It would be interesting to find out what did Chinese create out of the four great inventions: gun powder, paper, compass, printing. What are the impacts of these inventions in the development of technology, culture, and politics.
To take it even further, you could talk about the 4 inventions' impact on the world. All of these inventions eventually spread to Europe, and had a huge impact. What might have happened if China had kept these inventions secret? How might the world have been different?
I'll come back later and c&p the lesson plan from my file (saved at school). Essentially this was created as an anticipation and culminating activity while teaching about the accomplishments of the Tang and Song Dynasty.
This was my (husband's) first time using the scan feature on our printer. I didn't know it would only scan 1 sheet at a time. I apologize. Page 1&2 lesson plans Page 3&4 anticipation guide & answer key. Please note that I did use our 6th and 7th grade history books for this information (Prentice Hall). Page 5 example of how the group paper would be divided Page 6-8 copy of Dr. Keith Ray's article "Chinese Inventions"
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