Tyler+R


 * What Makes an Empire?**

Rafael Lefort is a game designer who wants to create a new //Age of Empires//-style video game for Han China and Imperial Rome. To help Mr. Lefort decide which features of each empire he should travel back in time to visit and include in his game, you'll need to research each dynasty and present your key findings on the following questions:

= **Key Questions:** =
 * 1) What is the difference between an ‘empire’ and a ‘civilization'?
 * 2) What are some of the major similarities and differences between the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty?
 * 3) Why are the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire important to World History?

=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.

**Rome**
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 * China **
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 * __ [|http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CHEMPIRE/FORMHAN.HTM] __
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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 is the difference between an ‘empire’ and a ‘civilization'?  A civilization is a group of people gathered together that are trying to get by living together with different jobs. They are just trying to get the basic needs to survive. An empire is like a civilization but instead of just living and surviving, they are trying to conquer the world and make them pay taxes to the leaders. They usually have only one leader and this leader orders innocent people to fight in wars. Empires succeed because of their force so many to innocent citizens to fight during times of war. The civilizations have armies of volunteers that want to fight. These armies only exist so that the civilizations can defend themselves. In an empire some of your money goes to the emperor/leader, because they want it. In a civilization if they pay taxes it goes to helping the public. The emperor also uses money to help build up public things, but not all of it.

What are some of the major similarities and differences between the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty?

Houses: In both civilizations, the houses were complicated for the wealthy but simple for the poor. Han houses had baths, heaters, mechanical fans, fountains, ice-cooled rooms, big mirrors, servants, slaves, and several other rooms. These were for the wealthy, the poor had little huts that could fall or catch fire at any moment. In Rome the houses were bigger but less in detail. There houses had a main room, a study for the master, an open court area, a dining room, a kitchen, a library, a small furnished bedroom, a master bedroom, various methods for heating, ect.Thier poor was the same as Han's poor. Religion: Early Romans were abiding to simplanimisn. They had no temple or statues. Later they adopted gods from Greece. Their people turned to philosophy, and then cults from Greece and orient were adopted. Then after came Christianity which eventually became the most common religion in Rome. In Han they made ritual sacrifices to deities, spirits, and ancestors. It was family oriented, they were polytheistic. The main religions were Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Entertainment: In Rome their entertainment was always for the public. There were theaters, amphitheaters, the Colluseum, and the Circus Maximus. In the colluseum two slaves would fight to the death. Then the winner would be executed. They would also feed people to animals, and have people fight big animals like lions. In the circus maximus, they would have deadly chariot races where the competitors could whip, punch, and kick each other. There also had plays in the theaters to watch as well. In Han the entertainment wasn’t as brutal. They had many board-games like back-gammon, and musicians and dancers could be found all over the streets. They had some sports, and they had hunting, archery, and national celebrations as well. Their entertainment was for everyone, and it wasn't nearly as brutal as the Roman's entertainment. Slaves: As Romans conquered the land in Italy, millions of slaves were incorporated into daily life. They were usually taken from war. Slaves worked on farms awhile citizens were at war. Slave’s numbers increased so much that eventually there were more of them then the free paid working man in Rome. In Han they had slaves, but most of them were debt slaves and there weren’t nearly as many of them. Most would work on farms, but some worked in private quarters for the wealthy. Bathes: In Han China they had private quarters with baths that had more basic sewer systems. Because of this the poor rarely bathed. In Rome the people preferred public bathes to private bathes. There were very few private bathes. They had giant public bath houses in every village built near hot freshwater mineral springs. These baths had very complex sewer systems so that they would be very clean. For this reason the poor bathed the same amount as the wealthy. Culture: In both empires, learning and the arts were patronized by both the state and landowners. Wealthy men often bankrolled artists. In Rome they had public entertainment facilities like the collesseum, theaters, and amphitheaters. In Han china poetry, stories, and books were very common. The elite were expected to be versed in prose and poetry. Men were expected to be able to create a poem on the spot; a popular drinking game was to do a rock-paper-scissors after which the loser would either cite a poem on the spot or be forced to drink a cup of wine. To express their thoughts, Han scholars preferred the written medium; many books were written in that era. Many Han officials were appointed based on their ability to write essays explaining Confucian thought, and how it applied to the administration of the empire. Social structure: As with many cultures a person’s quality of life, depended in many ways on their rank in the social structure. For Wealthy Romans life was good. They lived in beautiful houses away from the public, with extravagant lifestyles with luxurious furnishings, surrounded by servants and slaves to cater to their every desire. Poorer Romans, however could only dream of such a life. Sweating it out in the city, they lived in shabby, squalid houses that could collapse or burn at any moment. If times were hard, they might abandon babies in the street hoping someone else would take them in s a servant or slave. Poor wealth but strong in numbers these poor people were the roman mob, to keep them contained the emperor would put on shows like chariot races and gladiatorial games. The social structure in china during the Han dynasty was determined by status, not by wealth and power. Merchants were usually wealthier than peasants, but lower in status. The wealthy in Han lived well, much like the wealthy Romans. They lived in spacious homes, and large estates, with furnishings similar to the Romans. They also hired numerous laborers to help round the house. Peasants were 90% of the numerous 60 million people in china at that time. They lived in small villages, in simple houses. They labored long and hard to grow crops throughout the year, and they still barely got by. During the winter, they worked on government projects. High taxes and simple things like bad weather could force them into debt. Lots of them had to sell what they owned and become laborers for the wealthy. 

Why are the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire important to World History? Both civilizations have legacies known to the modern world. They both have writings, and they made discoveries in math and science that we use today. Some of their technology is still used 2000 years later. For example, people drive over roman roads that have been paved over. Surprisingly, both civilizations have made a Hugh difference on the world we have today. They changed world history a lot, and who knows if it was for the better.

**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 features of each empire should Mr. Lefort travel back in time to visit and include in his game? Why? **===

=Travel Poster Components:=


 * You will create a travel poster for each of the two empires. Each poster should be attractive, persuasive, and highlight the major features related to your topic. You will create the posters using Glogster.edu (instructions will be provided in class) and they should contain the following components:**

__Travel Poster Components__
 * 1) **One Glogster.edu poster for each empire**
 * 2) **At least three "must see" tourist features to include in the game for each empire that characterize what it means to be an empire with detailed text and relevant images**
 * 3) **At least one audio recording for each empire**


 * 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 the importance of Han China and Imperial Rome and should follow these guidelines:**


 * 1) **Less than 3 minutes in length**
 * 2) **Should address/explain the "must see" features of each empire that should be included in the game**
 * 3) **Should explain why each empire is important to world history**

The **[|Presentation Rubric]** will be used to evaluate your work; you should refer to it before giving your final presentation.
 * 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.