Refer to the Secrets of the Silk Road Educators’ Guide (www.penn.museum/silkroad) for exhibition content and associated student activity worksheets.

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unit onethe silk road – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

Pre-Visit ActivityMapping the Silk Road STANDARDS Geography: TheWorldinSpatialTerms;PlacesandRegions;HumanSystems;TheUsesofGeographyWorld History: Era3:ClassicalTraditions,MajorReligions,andGiantEmpires,1000BCE–300CE;Era4:

ExpandingZonesofExchangeandEncounter,300–1000CE

OBJECTIVEStudentswillchartthemigrationofSilkRoadtradeproductsthroughresearchandmapmaking.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes:20minutesdiscussiontimeand30minutescomputerlabtime.Ifacomputerlabisnotavailable,20minutesdiscussiontimepluseveninghomework.

PROJECT NEEDS In-classcomputerlabtime Textbook Pre-understandingoftheSilkRoad Overheadprojector(orclassSmartBoard) Overheadtransparency(orprojectedimageofmapontoSmartBoard)madefromtheEurasiaphysicalmapby

theHoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany,foundonlineathttp://www.classzone.com/cz/books/wh_survey05/get_chapter_group.htm?cin=1&rg=map_center&at=outline_maps&var=outline_maps

DIRECTIONS1.StudentswilldiscusswhattheyknowabouttheSilkRoad.Samplediscussionpromptsinclude:

a.WhatwasthepurposeoftheSilkRoad?b.WheredidtheSilkRoadgo?c.WhatitemsweretradedalongtheSilkRoad?

2.Asaclass,studentswillgeneratealistofproductsthatweretradedalongtheSilkRoad:silk,paper,porcelain,spices,tapestriesandcarpets,perfume,tea,goldandsilver,ivory,paper,horses,furs,jade,etc.

3.Studentswillbreakintosmallgroups.Eachgroupwillbeassignedaproductorproductstoresearch.4.Eachgroupwillberesponsibleforresearchingthefollowinginformationintheirtextbooksandonlineabout

theirproduct(s):a.Regionoforiginoftheirproduct(s)b.Wheretheproduct(s)wouldhavetraveledalongtheSilkRoad

5.Studentswillpresenttheirfindingstotheclass.6.Asaclass,studentswillmarktheoriginsofeachproductas“pointA”andthedestinationsas“pointB”ofeach

productontheoverheadtransparency/SmartBoard.Studentswillthendrawanarrow(s)connectingtheirpoints.

Refer to the Secrets of the Silk Road Educators’ Guide (www.penn.museum/silkroad) for exhibition content and associated student activity worksheets.n

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unit onethe silk road – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY Silk Road Exports Today

STANDARDS Economics: GainfromTrade;SpecializationandTradeWorld History: Era3:ClassicalTraditions,MajorReligions,andGiantEmpires,1000BCE–300CE;Era4:

ExpandingZonesofExchangeandEncounter,300–1000CE;Era9:The20thCenturysince1945:PromisesandParadoxes

OBJECTIVEStudentswillresearchthemajorexportsofregionsoftheworldfromthetimeperiodoftheSilkRoad,andcompareandcontrastthemajorexportsoftheseregionstoday.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes:20minutesdiscussiontimeand30minutescomputerlabtime.Ifacomputerlabisnotavailable,20minutesdiscussiontimepluseveninghomework.

PROJECT NEEDS SilkRoadroutesmap,locatedintheSecrets of the Silk Road Educators’Guide.Thismap,aswellasan

interactiveSilkRoadroutesmap,isalsofoundonlineathttp://www.penn.museum/silkroad CompletedtransparencyorimagefromtheMapping the Silk Roadactivity In-classcomputertime Classroomtextbook

DIRECTIONS1.StudentswillexaminetheSilkRoadroutesmapanddiscusstheregionslinkedbytheSilkRoad.2.Studentswilldefinethetermsexport andcommodity.3.StudentswillmakealistontheboardofobjectstradedalongtheSilkRoad.Ofthelistedobjects,studentswill

recalltheonesseenintheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition.4.Studentswillrecallthecountryorregionoforiginoftheproducts,asdiscoveredintheMapping the Silk

Road activity.5.Studentswillbedividedintosmallgroups.EachgroupwillselectacountryorregioninvolvedinSilkRoadtrade.6.StudentswillresearchthetopthreeexportsoftheregionduringtheSilkRoad.7.Studentswillresearchthetopthreeexportsoftheregiontoday.8.Studentswillsharetheirfindingswiththeclass.Discussionpointscaninclude:

a.Howmighttheexportsoftodaytravel?b.ArethereanysimilaritiesbetweentheexportsoftodayandatthetimeoftheSilkRoad?c.Howdothemajorexportsoftodayreflectcontemporarytechnology?Howisthistechnologydifferentthan

atthetimeoftheSilkRoad?d.Howdothemajorexportsoftodayreflectonourcontemporaryviewsofcommodityitems?Howarethese

commoditiesthesameordifferentatthetimeoftheSilkRoad?

