WEEK 14
Qin Shi Huangdi – The First Emperor of China
Last week, we started learning about Ancient China, which grew near two big rivers. Who remembers the names of these rivers?
Yes!
The Yellow River and the Yangtze River
Fig. 1 Map - China Rivers
Do you remember what helped protect and isolate China and keep its culture strong!
Yes!
The Gobi Desert and Himalayan Mountains
Fig. 2 Map - Gobi Desert
Do you remember who the first rulers of ancient China were?
That’s right!
The Shang; They believed kings ruled by divine right. Who remembers what this means?
Yes, it means Heaven chose them to lead.
Fig. 3 Shang Dynasty
And what dynasty conquered them and took over?
Right!
The Zhou Dynasty
Fig. 4 King Wen of Zhou
The Zhou said that the Shang had lost the Mandate of Heaven, so they took power.
Who remembers how the Zhou Dynasty ended?
Yes!
Civil War
Fig. 5 Warring States of China
They ruled for hundreds of years – but after awhile, their land broke apart into smaller kingdoms that fought each other.
This time of fighting was called the Warring States Period.
For a long time, the people of China wanted peace and unity.
Then one powerful leader rose up and ended the wars.�
His name was Qin Shi Huangdi – (“Chin Shee Hwahng Dee”).
He became
China’s first emperor
and changed history forever!
Fig. 6 Qin Shi Huangdi
He united all the fighting states into one strong empire.
Fig. 7 Qin Dynasty
He made new laws
Fig 8 18 Laws of Qin
built new roads
(even in mountainous areas)
Fig. 9 Mountain Road
And even made everyone use the same kind of money
Fig. 10 Ancient Chinese Coins
and writing.
Fig 11 Seal Script
Now, the whole country could work together.
That’s why we call him China’s First Emperor.
Fig. 12 Qin Shi Huangdi 2
Qin Shi Huangdi wanted to protect his empire from northern invaders.
So he ordered thousands of workers to connect old walls and build a huge new one.
Fig. 13 Great Wall of Qin Dynasty
The Great Wall of China!
It stretched for thousands of miles across mountains and valleys.
Fig. 14 Great Wall of China
Even though it was dangerous and hard work, the Great Wall helped protect China for many years.
When Qin Shi Huangdi died, he was buried in a giant underground tomb.
Fig. 15 Tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi
Inside, he had over
7,500 life-size clay soldiers –
called Terracotta Warriors --
buried with him!
Fig. 16 Terracotta Army
Each soldier is different –
with unique faces, armor, and weapons.
Fig. 17 Terracotta Army 2
He believed they would
guard him in the afterlife.
Can you imagine how long that took to build?
Historians think it took more than 30 years!
Do you remember who else spent close to 30 years of his life having something built?
That’s right!
Cheops spent over 20 years building The Great Pyramid at Giza as his tomb.
Fig. 18 Great Pyramid at Giza
Memory Fact
Tell me about Qin Shi Huangdi.
Qin Shi Huangdi of China
Built the Great Wall
And had 7,500 life-size soldiers
Buried with him, weapons and all.
Qin Shi Huangdi was powerful, but he was also strict.
He brought peace to China, but he ruled with fear and control.
History reminds us that true leadership requires both strength and kindness.
Who have we studied this year who had BOTH of those traits?
Yes!
Cyrus II, the Great
Fig. 19 Cyrus the Great
Even today, people can still see the
Great Wall
and the
Terracotta Army –
reminders of how one person’s actions can shape a whole nation.
Let’s review!
Qin Shi Huangdi
Who was China’s first emperor?
The Great Wall
and the
Terracotta Army
What two projects did he have built?
Fig. 20 Compass Rose
Point to the compass rose.
In red, draw a compass rose. (1-4th)
Map Scale:
Point to the Map Scale.
In purple, circle the map scale. (1-4th)
Fig. 21 Major Circles of Latitude
Point to the Prime Meridian.
Trace the Prime Meridian in orange, then shade the map key. (1-2nd)
Fig. 21 Major Circles of Latitude
What is the purpose of the Equator?
It divides the Earth into Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Fig. 21 Major Circles of Latitude
The Northern Hemisphere contains two specific lines of latitude, what are they?
The Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer.
Fig. 21 Major Circles of Latitude
Point to the equator and Arctic Circle.
In pink, trace the equator on the map, then color the map key. (1-2nd)
In pink, trace the equator and Arctic Circle, then label in black. (3-4th)
Fig. 21 Major Circles of Latitude
Locate the Antarctic Circle and the tropic of Capricorn.
Fig. 22 World Map - Oceans
In blue, label the following using initials, then color the map key:
Indian Ocean (I.O.), Pacific Ocean (P.O.), and Arctic Ocean (Ar.O.) (1-2nd)
In blue and in ALL CAPS, label the following oceans:
ARCTIC, INDIAN, and PACIFIC (3-4th)
Fig. 23 Map - China
In blue, label the South China Sea (SCS), East China Sea (ECS), and Arabian Sea (AS) using initials, then color the map key (1-2nd)
In blue, label the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Arabian Sea. (3-4th)
Fig. 24 Fertile Crescent
In blue, label the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea. (3-4th)
Fig. 24 Fertile Crescent
In blue, label the Persian Gulf. (3-4th)
Fig. 25 Map - India
Like a gulf, a bay is part of an ocean that is partially surrounded by land, but a bay is typically smaller than a gulf.
The Bay of Bengal is part of the Indian Ocean.
In blue, label the Bay of Bengal. (3-4th)
What is a bay?
Yangtze River
Yellow River
The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers are important rivers in China.
Yangtze River
Yellow River
Trace the Yangtze River in blue and Yellow River in purple, then shade the map key. (1-2nd)
In blue, trace and label the Yangtze, Yellow, Ganges, and
Indus Rivers (3-4th)
Fig. 26 Nile River Route
In blue, trace and label the Tigris, Euphrates, Nile, Blue Nile, and White Nile Rivers. (3-4th)
Fig. 27 Himalayan Mountains
The Himalayan Mountains separate China and India.
Fig. 28 Map - Himalayan Mountains
Point to the Himalayan Mountains.
Draw mountain symbols (∧) in brown across the range, then color the map key. (1-2nd)
In brown, draw (∧) and label the Himalayan Mountains. (3-4th)
Point to India.
In black, label the modern-day country of India. (3-4th)
Fig. 29 Gobi Desert
The Gobi Desert lies in northern China and southern Mongolia.
What is a desert?
A dry, often sandy region with very little rainfall, extreme
temperatures, and few plants.
Point to the Gobi Desert.
In orange, label the Gobi Desert with initials (GD), then shade the map key. (1-2nd)
In orange, label the Gobi Desert. (3-4th)
Point to Mongolia.
In black, label the modern-day country of Mongolia. (3-4th)
K’ung Futzu, known as Confucius, was a teacher in China around 500 BC
who developed a code of ethics that greatly influenced Chinese culture.
In black, label the modern-day country of China. (3-4th)
What did Qin Shi Huangdi build to protect his empire from northern tribes, primarily the Huns?
7,500 terracotta soldiers.
The Great Wall of China
What was he buried with?
Point to China.
Color China yellow, then shade the map key. (1-2nd)
In yellow, outline and/or shade the modern-day country of China. (3-4th)
Fig. 30 Map - Continent Borders
In green and in ALL CAPS, draw the borders and label the following continents:
AFRICA
ASIA
EUROPE (3-4th)
Sample Map
1st-2nd Grade
Sample Map
3rd-4th Grade
Image Credits
Image Credits