcebook of Chinese Civilization, prepared by University of Washington history professor Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is an excellent resource, with images, questions for discussion, s, maps, and suggested readings throughout. This particular unit discusses types of Chinese calligraphic script; techniques of transmission; and calligraphy during three periods of Chinese history - the Six Dynasties period, the Tang period, and modern China.

• Chinese Calligraphy [Asia Society]
"Chinese calligraphy has a two-millennia long history. [This background essay explores] the beginnings of, ideas behind, reasons for, and technologies that gave rise to this compelling art form."

• Chinese Calligraphy, the Art of Writing [China Institute: China360]
Scholars generally recognize that there was four times in the world that writing was invented. Egyptian and Maya hieroglyphs, Chinese characters and Sumerian cuneiform, which is what our alphabet derives from. All but the Chinese written language is phonetic... The Chinese have been writing for over 3,500 years.

• Chinese Names [Asia for Educators]
An overview of the Chinese practice of generational naming with meaningful characters.

• What's in a Name? Chinese Rivers, Cities, and Provinces [Asia for Educators]
A translation exercise with the names of Chinese rivers, cities, and provinces.

• Traces of Ideas: Communicating through Writing and Technology [PDF] [Asia Society]
The "Traces of Ideas" section of the Visible Traces curriculum (based on the 2000 exhibit Visible Traces: Rare Books and Special Collections from the National Library of China) includes two essays relevant to Chinese calligraphy: "Tradition and Transformation in the Chinese Writing System [PDF]," which examines the characteristics of written Chinese and its development over time, and "Writing and Technology in China [PDF]," which examines technologies for writing and printing.

• LIving in the Chinese Cosmos >> Institutional Religion: The Three Teachings [Asia for Educators]
Although the focus of this teaching module is late-imperial China, this section on "The Three Teachings" — discussing the history of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in China — serves as a relevant background reading for the units below.

• Chinese Belief Systems [Asia Society]
Essay examining Chinese belief systems, including ancestral rites and divination, the teachings of the philosophers Confucius and Laozi, and Buddhism.

• Popular Belief in Ancient China [China Mirror, U of Michigan]
A "Daybook" (an almanac) discovered in a tomb from 216 BCE tells about beliefs and predictions and gives a rare glimpse into the everyday lives of people living in China more than 2,000 years ago. It tells us much about the religious and cosmological ideas people had back then and reveals...how murky was the boundary between religion and science in traditional societies. The Daybook is written in ink on bamboo slips gathered into a roll. Bamboo and wood slips and silk cloth were the usual media for writing before the invention and spread of papermaking in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE).

• Sacred Kingship and Sacrifice in Ancient India and China [PDF] [ExEAS]
This unit, developed by Thomas Wilson and Lisa Trivedi for their students at Hamilton College, helps students understand a world in which society and governance were subsumed within a larger religious order and in which effective social, political, and economic administration depend upon proper performance of ritual obligations... This unit aims to establish a pedagogical framework for a comparative study of ancient India and ancient China on the basis of reading primary sources across cultural traditions. This comparison aims not at finding universals, but examining practices (such as ritual sacrifice) and ideas (such as origin myths) in light of questions that arise outside of any one tradition in order to understand both what is common and what is distinctive.

• Confucianism and Daoism [Stanford History Education Group/SHEG]
In the 5th century BCE, China was thrown into a period of intense warfare among rival states. The conflict created a need for new political models to solve the crisis. As a result, this period led to the development of many new philosophies. Two of the most influential of these philosophies were Confucianism and Daoism. In this lesson, students read from Confucian and Daoist texts to answer the question: What did ancient Chinese philosophers think was the ideal form of government?

• Introduction to Confucian Thought [Asia for Educators]
A background reading about the impact of Confucian philosophy on Chinese government and society.

• What Did Confucius Say? [Asia for Educators]
A short background reading about Confucius the person and his writings.

• Teaching/Learning through Confucius: Navigating Our Way through the Analects [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
The Chinese philosophical and religious tradition offers Westerners, especially Americans, an opportunity to better understand themselves and seek possible prescriptions for many of our social maladies... Download PDF on page.

Lesson Plan • Confucianism: Understanding and Applying the Analects of Confucius [Education About Asia, Association for Asian Studies]
A lesson plan asking students not only to explain the meaning of a passage from the Analects but also to give a contemporary example of the situation Confucius describes. Download PDF on page.

