Penny Whitworth-Smith

Seton Catholic Central

AP World History

paws6571@hotmail.com

Introduction:

Throughout history, long distance trade and Silk Roads offered many different opportunities for cultural and biological exchanges. Trade in silk and other luxury items generated a vast network of roads throughout central Asia collectively known as the Silk Road. Under the Han Dynasty, the Chinese government actively encouraged this trade with the West, specifically with the eastern portion of the Roman Empire. Trade also occurred along sea routes that ran from the South China Sea in the east to the Red Sea in the west.

Ø Various people, animals, ideas, pathogens and goods traveled the extensive network. Modern day scholars look to the Five Themes of Geography to closely examine the patterns of movement.

Ø Items such as silk, elephants, cotton, watermelon, rubies and nutmeg were traded extensively throughout the regions.

Ø Ideas spread along the trade route; Buddhist beliefs were spread from the Middle East to modern day Vietnam and Cambodia by monks traveling along side merchant caravans.

The Task:

The class will be broken into Five (5) groups. You may chose your own group; however, two groups must contain six (6) members and three groups must contain five (5) members. If any one person gets left out of a group, then the groups will be chosen randomly by the teacher.

Each group will look at the task below and create a movie based on information gathered by the group.

v Chose an item that would have traveled along the Silk Roads between 250 BCE to 476 CE.

v Become that item. Personalize the item. Animate the item.

v Tell its journey to the world using a television documentary style.

The Process:

Each group will complete the accompanying worksheets that will help guide the group through the task located at the Global History Public Policy Analyst site.

1. Identify the problem: Chose and identify your item. Print out and complete Worksheet #1.

2. Gather the evidence: Research your item and gather as much information you can regarding your item and its journey. Print out and complete Worksheet #2.

3. Determine the causes: Focus on underlying factors that may have impact on your item and its journey and support the factors with evidence. Print out and complete Worksheet #3.

4. Evaluate the policy: Did the item you chose succeed in impacting world history or have no effect?  Print out and complete Worksheet #4.

Resources:

· Karakoram Highway: Pakistan to China

· Interactive Silk Road Maps

· http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/

· http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/sept_11/afghan_culture_01.shtml

· http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html

· http://www.travelchinaguide.com/silkroad/history/index.htm

· http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/features/silkroad/main.html

· http://www.schirmer.com/silkroad/timeline.html

· http://www.historyguide.org/

· https://www.google.com/

Evaluation:

CATEGORY	8 Points	6 Points	4 Points	2 Points
Organization	Group is well organized. The workload is divided and shared equally by all team members.	Group is organized. The workload is divided and shared fairly by all team members, though workloads may vary from person to person.	Group is somewhat organized. The workload was divided, but one person in the group is viewed as not doing his/her fair share of the work.	There was no clear or logical organizational structure. The workload was not divided OR several people in the group are viewed as not doing their fair share of the work.
Content	Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent.	Includes essential knowledge about the topic. Subject knowledge appears to be good.	Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors.	Content is minimal OR there are several factual errors.
Presentation	Well-rehearsed with smooth delivery that holds audience attention. Show lasts minimum 12 minutes.	Rehearsed with fairly smooth delivery that holds audience attention most of the time. Show lasts minimum 8 minutes.	Delivery not smooth, but able to maintain interest of the audience most of the time. Show lasts minimum 6 minutes.	Delivery not smooth and audience attention often lost. Show is less than 5 minutes in length.
Originality	Product shows a large amount of original thought. Ideas are creative and inventive.	Product shows some original thought. Work shows new ideas and insights.	Uses other people's ideas (giving them credit), but there is little evidence of original thinking.	Uses other people's ideas, but does not give them credit.
Sources	Source information collected for all graphics, facts and quotes. All documented in desired format.	Source information collected for all graphics, facts and quotes. Most documented in desired format.	Source information collected for graphics, facts and quotes, but not documented in desired format.	Very little or no source information was collected.

NYS Standards:

Social Studies:

Standard 2 World History

Standard 3 Geography

Standard 4 Economics

English Language Arts:

Standard 1 Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 3 Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Standard 4 Language for Social Interaction

Mathematics, Science and Technology:

Standard 2 Information Systems

Standard 4 Science: Physical and Living Environment

Standard 5 Technology: Impact and Evolution of Technology

Conclusion:

Congratulations on the completion of your journey! Did you remember to get your passport stamped? Because of your excellent documentary skills on the journey, you have been nominated for an Oscar!