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unit twoTARIM BASIN – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY Silk Road Routes:GettingfromPointAtoPointB

STANDARDSGeography: TheWorldinSpatialTerms;PlacesandRegions;PhysicalSystems;HumanSystems;TheUsesof

Geography;EnvironmentandSociety

OBJECTIVEAfterdiscoveringtheSilkRoadtradegoods,studentswillexplorethegeographicallimitationsofthetraderoutesalongtheSilkRoad.TheywilldiscovertheTarimBasinasthecrossroadsoftheroute.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes

PROJECT NEEDS CompletedoverheadtransparencyofEurasiaphysicalmapfromtheMapping the Silk Roadactivity TarimBasingeographymap,locatedintheSecrets of the Silk RoadEducators’Guide.Foundonlineat:

http://www.penn.museum/silkroad OverheadtransparencymadeoftheSilkRoadroutesmap,locatedinthe Secrets of the Silk Road Educators’

Guide.Aninteractivemapisalsofoundonlineathttp://www.penn.museum/silkroad Eurasiaphysicalmap,oneperstudent,printedonlinefromtheHoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany:

http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/wh_survey05/get_chapter_group.htm?cin=1&rg=map_center&at=outline_maps&var=outline_maps

DIRECTIONS1.StudentswillexaminetheoverheadtransparencyfromtheIntroducing and Mapping the Silk Roadactivity.2.StudentswillexaminethegeographicalmapoftheSilkRoadregion.3.Studentswilldecideasaclasswhetherornotthetraderoutestheycreatedonthetransparencywouldbefeasible

fortravelers.TheclasswilldiscussthefollowingfactorswhichwouldaffectSilkRoadtraders:a.Climateb.Accesstofoodandwaterc.Placesfortravelerstorestd.Mountains,rivers,deserts,andothergeographicalfeatureswhichmightbedifficulttotraversee.Directnessofroutevs.gettingaroundobstaclesf.Placesfortraderstobuyandselltheirwares

4.Asaclass,studentswilldiscussthegeographicalfeaturesintheTarimBasin,suchasthemountainstothenorthandthesouth,theTaklamakandesert,theriversandtheoases,aswellasthelocationoftownsandsettlements.

5.Basedonthediscussion,eachstudentwillremaptheroutesontheSilkRoad-regiongeographymaphandout.6.Studentswillexaminethetransparency,whichshowstheactualroutesoftheSilkRoad.7.Studentswilldiscusshowtheirguessescomparetotheactualroutesandtalkaboutwhytheroutetakesthe

shapeitdoes.8.Studentswillcreatealegendfortheirmaps,assigningacolortoeachgeographicalfeature.

Featurestoconsiderinclude:a.Desert b.Oases c.Rivers d.Mountainranges

9.Studentswillcolorthegeographicalfeaturesontheirmap.10.StudentswilldiscusswhytheTarimBasinmightbeaparticularlyinterestingareaoftheSilkRoadfor

archaeologiststostudy.Theymightthinkabout:a.ThefactthatitisrightinthemiddleoftheSilkRoadb.Thepeople,objects,andinfluencesenteringtheareafromeastandwest

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unit twoTARIM BASIN – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY Tarim Basin Weather Forecast

STANDARDSGeography: PlacesandRegions;PhysicalSystems;HumanSystems;TheUsesofGeography;

EnvironmentandSocietyScience: EarthandSpaceScience;ScienceandTechnology

OBJECTIVEAfterdiscussingthegeographyandtheclimateoftheTarimBasin,studentswillcreateaweatherforecastusingPowerPoint.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes

PROJECT NEEDS In-classcomputertime PowerPoint SmartboardorprojectorlinkedtotheInternet TarimBasingeographymap,locatedintheSecrets of the Silk Road Educators’Guide.Foundonlineat:

http://www.penn.museum/silkroad DailylifeobjectsfromtheTarimBasin,asdiscoveredintheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition.Foundonlineat:

http://www.penn.museum/silkroad

DIRECTIONS1.StudentswilldiscussthedailylifeobjectsexcavatedfromtheTarimBasin,asviewedintheSecrets of the Silk

Road exhibition.2.StudentswilldiscusswhattheobjectstelloneabouttheclimateandlifestyleoftheTarimBasinpeople.

Discussionpointstoconsidermayinclude:a.Clothing:Whattypesoffiberswerethemummiesburiedwith?Whattypeofweatherweretheydressed

foratthetimeoftheirdeath?b.DailyLifeObjects:Sincethemummieswerepastoralnomads,howmighttheweatherhaveimpactedtheir

lives?3.StudentswilldiscussthegeographicalfeaturesoftheTarimBasin,includingthemountainstothenorthandthe

south,theTaklamakandesert,therivers,andtheoases.4.StudentswilldiscusstheclimateoftheTarimBasinasaresultofthegeographicalfeatures.5.StudentswillimaginethattheyareweatherforecastersandtheiraudienceispastoralnomadsoftheTarimBasin,

1000BCE.6.StudentswillresearchimagesonlinetocreateaPowerPointweatherforecast.Presentationpointstoconsider

include:a.ThenamesofthegeographicalfeaturesoftheTarimBasinregion.b.Howtheweatherandgeographicalfeatureswillimpacttheworkingconditionsofthepastoralnomads.

7.StudentswillsharetheirPowerPointwiththeclass.

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unit threeDAILY LIFE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY Pastoral Nomads Today

STANDARDSWorld History: Era2:EarlyCivilizationsandtheEmergenceofPastoralPeoples,4000–1000BCE

OBJECTIVEStudentswillresearchpastoralnomadicculturesoftodayandmapeachculture’scharacteristicsinawebdiagram.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes:20minutediscussiontimeand30minutecomputerlabtime.Ifacomputerlabisnotavailable,20minutesdiscussiontimepluseveninghomework.

PROJECT NEEDS Inclasscomputertime Classroomtextbook

DIRECTIONS1.Studentswilldiscussthefollowing:

a.Whatisapastoralnomad?b.HowwouldwedescribethelifestyleofapastoralnomadofXinjiang?c.Dopastoralnomadsstillexisttoday?Whereintheworlddothesecultureslive?

2.Studentswilldiscussthelivesofnomads.Thefollowingaspectswillbeconsidered:a.Clothingb.Dwellingsc.Personalpossessions

3.Asaclass,studentswillwritealistoftheprosandconsofbeinganomad.Studentscanconsiderthefollowingfactors:

a.Physicalsecurityb.Foodandwater:accessandvarietyofdietc.Freedomandself-sufficiency

4.Onthecomputerandwiththeirtextbooks,studentswillresearchpresent-daypastoralnomadiccultures.5.Studentswillcreateawebdiagramtolistthecharacteristicsofpresent-daypastoralnomadiccultures.Thecenter

circlewillbelabeledas“PastoralNomads.”Thecirclesextendingfromthecentercirclewillbelabeledasthevariousnomadiccultures.

6.Asaclass,studentswilldiscussthesimilaritiesanddifferencestheydiscoveredaboutpresent-daypastoralnomadiccultures.

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unit threeDAILY LIFE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY You Can’t Take It with You

STANDARDSWorld History: Era2:EarlyCivilizationsandtheEmergenceofPastoralPeoples,4000-1000BCE

OBJECTIVEStudentswillpersonifythemselvesaspastoralnomads.

SUGGESTED TIME 50minutes

PROJECT NEEDS Imagesofeverydaylifeitemsofpastoralnomads,asdiscoveredintheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition.Found

onlineatpenn.museum/silkroad

DIRECTIONS1.Asaclass,studentswillreflectaboutthedailypastorallifeobjectstheyobservedintheexhibition.2.Studentswillreviewimagesofeverydaylifeobjectsbelongingtopastoralnomads.3.StudentswillimaginethemselvesaspastoralnomadsoftheTarimBasin,1000BCE.4.Eachstudentwillmakealistoftenitemstheywouldcarrywiththemiftheywereapastoralnomad.5.Studentswillcomparetheirlistsasaclass.Whereanysimilaritiesdiscovered?

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unit fourSACRED AND SPIRITUAL LIFE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITYMappingWorldReligions

STANDARDS Geography: TheWorldinSpatialTerms;PlacesandRegions;HumanSystems;TheUsesofGeographyWorld History: Era4:ExpandingZonesofExchangeandEncounter,300–1000CE;Era9:The20thCentury

Since1945:PromisesandParadoxes

OBJECTIVEStudentswillresearchreligionsthattraveledtheSilkRoad.

SUGGESTED TIME 2–50minuteclassperiodsoroneeveningofhomeworkplus30minutesclasstime

PROJECT NEEDS Reservedtimeintheschool’scomputerlab(ifin-classactivity) Classroomtextbook 8piecesofposterboard Markersorcrayons PhysicalWorldMap,oneperstudent,printedonlinefromtheHoughtonMifflinHarcourtPublishingCompany:

http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/wh_survey05/get_chapter_group.htm?cin=1&rg=map_center&at=outline_maps&var=outline_maps

DIRECTIONSDay One: StudentswillresearchthebelowquestionsontheInternetandintheirtextbooksforapproximately50minutes(ifin-classactivity.)1.Studentswilldiscussthereligionsthattheyknowabout.Somediscussionpointstoconsider:

a.Whatdothepeoplewhopracticeeachreligionbelievein?b.Wheredideachreligionoriginate?c.DideachreligiontraveltheSilkRoad?

2.Studentswillbeassignedintosmallgroupsforatotalofeightgroups.Eachgroupwillbeassignedoneofthefollowingreligionstoresearch:

a.Zoroastrianism b.Buddhismc.Confucianism d.Taoisme.Manichaeism f.NestorianChristianityg.Judaism h.Islam

3.Foreachreligion,eachgroupwillanswerthefollowingquestions:a.Whatarethemajortenetsofthereligion?b.Whataresomeimages/symbolsassociatedwiththereligion?c.Wheredidthereligionoriginate?d.Whatpercentageoftheworld’spopulationpracticesthisreligiontoday?e.Isthepracticeofthisreligionconcentratedinaparticularregionoftheworld?Where?

Day Two: 1.Eachgroupwillcreateaposterboardillustrationoftheirreligion.2.Eachgroupwillreceiveacopyofaworldmap.3.Eachgroupwillcreatealegend,assigningcolorstotheirreligion’scountry/regionoforiginandtheirreligion’s

present-dayconcentrationofpractitioners.

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unit fourSACRED AND SPIRITUAL LIFE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

4.Eachgroupwillmapouttheirreligion’scountry/regionoforiginandthearea(s)ofconcentrationoftheirreligion.5.Eachgroupwillsharetheirreligion,poster,andmapwiththeclass.6.Studentswilldiscussthefollowingquestionsasaclass:

a.Dotheareasofconcentrationforeachreligioncorrespondtoeachreligion’sbirthplace?b.Whichreligionsmovedfromtheirbirthplaceandconcentratedinanotherareaoftheworldtoday?

POST-VISIT ACTIVITYBurial Collage

STANDARDSVisual Arts: UnderstandingandApplyingMedia;ChoosingandEvaluatingaRangeofSubjectMatter,Symbols,

andIdeasWorld History: Era2:EarlyCivilizationsandtheEmergenceofPastoralPeoples,4000–1000BCE;Era3:Classical

Traditions,MajorReligions,andGiantEmpires,1000BCE–300CE

OBJECTIVEAsaclass,studentswillreflectabouttheburialitemsandburialpracticestheywitnessedintheSecrets of the Silk Road exhibition.StudentswillmapthesimilaritiesanddifferencesinVenndiagrams.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes

PROJECT NEEDS ImagesofEgyptianburialsitesandtombgoods Posterboard Gluesticks Scissors Magazines(orclassroomcomputerlabtime) Imagesfromthe Secrets of the Silk Road exhibitionfoundonlineathttp://www.penn.museum/silkroad

DIRECTIONS1.Studentswilldiscusstheirknowledgeofvariousculturalbeliefsintheafterlife.2.StudentswilldiscusstheirknowledgeoftombgoodsassociatedwiththeancientEgyptiansandwillwritealistof

theseobjectsontheboard.3.StudentswillreviewsampleimagesoftombgoodsassociatedwithancientEgyptiansandcomparethesewiththe

listontheboard.4.Studentswilldiscussthefollowingquestionsasaclass:

a.WhattypesoftombgoodsfromtheTarimBasin’sinhabitantsdidweobserveintheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition?

b.WereanysimilaritiesbetweentheTarimBasintombgoodsandtheancientEgyptiantombgoodsobserved?Anydifferences?

c.WereanysimilaritiesbetweentheTarimBasininhabitants’burialpracticesandtheancientEgyptian’sburialpracticesobserved?Anydifferences?

5.Studentswillreceiveapieceofposterboard,magazines,andotherartmaterials.6.Studentswillcreateacollageofobjectstheywouldchoosetoaccompanythemintotheafterlife.Ifacomputerlab

activity,studentscanlocateimagesonlineandcreateaWorddocumentofimages.7.StudentswillexamineimagesofburialobjectsfromtheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition.8.Studentswillexaminetheirburialcollage.9.StudentswillrecordsimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweentheobjectsintheircollageandtheobjectsintheSecrets of

the Silk RoadexhibitiononaVenndiagram.

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unit FIVERELEVANCE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

PRE-VISIT ACTIVITY Global Trade Today

STANDARDS Mathematics: Statistics&Probability:ConditionalProbability&theRulesofProbability

OBJECTIVEStudentswillexamineglobaltradetodaybyexaminingtheobjectsintheirbedroomandreportingstatisticaldataoftheirfinds.

SUGGESTED TIMEOneeveninghomeworkassignmentplus20minuteclassdiscussion.

DIRECTIONSAt home:1.Studentswillinventorytheitemsoftheirbedroom.2.Studentswilllisttenobjectsandwritewhereeachobjectwasmanufactured.Knowingthecountryoforigin

isamust.In class:3.Asaclass,studentswilldefinethewordglobalization.4.Studentswilldiscusstheirfindings,writingacollectivelistofproductoriginsontheblackboard.5.Studentswillcalculatethepercentageofproductsproducedineachcountry.6.Studentswilldiscussthefollowingquestionsasaclass:

a.Dothestudentsfindthislistsurprising?b.Whymightsomanyoftheobjectsbemanufacturedinothercountries?

7.StudentswillcalculatetheprobabilityofobjectsmanufacturedinChina,giventherandomclassroomsample.8.Studentswillcreateabargraphillustratingtheirfinds,wherethexaxisisthenumberofproductsandtheyaxisis

alistingofcountries.

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unit FIVERELEVANCE – CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

POST-VISIT ACTIVITY Silk Road Timeline

STANDARDSWorld History: Era2:EarlyCivilizationsandtheEmergenceofPastoralPeoples,4000–1000BCE;Era3:

ClassicalTraditions,MajorReligions,andGiantEmpires,1000BCE–300CE

OBJECTIVEStudentswillreflectpersonalmeaningaboutthehistoryoftheSilkRoad.TheywillalsoplacetheSilkRoadinthecontextofworldhistory.

SUGGESTED TIME50minutes

PROJECT NEEDS CopyofSilkRoadTimeline,oneperstudent.LocatedintheSecrets of the Silk RoadEducators’Guideonlineat

http://www.penn.museum/silkroad Secrets of the Silk Roadcatalogorimagesofobjectsfromtheexhibition,foundonlineat

http://www.penn.museum/silkroad ClassroomTextbook Classcomputerlabtime

DIRECTIONS1.Teacherswilldrawatimelineontheblackboard,labelingthelinefrom3000BCEto1600CE.2.Asaclass,eachstudentwillsharehis/herfavoriteobjectdiscoveredintheSecrets of the Silk Roadexhibition.3.Studentswillplacetheirobjectsonthetimeline. The Secrets of the Silk Road Catalogandthewebsiteimageswill

beconsultedforaccuracy.4.Studentswillexaminethetimelinehandout.5.Individually,studentswillselectwhattheyfeelarethetenmostimportanteventsthatstillimpactsocietytoday.6.Fromtheirtextbooks,studentswillresearchworldeventsthathappenedconcurrentlywiththeSilkRoad.They

willselectwhattheyfeelarethetenmostimportanteventsthatstillimpactsocietytoday.7.StudentswillcreateatimelinefeaturingtheirtenSilkRoadeventsandtenworldevents.

Theycangenerateandprinttheirtimelineonlineonthefollowingwebsite:http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/timeline/

8.Eachstudentwillpresenthis/hertimelinetotheclass,defendingthechoicesofhis/herevents.