Note to Teachers • The journal Education about Asia has many excellent teaching resources on-line on all topics related to East, South and SE Asia.

Confucius/Kong Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Confucian Analects [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Humaneness [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Confucius as Teacher and Person [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Mencius/Mengzi/Meng Ke, 4th Century BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Mencius: On Human Nature [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Xunzi/Xun Qing/Xun Kang, ca. 310-ca. 219 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Xunzi: "Human Nature Is Evil" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Xunzi: "Encouraging Learning" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Xunzi: "A Discussion of Rites" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

• Introduction to Daoism [Asia for Educators]
A brief introductory overview of Daoism and the writings of Laozi and Zhuangzi.

Lesson Plans • Taoism and the Arts of China [The Art Institute of Chicago]
An excellent website for teaching about Taoism. Covers the following three themes: 1) Taoist Tradition (discusses Laozi, Taoist cosmology, and the sacred immortals); 2) Taoist Church (discusses religious Taoism, ritual, and the Taoist pantheon); 3) Taoist Renaissance (discusses popular religion, divine manifestations of yin, and inner alchemy). Also features more than 25 works of art, related diagrams, a map, , glossary, bibliography, and six lesson plans for the middle- and secondary-school levels.

• Daoism [Asia Society]
An introductory overview.

Lesson Plan • Attitudes Towards Nature in Daoist Art [Asia Society]
A short lesson that "helps students understand the difference between how many Westerners view nature versus how many Chinese (particularly Daoists and the literati) felt about the natural world around them. [Uses] Chinese poems and landscape paintings as primary sources."

Laozi, ca. 3rd Century BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Laozi (Daodejing) [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Zhuangzi/Zhuang Zhou, ca. 360-280 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Zhuangzi: Chapter 3, "The Secret of Caring for Life" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

• The Busy Teacher’s Handbook to Teaching the Zhuangxi [Education about Asia]
The Zhuangzi ranks amongst the greatest Chinese literary masterpieces. Written in China’s Warring States period (475–221 BCE), its vivid allegories have profoundly influenced the most preeminent of Chinese thinkers for over two millennia. In this essay, I present a sample of the Zhuangzi’s key ideas on life and death, language and knowledge, and time and the universe that will interest the twenty-first century student. I will also provide the classical allegories behind these learning points so that teachers can facilitate lively discussions on Zhuangzi excerpts. Download PDF on page.

Please see also the "Spread of Buddhism" and "Buddhism in China" sections under Time Periods 300-600 and 600-1000.

• Buddhist Art and the Trade Routes [Asia Society]
An extensive site, covering three main topics: 1) Trade Routes; 2) Buddhism and its Imagery; and 3) India: Origins of Buddhist Art. Also discusses the Buddhist art of specific regions -- Korea/Japan; China/Mongolia; Himalayas; Southeast Asia; and Sri Lanka. With maps, images, a glossary of terms, and bibliography. Uses Flash.

• Visual Connections between Buddhism and Ancient Greece [Smithsonian Learning Lab]
Using the Project Zero Visible Thinking routine "See Think Wonder," this activity investigates the cultural connections between Ancient Greece, Rome, and Gandhara as seen through a sculpture of the Buddha, created in the 2nd century CE. Buddhist sculptures from Gandhara are significant, not only because they show the extent of Alexander the Great's influence on Asia, but also because they are some of the first human depictions of the Buddha in the history of Buddhist art.

• Encountering the Buddha: Art and Practice Across Asia [Smithsonian Learning Lab]

AFE Special Topic Guide • Buddhism [OMuRAA, Asia for Educators]
AFE's compilation of recommended resources about Buddhism on OMuRAA, Online Museum Resources on Asian Art.

ca. 600 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selection from the Classic of Odes: King Wen (Ode 235) [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Confucius/Kong Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Confucian Analects: On Government [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Lord Shang/Gongsun Yang/Shang Yang, d. 338 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selection from the Book of Lord Shang: "Making Orders Strict" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Mencius/Mengzi/Meng Ke, 4th Century BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Mencius: On the Duty of Ministers to Reprove a Ruler [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Laozi, ca. 3rd Century BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Laozi (Daodejing): On Government [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

• Introduction to Legalism [Asia for Educators]
A brief introductory overview of Legalism and the writings of Han Fei and Li Si.

