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WideHorizon Education Resources

All lessons are designed to appeal to the heart, head and hands

Contact: Dr. David L. Mollet  tel/fax (619) 463-1270   
email: waldorfedu@cox.net     6656 Reservoir Lane, San Diego, CA 92115
 
Ancient China
Mathematics and World History
In the ancient world, different civilizations led the way in different branches of mathematics. For example the ancient Greeks had a genius for geometry.

Do your students know that in the ancient world it was the Chinese that excelled, above all others, in handling numbers and algebra? Very early in their history the Chinese recognized place value and this put them ahead of the rest of the world.

Are your students aware that the Chinese used a calculator (based on place value) as early as the Shang Dynasty (1750 - 1027 B.C.E.)?The WER Unit China teaches students to use the counting board. This was used in the Shang Dynasty and it was the forerunner of the abacus. They also learn to use the abacus, giving them valuable experience in place value which is essential to understanding mathematical concepts. The abacus was developed in the Han Dynasty and is still used in China today.

Chinese Abacus

Calculating Plate

The Great Wall

A study of the Great Wall is incomplete without the myths and legends that surround the building of it.

One such story is the Pumpkin Girl; a sad tale of a young girl, newly married. Her husband has been conscripted into the labor force to work on The Great Wall. She travels long distances to find him and the story tells of her bravery and determination. The story is an ideal one for a Reader's Theatre exercise, or a dramatization and it gives students an insight into the values and attitudes that the ancient Chinese people admired.

A variety of topics
Module 2 of the WER Unit Ancient China introduces students to a variety of topics. They examine silk making , the Silk Road, mathematics, the role of women, social class, the invention and manufacture of paper, and the seismograph of ancient China. All these are accompanied by activities and assignments.

Qin Shihuangdi
The First Emperor, responsible for completing the Great Wall so that it stretched more than 1500 miles across the mountains of northern China.


WER Unit: Ancient Civilizations - China
Module 1: Early China and the Shang and Zhou Dynasties
Module 2: The Qin and Han Dynasties

Example of content from Module 2 Lesson 2
Legends associated with the Great Wall are read and dramatized by the students. Through these legends, they discover the human qualities that the people of Ancient China valued. In particular they discover the qualities that the Ancient Chinese admired in women.
Language Arts: The assignments ask students to read the text critically by making inferences and drawing conclusions.
Cooperative Learning: Performing and writing the drama requires students to work cooperatively.
Writing Skills: Students work in the genre of drama, learning the form and skills involved in writing in this mode.
Historical Literacy: Students learn the role of legends and mythology in society.
China (2 Modules) includes 6 stories with readability levels, 4 guided reading assignments, 1 drama, 1 readers theatre, 18 activity sheets, 2 assignments targeted for monitoring and assessment, 3 map activities, 20 illustrated information sheets, 21 blackline masters, 1 review exercise, 2 colored reproductions, 9 teacher lesson guideline sheets, 2 monitoring and assessment sheets.