An Overview of the Silk Road
Why Silk?
Simulation Rules
Let’s Get Started
During each round of the simulation, you will complete the chart on the handout and calculate your points.
Location:
In which city will you start your journey? Choose any of the cities listed on the map. Write the name of it on your Set-Up chart.
bronze | ceramics | dyes | gems | glass | gold | grapes | gun- powder |
horses | jade | paper | rugs | silk | spices | tea | wool |
These are 16 of the goods that were commonly traded on the Silk Road. During our simulation, the more goods you collect, the more points you will earn.
Can you collect them all?
My Goods: What goods will you start with?
Which good(s) will you trade in this city? Write down the answer from your city in the “My Goods” box of the Set-Up section.
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
paper | silk | silk | ceramics | grapes | jade |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
rugs | horses | horses | gold | gems | bronze |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
dyes | dyes | wool | gold | spices | glass |
We will now start Round 1 of the simulation. Follow along on your handout in the chart that says “Round #1”.
Location:
Which city will you travel to?
You must choose a city that is directly connected to your current city. Once you’ve made your choice, fill in the blanks on your handout.
My Goods (Round 1)
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
Paper, silk, ceramics | Silk, ceramics | Silk, gunpowder | Ceramics, tea | Grapes, tea | Jade, rugs |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
Rugs, wool | Horses, grapes | Horses, bronze | Gold, grapes | Gems, spices | Bronze, gold |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
Dyes, bronze | Dyes, glass | Wool, dyes | Gold, wool | Spices, glass | Glass, gold |
Write down any of the new goods you get access to from your new location.
Conditions
It’s time to roll the dice! Use actual dice or type in “Google dice” to use virtual dice.
After you roll the dice, circle the number you rolled in the Conditions box on your handout.
Do NOT change your number or interfere with other students rolling the dice.
Conditions: What Happened?
Write down what happened to you, based upon the number you rolled and how many points you lost or gained in the Conditions box. The number at the end of each statement is the number of points you lose or gain.
1 | You get lost in a sandstorm during your travels (-3) | 4 | Thanks to good weather, you traveled quickly and easily (+1) |
2 | Bandits steal some of your water (-2) | 5 | You make a new friend with a fellow merchant, and you travel to the next stop together (+2) |
3 | You accidentally made your camel angry and it spit on you (-1) | 6 | You help to spread religion to new lands, which leads to more peace (+3) |
Trivia Question
On your handout, select your answer to this question:
True or False: Most traders traveled the entire length of the Silk Road.
You will get 1 bonus point if you guess the correct answer!
Trivia Question: Answer
The correct answer is...
False: Most traders DID NOT travel the entire length of the Silk Road. Instead, most traders traveled just a small part of the route and traded their items with middlemen.
If you guessed the correct answer, give yourself 1 bonus point!
Points From This Round
Location:
Which city will you travel to?
You must choose a city that is directly connected to your current city. Once you’ve made your choice, fill in the blanks on your handout.
My Goods (Round 2)
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
Paper, silk, gunpowder, ceramics | Silk, ceramics, gunpowder, paper | Silk, gunpowder, ceramics | Ceramics, tea, jade, silk | Grapes, tea, ceramics, silk | Jade, rugs, tea, |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
Rugs, wool, bronze, jade | Horses, grapes, tea | Horses, bronze, grapes | Gold, grapes, gems | Gems, spices, gold | Bronze, gold, horses, grapes |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
Dyes, bronze, gold, glass | Dyes, glass, bronze | Wool, dyes, bronze | Gold, wool, dyes | Spices, glass, dyes | Glass, gold, spices |
Conditions
It’s time to roll the dice! Use actual dice or type in “Google dice” to use virtual dice.
After you roll the dice, circle the number you rolled in the Conditions box on your handout.
Do NOT change your number or interfere with other students rolling the dice.
Conditions: What Happened?
Write down what happened to you, based upon the number you rolled and how many points you lost or gained in the Conditions box. The number at the end of each statement is the number of points you lose or gain.
1 | You taught yourself another language and you used it while traveling (+2) | 4 | You encounter a blizzard and struggle to get to the next stop (-1) |
2 | You narrowly avoid an encounter with soldiers from another empire (+1) | 5 | You did not face any bad weather along your travels (+1) |
3 | Bandits steal some of your traded goods (-2) | 6 | Disease has spread along the Silk Road and you got sick (-3) |
Trivia Question
On your handout, select your answer to this question:
The very first trade of the Silk Road occurred when the Chinese traded silk for which other item?
