In this Grade 4 lesson from Discovering Our Past: a History of the World, students explore how Qin Shihuangdi unified China by appointing censors, creating a standard currency, simplifying the writing system, and ordering construction of the Great Wall to defend against the Xiongnu. The lesson then traces the fall of the Qin dynasty and the rise of the Han dynasty, examining how stable central government shaped the growth of early Chinese civilization. Students use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the Qin and Han dynasties as part of Chapter 10: Early China.
Section 1
Qin Emperor Unifies China Through Control
Emperor Qin conquered warring states in 221 B.C., creating a unified China. He appointed governors, established censors, standardized currency, and initiated massive building projects, including connecting defensive walls to resist nomadic invaders.
Section 2
Han Dynasty Establishes Merit-Based Government
Han Wudi created the civil service system, selecting officials through competitive examinations. This system improved government quality by testing candidates on law, history, and Confucianism, though it ultimately favored those wealthy enough to afford education.
Section 3
Chinese Develop Technological Innovations
Han inventors created cast-iron plows, waterwheels, wheelbarrows, paper, and ship rudders that revolutionized farming, construction, record-keeping, and navigation. Medicine advanced through herbal treatments, dietary guidelines, and acupuncture techniques.
Section 4
Silk Road Connects Ancient Civilizations
Zhang Qian's explorations led to trade networks spanning 4,000 miles from China to the Mediterranean. Along these routes, merchants exchanged silk, horses, spices, foods, technologies, and cultural ideas between China, India, Persia, and Rome.
Section 5
Buddhism Spreads Through Political Upheaval
After weak leadership led to the Han dynasty's collapse in 220 CE, China fragmented into small kingdoms. During this 400-year period of civil war and uncertainty, many Chinese found comfort in Buddhist teachings arriving from India via the Silk Road.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter
Expand to review the lesson summary and core properties.
Section 1
Qin Emperor Unifies China Through Control
Emperor Qin conquered warring states in 221 B.C., creating a unified China. He appointed governors, established censors, standardized currency, and initiated massive building projects, including connecting defensive walls to resist nomadic invaders.
Section 2
Han Dynasty Establishes Merit-Based Government
Han Wudi created the civil service system, selecting officials through competitive examinations. This system improved government quality by testing candidates on law, history, and Confucianism, though it ultimately favored those wealthy enough to afford education.
Section 3
Chinese Develop Technological Innovations
Han inventors created cast-iron plows, waterwheels, wheelbarrows, paper, and ship rudders that revolutionized farming, construction, record-keeping, and navigation. Medicine advanced through herbal treatments, dietary guidelines, and acupuncture techniques.
Section 4
Silk Road Connects Ancient Civilizations
Zhang Qian's explorations led to trade networks spanning 4,000 miles from China to the Mediterranean. Along these routes, merchants exchanged silk, horses, spices, foods, technologies, and cultural ideas between China, India, Persia, and Rome.
Section 5
Buddhism Spreads Through Political Upheaval
After weak leadership led to the Han dynasty's collapse in 220 CE, China fragmented into small kingdoms. During this 400-year period of civil war and uncertainty, many Chinese found comfort in Buddhist teachings arriving from India via the Silk Road.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter