AskAsia
Asia Society
http://www.askasia.org/students/
Created as a comprehensive K-12 resource on Asia, this site's mission is to
strengthen mutual understanding between the United States and Asia. It does
just that, with a variety of educational sections geared for student use. There
are readings on a broad spectrum of topics, maps, photos, drawings, and
timelines. Colorful and interesting, there are many attractive features, such
as a Chinese translation guide and a map game on China's geographic regions.
This site provides a helpful complement to material discussed in
Lesson 19:
Geography and the Early Settlement of China and
Lesson 21:
Three Chinese Philosophies.
Daily Life in Ancient China
http://ancienthistory.mrdonn.org/Chinalife.html
Archaeologists have found over 100,000 oracle bones from the time of the Shang
dynasty. These ancient objects tell of these people's most pressing questions
about daily life. Informed by such sources as the oracles bones, this site
focuses on the daily life of people during several dynasties - the Xia, Shang,
Chou, Han, and T'ang. Learn about the lives of families, merchants, farmers,
children, and others at this interesting and detailed site. This site is an
especially useful resource for
Lesson 20: Exploring the Shang Dynasty
and
Lesson 23: The Han Dynasty.
Dim Sum: A Connection to Chinese-American Culture
http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/Angier/DimSum/DimSum T.ofCon.HomePg.html
Designed for the public schools as a cross-curricula and integrated resource on
China, this site's Social Studies section includes information on geography,
mapping, the Great Wall, and the Silk Road. Each section is designed for
teachers as topical and skill-based activities, but the background information
pages are thorough reviews of the material for students. There are maps and
pictures to augment the textual exploration of each subject. This site is most
useful for
Lesson 19: Geography and Early Settlement of China and
Lesson 24: The Silk Road.
Internet East Asian History Sourcebook
Fordham University
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/eastasia/eastasiasbook.html
This site is a compilation of primary sources, articles, images, and Internet
sites on ancient China. Including sections on cultural origins, religious
traditions, and imperial China, this site is worth visiting when doing research
on any topic in ancient China. Most noteworthy are the selections of primary
source documents. Some examples contained here are excerpts from Confucius's
Analects
and a tower inscription of Emperor Qin's Legalist policies. Constructive for
all lessons, this site fits well with
Lesson 21: Three Chinese Philosophies.
Teaching the Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology
National Gallery of Art
http://www.nga.gov/education/chinatp_splash.htm
Did you know that the Shang were amazingly skilled metalworkers? Beautifully
detailed vessels found in royal tombs attest to the advanced work in bronze
created by the Shang. A combination of artifacts and text are used to tell the
story of several periods of history: late prehistoric China, the Bronze Age,
the Zhou Dynasty, and early imperial China. This site also has teaching
activities, a chronology, and a pronunciation guide where you can hear terms
spoken in Chinese. Of particular interest are the pictures of excavations of
the tombs of Shang rulers and of Emperor Qin, making this site an excellent
choice for
Lesson 20: Exploring the Shang Dynasty and
Lesson
22: The First Emperor of China.
Timeline of Art History
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/splash.htm?HomePageLink=toah_l
How much can we learn about a culture and its history through the work of its
artisans and artists? This timeline spans the globe and thousands of years.
Click on the timeline for the appropriate years, and then go to Asia for
information on China. This site uses the museum's collection of artifacts and
art, as well as text, maps, and focused timelines to illuminate and explain
history. The most detailed information is on the later years of the ancient
period, during the Qin and the Han dynasties. This site is a resource for
interesting information on
Lesson 24: The Silk Road.