A. Gold
B. Horses
C. Spices
D. Bronze
You will get 1 bonus point if you guess the correct answer!
Trivia Question: Answer
The correct answer is...
The very first trade of the Silk Road occurred when the Chinese traded silk for which other item?
B. Horses
*The Chinese were searching for allies or resources that could help them defeat the Xiongnu, and the horses from Central Asia were larger than Chinese horses.
If you guessed the correct answer, give yourself 1 point!
Points From This Round
Location:
Which city will you travel to?
You must choose a city that is directly connected to your current city. Once you’ve made your choice, fill in the blanks on your handout.
My Goods (Round 3)
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
Paper, silk, gunpowder, jade, ceramics | Silk, ceramics, gunpowder, paper, jade | Silk, spices, gunpowder, ceramics | Ceramics, tea, jade, silk, paper, wool | Grapes, tea, ceramics, silk, horses, gunpowder | Jade, rugs, tea, silk, ceramics |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
Rugs, wool, bronze, jade, silk, gems | Horses, grapes, tea, jade | Horses, bronze, grapes, tea | Gold, grapes, gems, rugs, wool | Gems, spices, gold, grapes, jade | Bronze, gold, horses, grapes, gems |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
Dyes, bronze, gold, grapes, horses, glass | Dyes, glass, bronze, gold | Wool, dyes, bronze, gold | Gold, wool, dyes, bronze | Spices, glass, dyes, bronze | Glass, gold, spices, dyes |
Conditions
It’s time to roll the dice! Use actual dice or type in “Google dice” to use virtual dice.
After you roll the dice, circle the number you rolled in the Conditions box on your handout.
Do NOT change your number or interfere with other students rolling the dice.
Conditions: What Happened?
Write down what happened to you, based upon the number you rolled and how many points you lost or gained in the Conditions box. The number at the end of each statement is the number of points you lose or gain.
1 | Hot weather slows you down (-1) | 4 | Your water supply runs out (-3) |
2 | You just learned how to make paper from other traders along the Silk Road! This can help educate your family (+3) | 5 | You team up with a caravan of skilled merchants and traders, so you won’t get lost (+3) |
3 | You get lost in a sandstorm during your travels (-3) | 6 | You get to travel to a new location you’ve never been to before (+1) |
Trivia Question
On your handout, select your answer to this question:
On average, how busy was the traffic on the Silk Roads?
A. Not busy at all
B. Somewhat busy
C. Very busy
You will get 1 bonus point if you guess the correct answer!
Trivia Question: Answer
The correct answer is...
On average, how busy was the traffic on the Silk Roads?
A. Not busy at all
*Overall, there was not much traffic on the Silk Road at any given time.
If you guessed the correct answer, give yourself 1 point!
Points From This Round
Location:
Which city will you travel to?
You must choose a city that is directly connected to your current city. Once you’ve made your choice, fill in the blanks on your handout.
My Goods (Round 4)
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
Paper, silk, gunpowder, jade, spices, wool, ceramics | Silk, ceramics, gunpowder, paper, jade, spices | Silk, spices, gunpowder, ceramics, paper | Ceramics, tea, jade, silk, paper, wool, horses | Grapes, tea, ceramics, silk, horses, paper, gunpowder | Jade, rugs, tea, silk, ceramics, wool, gems |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
Rugs, wool, bronze, jade, silk, gems, ceramics | Horses, grapes, tea, jade, gunpowder, paper | Horses, bronze, grapes, tea, gunpowder, rugs | Gold, grapes, gems, rugs, wool, silk | Gems, spices, gold, grapes, jade, silk, rugs | Bronze, gold, horses, grapes, gems, tea, glass |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
Dyes, bronze, gold, grapes, horses, gems, glass | Dyes, glass, bronze, gold, grapes, horses | Wool, dyes, bronze, gold, grapes, horses | Gold, wool, dyes, bronze, grapes | Spices, glass, dyes, bronze, gold | Glass, gold, spices, dyes, bronze |
Conditions
It’s time to roll the dice! Use actual dice or type in “Google dice” to use virtual dice.
After you roll the dice, circle the number you rolled in the Conditions box on your handout.
Do NOT change your number or interfere with other students rolling the dice.
Conditions: What Happened?
Write down what happened to you, based upon the number you rolled and how many points you lost or gained in the Conditions box.
