Mitzi+H


 * The Silk Road**

Happy Trails is a travel writer for //Explore// magazine and keenly interested in the Silk Road. A self-proclaimed renaissance man, Mr. Trails enjoys outdoor activities, photography, and attending cultural events. To help Mr. Trails decide which features of the Silk Road he should travel back in time to visit, you'll need to research the Silk Road and present your key findings on the following questions:

= **Key Questions:** =


 * 1) What was the Silk Road? How was the Silk Road created? How was it protected? How were cities and territories connected?
 * 2) What type of goods or ideas- physical, intellectual, or religious- crossed the Silk Road?
 * 3) Why is the Silk Road important to World History? What is the relationship between the Silk Road and the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire?

=Resources= Your research will be confined to the following web resources and library databases. If you wish to use a resource not on this list you must seek approval from your teacher.

**The Silk Road**
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 * Library Databases **
 * @http://www.micdslibrary.com/databases.html

Scroll down to the History/Social Studies menu; the ABCCLIO Ancient World History database is particularly helpful.

=Research and Citations= Use the space below to record your research for each question. Remember that you will need to cite your sources using the format found on the MICDS Library resource page.

What was the Silk Road?
Thnink of trading, or in the common era, purchasing. Still a form of trading yet so different from the ancient worlds we are learning more and more about today. The Silk Road was a system of trading that was used in China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthinean and Roman empires, long ago, and is still partially used to this day. From China, the routes pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Byelorussia, and Poland before reaching Germany and the Netherlands. It allowed a large variety of goods to be traded throughout different civilizations. Although goods are materialistic and can be physically traded(you give me this, I'll give you that) religion and ideas were "traded" as well. It wasn't like with goods though. People practicing religions such as Buddhism, Zoroastianism, Islam, Nestorianism, and Manichaeism, would influence others to practice. Buddhist monks and nuns practiced Buddhism, pre-Islamic Iranian people practiced Zoroastrianism, and Muslim Arabs practiced Islam. Chinese technology, a form of ideas and creations, was "traded" as well. Paper and the compass are two of China's major inventions. And, those too were traded along the Silk Road. The Silk Road wasn't just an old fashioned shopping mall, it was so much more than that.

How was the Silk Road created?
Today, stores are open all over the world selling goods, some valuabe and some not. But, when an item is purchased, it is traded for money. Trading can be traced all the way back to the beginning of the universe when nomads traded for goods they needed. In China, around 200 B.C.E., around the time of the Han Dynasty, trade routes developed. These trade routes were called the Silk Road. The Silk Road wasn't just one long trade route, it was many trade routes going all throughout, but not only, China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthinian and Roman Empires. But, the trade routes didn't just appear out of nowhere. There is a story behine the creation of the Silk Road. Long ago there was a chinese explorer named Zhang Qian, nicknamed the father of the Silk Road. He was sent by a Han Emperor, along with 100 men, to form an alliance with Western China, the Hun's, the Han Dynasty's enemy. In Western China Zhang Qian was made prisoner twice, both of which times he escaped. Qian failed to form an allience with the Huns, but he managed to learn a lot about how they live their lives. Qian went back to his home and reported all he had learned. The Han Dynasty was now aware of how their enemy's lived. A couple of years later Qian traveled back to Western China. On that trip he discovered that the Huns have a more powerful type of horse. He also discovered grapes, a fruit unknown to China. Zhang Qian established trade routes with their Western neighbors, the Hans, and that developed the Silk Road. The Silk Road earned its name because the Han Dynasty traded silk, and silk was very valuable. The Han Dynasty had people who were the only ones that knew how to make silk. Silk turned into cloth, smooth, strong, warm, and light cloth. Everyone wanted cloth. So, as was stated earlier, the Silk Road wasn't just an old fashioned shopping mall. It was a way of life to our ancestors in China. The Silk Road was one of the greatest "inventions" of all time. No one could have predicted that.

How was it protected?
The Silk Road, linked through deserts, mountains, plains, and some not so nice towns, was not totally safe, but not totally bad either.The ancient people tried their best to make trading as safe as it can be. Soldiers were stationed all along the Silk Road, overlooking the trade so crimes did not happen. But, even today with people watching, crimes are still occurring. So, what makes everyone think that crimes didn't happen back then? Because they did. But, as always, most people survived, and protected all they had with eveything they had to give. Many travelers made it to and from their destination safely, but there were still some who had the misfortune to get caught in crime. Overall, the Silk Road was a safe trade route to travel on, with sketchy areas scattered about.

