John+S


 * The Silk Road**

Dusty 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**
 * []
 * []
 * [|http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk.html]
 * [|http://www.ess.uci.edu/~oliver/silk2.html]
 * []


 * 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? The Silk Road was a 5000 mile trade route that started in the capital of the Ancient Chinese Empire, Changan, around 200 BCE. It was not a single route-it branched out into a web of smaller routes surrounding two larger paths. All the paths ended in cities along the Mediterranean Sea. Goods from China, such as silk, were traded with all the civilizations along the route. This included the Indus and Roman civilizations. ===

=== How was the Silk Road created? The Silk Road began to originate when other civilizations discovered the invention of silk. They convinced China to share the precious material. Small trade routes started taking root along the path. Then they started to from a web of connecting routes that collectively became known as the Silk Road. ===

How was it protected?
At first, caravans carrying precious silk were attacked by bandits hoping to make a fortune. China extended it's boundaries to protect the caravans. They built some outposts/forts for the caravans to stop at. Some guards went with caravans. The Great Wall of China also kept out bandits/Mongols from the north.

How were cities and territories connected?
Cities and territories were connected along the Silk Road. Small settlements started along the route and gradually grew into cities. Cities that were already in existence were connected by the Silk Road. The trade allowed the settlements to maintain connections with the main Empires. === What type of goods or ideas- physical, intellectual, or religious- crossed the Silk Road? === The main good that traveled over the Silk Road was, of course, silk. Over time, other goods eventually began to flow along the route. From China, goods such as ironware, gold, platinum, bronze, ceramics, wares, furs, medicine, technology, and inventions were traded. Perfumes, ivory, jewels, glassware, crops, animals (including lions and peacocks), wines, and spices were all brought into China from the West. Buddhist ideas also traveled along the Silk Road and took root in the China/India region. Unfortunately, diseases and sicknesses also traveled along the Silk Road. === 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? ===

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?
He should visit the Chinese Empire. This is because China had far more benefits. They were a wealthy civilization. They created the Silk Road. They branched out to the other civilizations. So then they had the influence of multiple societies. They were a mix of multiple beliefs and ideas, along with their own ideas. They were technologically advanced and are still thriving today. The Romans fell apart after a time, and were too greedy and selfish. The Chinese started the silk road because other civilizations found out about the creation of silk. They then branched out to even more civilizations.

= **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.