1 | Another merchant you meet shares some of their fruits and vegetables with you (+1) | 4 | It was an average day along the Silk Road (+0) |
2 | You got access to gunpowder but accidentally injured yourself (-3) | 5 | You were too slow to arrive at the market and no one wanted to buy from you (-2) |
3 | Thanks to good weather, you traveled quickly and easily (+1) | 6 | You taught yourself another language and you used it while traveling (+2) |
Trivia Question
On your handout, select your answer to this question:
Today, how long would it take you to walk between Chang’an and Turfan, assuming you walked for 12 hours per day? Look at your map to help you make your guess.
A. 7 days
B. 24 days
C. 41 days
D. 101 days
You will get 1 bonus point if you guess the correct answer!
Trivia Question: Answer
The correct answer is...
Today, how long would it take you to walk between Chang’an and Turfan, assuming you walked for 12 hours per day?
C. 41 days
*The distance between Xi’an (modern-day Chang’an) and Turpan (modern-day Turfan) is 2,382 kilometers + would take 494 hours to walk, according to Google Maps. When divided by 12 hours of walking per day, one would need to walk for slightly over 41 days.
If you guessed the correct answer, give yourself 1 point!
Points From This Round
Location:
Which city will you travel to?
You must choose a city that is directly connected to your current city. Once you’ve made your choice, fill in the blanks on your handout.
My Goods (Round 5)
Chang’an | Luoyang | Guangzhao | Dunhuang | Turfan | Khotan |
Paper, silk, gunpowder, jade, spices, ceramics, wool, tea, horses | Silk, ceramics, gunpowder, paper, jade, spices, horses | Silk, spices, gunpowder, ceramics, jade, paper | Ceramics, tea, jade, silk, paper, wool, horses, rugs | Grapes, tea, ceramics, silk, horses, paper, gunpowder, jade | Jade, rugs, tea, silk, ceramics, wool, gems, paper |
Kashgar | Ferghana | Samarkand | Bactria | Mathura | Merv |
Rugs, wool, bronze, jade, silk, gems, ceramics, gunpowder | Horses, grapes, tea, jade, gunpowder, paper, bronze | Horses, bronze, grapes, tea, gunpowder, rugs, glass, paper | Gold, grapes, gems, rugs, wool, silk, glass, spices | Gems, spices, gold, grapes, jade, silk, rugs, wool | Bronze, gold, horses, grapes, gems, tea, glass, rugs, dyes |
Ctesiphon | Damascus | Antioch | Byzantium | Alexandria | Rome |
Dyes, bronze, gold, grapes, horses, gems, glass, rugs, tea | Dyes, glass, bronze, gold, grapes, horses, gems, wool | Wool, dyes, bronze, gold, grapes, horses, gems | Gold, wool, dyes, bronze, grapes, silk | Spices, glass, dyes, bronze, gold, horses, wool | Glass, gold, spices, dyes, bronze, wool |
Conditions
It’s time to roll the dice! Use actual dice or type in “Google dice” to use virtual dice.
After you roll the dice, circle the number you rolled in the Conditions box on your handout.
Do NOT change your number or interfere with other students rolling the dice.
Conditions: What Happened?
Write down what happened to you, based upon the number you rolled and how many points you lost or gained in the Conditions box.
1 | You team up with a caravan of skilled merchants and traders, so you won’t get lost (+3) | 4 | You learn about a new invention that will make your life more convenient (+2) |
2 | You encounter a blizzard and struggle to get to the next stop (-1) | 5 | You get lost in a sandstorm during your travels (-3) |
3 | You discovered that one of the goods you traded was damaged, but it’s too late to return it (-2) | 6 | You are very tired, but nothing bad happened during your travel (+1) |
Trivia Question
On your handout, select your answer to this question:
What new historical time period began once the Silk Road shut down?
A. Age of Discovery
B. Dark Age
C. Age of Enlightenment
D. The Industrial Revolution
You will get 1 bonus point if you guess the correct answer!
Trivia Question: Answer
The correct answer is...
What new historical time period began once the Silk Road shut down?
A. Age of Discovery
*Once the Ottoman Empire shut down the Silk Road + China began to isolate once again, many were inspired to explore to figure out how else they might be able to access the luxury goods they had gained access to from the Silk Road.
If you guessed the correct answer, give yourself 1 point!
Points From This Round
Final Calculations
Now that we have completed all 5 rounds of the Silk Road Simulation, add up your total number of points and write that number on your handout.
Discussion Questions