Mar. 19, 20 and 21

March 19: Students had more time on their animated maps.

March 20: We completed a vocabulary word study on the word "Proximity." Students then read about, and aswered questions about Prince Shotoku of Japan.

March 21: Students began a 2-day project today. They will create a mock feature film poster for a fictional film about Prince Shotoku using Photoshop. Packets are due on Monday, here is a list of what's in them so far:

1. Japan Geography Notes
2. Creation Myth of Japan
3. Old School Japan Map
4. Animated Map Instructions I
5. Animated Map Instructions II
6. Shotoku Questions/Proximity
7. Creation Myth 'Toon
8. Reading Guide 251-253

March 15 and 18

Students have continued to work on their animated maps of the 16 features we discussed in class.

March 8 -14

March 8: Unit test on China.

Monday, March 11: Began the unit on Japan. Students took fill-in notes about 16 important features of the islands of Japan. Students also read/answered questions about the creation myth of Japan.
Tuesday, March 12: Students created a draft map of the 16 features we discussed on Monday. Students also finished reading about the creation myth of Japan.
Wednesday, March 13: Students worked on creating the animated map of Japanese features using Photoshop.
Thursday, March 14: Students worked on creating the animated map of Japanese features using Photoshop.

March 7

Today we reviewed two of the short answer questions that will appear on the test tomorrow.

March 6

Today we discussed the accomplishments of the great Chinese explorer Zheng He. We watched a portion of the History Channel "Engineering an Empire" series. Students then worked on a reading guide about the Ming Dynasty. "Packettes" are due Friday -  here is a list of assignments so far:

1. Daily appetizers
2. Test Prep Fill Ins
3. Engineering an Empire III
4. pg. 236 Reading Guide (Xtra credit)
5. pg. 239 Reading Guide
6. Crossword (Xtra credit)

March 4 and March 5

March 5: Today we were on a modified scheudule due to the 7th grade writing test. We studied the vocabulary terms that will appear on the unit test with a matching/fill-in-the-blanks appetizer. Students then  had about 20 minutes to write their silk road portion of Friday's test. There will be no more class time to complete this assignment.

March 4: We did a practice map in preparation of Friday's test. I then introduced the "silk road narrative" portion Friday's test (see directions below). I will collect it Friday with the test. The study guide for Friday's test is also posted below.

Silk Road Narrative

The Silk Road, from Nanjing to Antioch spanned approximately 4,500 miles. Merchants would use donkeys and camels to make the journey. Assuming a caravan could travel 30 miles a day, the journey would take somewhere around 150 days. For this assignment assume you are a traveler on the Silk Road making the journey from China to the Mediterranean Sea. Write from the perspective of that person as you complete this first person narrative. Describe the sights you’d see, the people you’d meet, the trade centers you’d visit and the adventures you might have had as you made the journey. Write seven entries following the format below. Use the map to help you describe the cities/trade centers and the terrain you’d encounter.


Step 1: Draw the Silk Road on the map on the front of this paper in color.

Steps 2 -8: Write first person descriptions of 7  stops, or points along the journey. To make this simple assume your stops are 25 days or 750 miles apart. Use additional paper to finish.

Questions to consider/help you write:

• Who is your character?

• What is their role in the Silk Road trade/travel?

• What goods do they trade? OR What services do they provide? OR Why are they traveling on the Silk Road?

• What sort of terrain (land) did they encounter?

• How do their interactions on the Silk Road relate to their personal lives?

• What obstacles do they encounter along the way?

• Include an interesting account of something that happens to them along the way.



China: Unit Test Study Guide
The unit test for China unit will be on Friday, March 9. It will be a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. There will also be a map.



Terms/People to know : You may earn extra credit points for creating note-cards and using them as a study aid. Show me on test day.



Kublai Khan, Genghis Khan, The Mongols

Tang Dynasty, Khanates, Confucius

Song Dynast,y Zheng He, Marco Polo

Mongol Ascendancy, Confucianism, Silk (Silk Road)

Han Dynasty,  Grand Canal, Ming Dynasty

Buddhism, Dynasty, Wood-Block Printing

Paper/Paper Money, Porcelain, Nomadic

Ascend, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Qin Dynasty

Shi Huangdi


Know the chronological order of the Dynasties.



Places to know on the map:

Silk Road, Grand Canal,  Great Wall, Gobi Desert

Himalaya Mts., China, India, Mongolia

N. Korea, S. Korea, Russia, Beijing



Short answer questions to prepare for:



1. Explain the cycle of Chinese dynasties.

2. How did Kublai Khan “open” China to the West?

3. Explain the great innovations and achievements of the Ancient Chinese.

4. Explain how trade on the Silk Road was conducted and explain the overall importance of the Silk Road itself. Understand, and be able to explain the cultural exchange that resulted from Silk Road trade as well.

5. Explain the basic beliefs of Confucianism and/or Buddhism.