Han Fei, d. 233 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selection from the Han Feizi: Chapter 49, "The Five Vermin" [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Li Si, d. 208 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Memorial on Annexation of Feudal States and Memorial on the Burning of Books, by Li Si (as recorded by Sima Qian) [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Court of Emperor Zhao, 81 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • A Record of the Debate on Salt and Iron [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Dong Zhongshu, ca. 195-ca. 105 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • From Luxuriant Gems of the Spring and Autumn Annals: "The Responsibilities of Rulership," by Dong Zhongshu [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Lesson Plan + DBQs • Exchange of Goods and Ideas along the Silk Roads >> East-West Exchange: Silk, Paper, Porcelain [PDF] [China Institute]
Unit J from From Silk to Oil, a comprehensive view of the Silk Roads over four thousand years. Introductory background essay for teachers: Exchange of Goods and Ideas along the Silk Roads

• Silk Production [The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution]
Select "Part II" under "The Art and Archaeology of Ancient China" to go to page 26 of this PDF guide for information about silk production.

• Chinese Inventions: Can You Name Them? [Asia for Educators]
Exploring the many inventions that China has contributed to our daily existence, this unit provides an excellent starting point for discussing both the achievements of Chinese civilization and China's influence on the West. Silk, tea, porcelain, paper, printing, gunpowder, compass, alchemy, the civil service, and grain storage are some of the ideas/inventions covered. Discussion questions included.

• A Timeline of Chinese Inventions [Asia for Educators]
A comparative tracking various inventions and ideas as they appeared in Chinese and Western histories. Covers many of the items mentioned in the unit Chinese Inventions: Can You Name Them? (above) and spans the period from 300 BCE to 1900 CE.

• China's Contirbutions to the West [Asia for Educators]
A more extensive and detailed treatment of the items covered in the Chinese Inventions: Can You Name Them? unit, intended as background reading for teachers, but also appropriate for students. In addition to silk, tea, porcelain, paper, printing, gunpowder, and mariner's compass (covered above), also covers plants, minerals, medicines, lacquer, and amusement. Contains links to images throughout. This unit was prepared for the Committee on Asiatic Studies in American Education by Derk Bodde.

• China Firsts [China Mirror, University of Michigan]
These selected lists indicate the dates and periods when certain ideas and inventions first occurred in mature form in China. The purpose of these lists is to: 1) Provide the student with a quick set of reference points in Chinese history; 2) Help the student appreciate how much of Western and American culture shares with the peoples of China.
 • Science and Technology
 • Social History/Human Rights
 • Intellectual History
 • Cultural History

Confucius/Kong Fuzi/Kong Qiu, 551-479 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Confucian Analects: On War [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Sunzi/Sun Wu, Eastern Zhou Period (770-221 BCE)
Primary Source w/DBQs • Selections from the Sunzi: Art of War [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Han Emperor Wen, r. 180-157 BCE
Primary Source w/DBQs • Edict of Emperor Wen on the Primacy of Agriculture [PDF] [Asia for Educators]
Primary Source w/DBQs • Memorial on the Encouragement of Agriculture, by Chao Cuo [PDF] [Asia for Educators]

Lesson Plan + DBQs • Ethnic Relations and Political History along the Silk Roads >> The Han, The Xiongnu, and China's Traditional Foreign Relations [PDF] [China Institute]
Unit D from From Silk to Oil, a comprehensive view of the Silk Roads over four thousand years. "Students will learn how China dealt with its northern nomadic neighbors during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE)."

Lesson Plan + DBQs • Art along the Silk Roads >> Wang Zhaojun: A Tribute Princess Brings Peace to the Northern Frontier [PDF] [China Institute]
Unit U from the curriculum guide From Silk to Oil, a comprehensive view of the Silk Roads over four thousand years. "Students will read a shortened version of Autumn in the Palace of Han, a play by Ma Zhiyuan (c. 1250-1324 CE). This play is about Wang Zhaojun, a famous tribute princess. Tribute princesses were palace woman sent to marry “barbarian” rulers. In reading her story, students will learn about (1) China’s pre-modern foreign relations; (2) the condition of women in traditional China; (3) the poetic language and imagery used to describe China’s age-old involvement with the northern frontier."