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#432. A Unified China

, level: Middle
Posted Mon May 11 21:27:29 PDT 1998 by Keith Kostman (kkostman@earthlink.net).
Marymount Academy, Santa Barbara, CA
Materials Required: Book covering Qin emperor's accomplishments
Activity Time: 50 minutes
Concepts Taught: History, Measurement, Geography

Lesson Plan “A Unified China”

I. OBJECTIVE: Summarize and evaluate the major changes Qin instituted as emperor.

Students will identify Qin’s major goal as emperor: unify China.
Students will determine the steps Qin took to unify China: money standard; measurement
standard; system of bureaucracy...
Students will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of Qin’s approach to unification.

II. SET: Relate new learning to previous lesson and provide students with objectives.

The Chinese Box. “What are some things we often associate with China?”

Fortune Cookies. “Actually an American invention” Open cookie and read fortune. This
will lead students directly to...

Confucius. “Tell me about Confucius”

State objective to students (fortune cookie). Hand out worksheet.

III. GUIDED PRACTICE: Three activities.

First Activity. (pair work)

“Why would it be important for the emperor and the people to use the same money?”
Pairs are given different currencies in order to generate ideas. Pairs report their findings
to the class and receive “common currency”.

Second Activity. (small groups)

Measure desks using different standards. Groups report their different findings.
“Why might different measurement standards cause confusion?”
“How would one standard lead to unity?”
“Advantages for the people and the emperor?”

Third Activity.(whole class)

Bureaucractic systems. Relate to a pyramid. Use school system as an example.
Using a telephone, role-play activity, students will attempt to solve problems in the
“kingdom”. This will give them direct bureaucratic experience.
“Advantages and disadvantages of a bureaucracy?”

IV. CLOSURE: Evaluation.

Individually, students identify Qin’s major goal as emperor and list advantages and
disadvantages to his approach. Refer to initial worksheet. Report to class.

Hand out fortune cookies and pass around Chinese objects.

V. EXTENSION

Qin wanted to “unify” China.

“uni” is Latin for “one”.

“fy” is Latin for “to make”

“unify”, therefore, means “to make one”.

The following institutions contain the prefix “uni”: The United States; The European
Union; The United Nations.

Can you suggest other words with the prefix “uni”?

List them.