How were cities and territories connected?
Unition, acting together, creating something more than just a place to get the goods needed, China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthinian and Roman Empires were all connected by the Silk Road, or roads. The Silk Road wasn't just one road, it was a series of small trade routes going all throughout China and the areas surrounding it, connecting to one large trade route. The cities and territories associated with the Silk Road were not only now connected with eachother, and in contact with eachother, but were able to learn about eachother. All the ancient people had known was to conquer, to unite, and rule the world. But, with the Silk Road, it wasn't one person ruling over it. It was everyone together. Yes, some places might have been more involved with the creation than others. But, the Silk Road was so much more than just a ruling city. It was unition. All of the cities and territories that knew hardly anything about eachother were united.They were learning about eachother. They were working together to keep this trade route going. And, no, all wars didn't stop, but instead of conquering to order people to do things and get things for them, they were trading for the goods they needed. And along the way, religion and ideas began to be influenced as well.

What type of goods or ideas- physical, intellectual, or religious- crossed the Silk Road?
The list of goods, ideas, and religion traded could go on for days. But, some items were more significant than others. Like silk for example, explaing the name the Silk Road. Silk was an item that everyone needed and wanted, and, at the time, the Han Dynasty was the only area that could produce silk. Silk was in demand. Silk was soft, strong, and light, the type of clothing needed to work in in the blaring sun and heat. Other goods traded were, but were not limited to, ironware, gold, platinum, bronze mirrors, ceramics, lacquer, bamboo wares, medical herds and drugs, perfumes, ivory, jewels, glassware, alfalfa, grapes, sesame, pomegranets, walnuts, carrots, lions, peacocks, elephants, camels, horses, wines, and spice. Smelting and farming technology and Chinese inventions of paper making, gunpowder, printing and the compass were also traded. The silk road influenced trade in China, Central Asia, Northern India, and the Parthinian and Roman empires. Many people from different places all along Asia began to trade. Although religion wasn't truly traded, many different practiced religions were passed on. Buddhist monks and nuns influnenced the "trade" of Buddhism. Pre-Islamic Iranian people influenced Zoroastrianism. Arab Muslims influenced Islam. Nestoranianiam and Manichaeism were also influenced along the silk road. So many goods and ideas were traded, as well as religions influenced, that it is surprising that all of the ancient cities and territories weren't combined as one.

Why is the Silk Road important to World History? What is the relationship between the Silk Road and the Han Dynasty and Roman Empir e?
The Silk Road wasn't just a trade route throughout many cities and territories. It was more than that. The Silk Road is something that will stay part of history forever becuase of what it did. It united cities. It united territories. People in one city now had the ability to learn about people halfway across the world from them. Goods and ideas were traded. Religion was influenced onto other people that didn't practice it before. These civilizations were so deep, they had to be peeled back layer by layer just to learn one thing some outsider never knew. These ancient cities were so different, yet in such hidden ways, much the same. The Silk Road helped these unknown territories be known. People from all over began to trade. The Silk Road stretched from West to East, so something from the West could reach the east. The Silk Road connected the Han Dynasty and the Roman Empire in a way other than conquering. The Silk Road was a way that many cities and territories could learn about eachtoher. They could even learn from eachother. They could grow as a group instead as an individual. But, most importantly, the Silk Road will always be known for uniting the cities and territories that the Silk Road passed through. The Silk Road will always be a significant part of history and I am proud to say that I have been able to learn about it in such deep ways.

Similarities and Differences
Before deciding which dynasty your client should visit, you may wish to create a simple Venn Diagram to compare/contrast the two empires. You may use [|this template] or create one online at Read-Write-Think.

Which empire should Mr. Trails, a travel writer, visit? Why?
= **Travel Poster Components:** =

The travel poster should be attractive, persuasive, and highlight the major features of the Silk Road as they relate to each empire. You will create the poster using Glogster.edu (instructions will be provided in class) and it should contain the following components:

__**Travel Poster Components**__
 * 1) One Glogster.edu poster for the Silk Road
 * 2) At least six "must see" tourist destinations/features with detailed text and relevant images
 * 3) At least two audio recordings

//Note: For the Silk Road, "destinations/features" may be physical, intellectual, or religious.//

The **[|Poster Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before handing in your final product. When you have completed the poster, embed it below the "Travel Poster" heading below:

Travel Poster
//embed your poster here by copying the embed code from Glogster and adding an HTML widget//

= **Oral Presentation Guidelines** = The presentation is your opportunity to explain why the Silk Road is an ideal tourist destination and should follow these guidelines:


 * 1) Less than 3 minutes in length
 * 2) Should address/explain the "must see" features of the Silk Road
 * 3) Should explain why the client should visit these features

This presentation is about speaking skills and the use of your poster. You will be permitted to use notecards but are NOT to simply read your notes to the audience. The **[|Presentation Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before giving your final presentation.