China Test Prep-Win a Survival Bracelet

In preparation for the China test Thursday, I am going to give you an opportunity to prepare for the test AND win a survival bracelet. I have a basketball game tonight in Sioux Falls so I will not be able to have WSG Live! (though we will for sure do this again next unit). Despite the absence of WSG Live!, I still wanted to give you an opportunity to study for the test and win a survival bracelet. 
Task: Write a conversation between you and your Silk Road travel partner. The conversation needs to be about the Dynasties of China. You need to include AT LEAST 5 things about the dynasties in your comment. 
 Points: Ungraded. However, if you do this, you will get your name in the bucket for a survival bracelet that you get to design yourself. (up to 3 colors). 
 DUE: Thursday, 8:00 a.m. Prize: Design your own survival bracelet. 
 Example Conversation: 
Me: "Hey President Kennedy. How are you?" 
Kennedy: "I'm great. Thanks." 
Me: "Do you know what Legalism is?" 
Kennedy: "Yes, its when people obey rulers out of fear." 
Me: "That is correct! Good Job. The Qin dynasty had legalism." 
Kennedy: "Yeah, I knew that. I was a president, ya know." 
Me: "Sorry. Do you know what dynasty used Oracle Bones?" 
Kennedy: "Of course! It was the Shang Dynasty. Also the first dynasty of China." 
(Conversation continues......)

Ancient China Study Guide

Our relatively brief unit of Ancient China is coming to a close, so it's time for the China study guide. The ancient China test will be between 30 and 40 multiple choice questions. It will be open note which means you can use your China Work Packet. You can not use the internet during the test for help. The only notes you can use are in your China Work Packet, so make sure you have that with you and completed. In the study guide, you will find the topics that will be covered on the test, along with some review tools/games. You will also find the much anticipated China Arcade! (manic minor, wordshoot, etc). So, even though it is an open note test, you must do some review and studying because you don't have enough time to search for every answer in your notes.

Ancient China Study Guide 2012

Test: Thursday, December 20th. 

Honoring Newtown, CT

Unimaginable horror. I don't even know what to say about what happened in Newtown, CT yet it's all I can think about. I can't stop thinking about how horrible a tragedy it is and how unbelievably sad those families must be today. Christmas presents for those kids are sitting under Christmas trees. Their coats still hanging from the hooks. Images and thoughts that bring about the deepest meanings of sadness and brokenness. What can I do to help? I've racked my brain thinking of something to do that could actually help those families. I decided that one thing I could do is to just show my unflinching support for the victims, their families, and the survivors by changing my website and voicing my support to whoever reads this and follows my blog. For this week, my website will be a dedication to Sandy Hook E.S. and to show that I am mourning with them. It seems the word "sad" is not a strong enough word to capture the emotions felt by those who live in Newtown. My heart broke when I heard what happened. I have this overwhelming sense of sadness and I'm hundreds of miles away from where it actually happened. I can't comprehend what things must be like in Newtown today. How does a person, a family move on? For me, my sadness stems from the fact that I am a teacher who goes to school everyday. I think about the fact that the teaching profession lost 6 amazing adults, adults who gave their lives to protect children. My heart breaks as a father of a 7 year old, the age most of the kids were who died, when I think about those moms and dads who will never get to hold their child again. I hug my daughters tighter, more often as Newtown showed us just how fragile and unpredictable life can be. Each morning, when we wake up, I think we should have a new found sense of thankfulness and appreciate what we have. I think we should tell our loved ones how we feel more often, show more compassion. I think we need to stop taking things for granted. I think we should think about Newtown, CT and send our thoughts and prayers to those families.

The Silk Road Game

We have been doing a lot of preparation and planning for our Silk Road adventure. Now, it is time to see if all that hard work paid off and whether or not you survive the trip. You have no idea what will happen to you on the Silk Road. However, you do know that bad stuff will happen to you, so try to prepare for those bad situations. Just like in real life, the Silk Road is a tough, brutal journey that guarantees no one survival. The Silk Road has chewed up and spit out many travelers. With this powerpoint, you will see how you do in the Silk Road adventure as it takes you through the scenarios. These scenarios were chosen at random. In the back of your journal, keep track of how many points you have, how much money you have, and how much silk you have. During the trip, you will either gain points or lose points. At the end of the game, you need to have a positive amount of points, positive amount of money, and silk in order to survive and win the game. Good Luck! 

Ancient China Vocabulary Tool

Use the ancient China vocabulary tool to help you figure out the definitions. To "unlock" the definitions for your vocab words, you simply have to unscramble the words. Good Luck! 

Ancient China Vocab Tool

Geography/Map Labeling of China

Use this powerpoint to help you label your map and to color it. Having your map next week and having it colored will help you in your attempt at survival. As you will find soon enough, you need all the help you can get next week.

Ancient China Spotlight: Confucianism

Being that I am home with my sick daughter, I decided I better do some work since you are all in school today without me. She's taking a nap now, so I have some good WSG time. With my absence from school, I thought this would be a good time to share some information about Confucianism. So, let's go. 
Confucianism is not a religion. It is a philosophy, a way of behaving. Supporters of Confucianism argue that if a person follows Confucianism, they will do the right things in life. This way of thinking, known as Confucianism, was developed by a man named Confucius. Confucius was born in 551 BCE in China during the Zhou dynasty. Though his parents started out wealthy, the fall of the Zhou dynasty caused he and his family to become poor. When Confucius was 15, he discovered that he had a strong desire to learn. However, because he wasn't in a family of status and nobility, he was not allowed to get an education. He had a difficult time finding a way to learn since public libraries and public schools were not yet invented. Confucius decided he would go to work for a nobleman because this would give him the chance to get educated. With the nobleman, Confucius learned a lot and traveled all over the place. Confucius kept studying and learning and soon was the most educated man in the land. Word of Confucius's intelligence spread, and soon, people were sending their sons to study with him. Confucius taught all who were eager to learn the principles of his beliefs which were: developing strong personal responsibility and high moral character to do what is right. Through the years, Confucius wrote many famous quotes. 

Click Here to read some quotes from Confucius

Ancient China's Arrival

Try our slideshow maker at Animoto.

Hello and welcome to ancient China. For this ancient world, we will be traveling to the far East, in search of knowledge about many different topics. We will learn about the landscape of China, the Dynasties that shaped this great civilization, inventions that still impact our world today, and finally the Silk Road, a journey that will push you to the extreme. This three week unit will go fast, so buckle up and get focused.
Watch the video above to start experiencing ancient China. Do you recognize anything? 

Virtual Boards from South Korea and a call for HELP

I am very excited to post some virtual boards from our friends in South Korea. Their teacher, Mr. Ates, created Lino boards for his three classes. On these boards, you will find some very interesting information and pictures from Jeju and the Korean International school. 
KIS 1st period Virtual Board 
KIS 7th period Virtual Board 
KIS 8th period Virtual Board

Task: Post a comment with any of your thoughts about what you see on these boards. What do you find interesting? What surprises you? What questions do you still have? 


I Need Help! If you would like to help me make a video tour of our school to send to our friends in South Korea, post a comment. I need a tour guide and a video camera person.