Ancient China Test

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China Article: Great Wall of China

Period 3 Only: Read these two articles and answer the questions in a comment box once you have completed the Ancient China Test.

Click Here for the Great Wall of China Article

1. How long is the Great Wall of China?
2. Why was the Great Wall built?
3. What two dynasties get credit for building the Great Wall?
4. What types of people worked on the Great Wall?
5. According to scientists, about how many people died while working on the Great Wall?
6. What materials were used in building the Great Wall?
7. Besides the wall, what other types of things were included in the Great Wall?

Click Here for the Terra Cotta Article

1. Who was the Terra Cotta Warriors built for?
2. About how many Terra Cotta warriors were built?
3. Why did Shi Huangdi build such a large tomb with such a large Army?
4. Describe what the Terra Cotta soldiers looked like.
5. Besides the soldiers, what other items were in the tomb?
6. What was the condition of the soldiers when they were found?
7. What were the soldiers made out of?

In-Class Blogging. Not Homework. 

WSG Live! Ancient China

Let's begin!!!

Ancient China Study Guide

Here is your Ancient China Study Guide. Use it to review the topics on the test and use the review games. In order to be good at anything, you must put in some extra time to prepare. An NFL football player did NOT just go to the scheduled team practices, they put in time on their own lifting weights, running, etc. If you want to do really well on the test, you have to put in some extra time studying the material. 

Test: Friday, January 31st. 100 points.

Ancient China Study Guide

Help me pick a new Theme for Water for Sixth Grade

Mr. Klumper is a Ninja Warrior

Ancient Chinese Warrior Revamped from Dan Klumper on Vimeo.

Finally, here is the proof that I am, in fact, a ninja warrior. I am going to demonstrate for you eight weapons of the ancient Chinese warrior. Fist, rake, chain, chopsticks, throwing stars, throwing knives, staff, and the grand finale, the sword. Please, please, please. I beg of you. Do not try this at home. I am a trained warrior professional who has gone threw many, many, many hours of intense training of both the mind and body. I have gone to the ends of the earth to study the ways of the ancient Chinese warrior and have brought back knowledge and skill that I will share with you now. However, despite my extreme ability with these weapons, please do not be scared of me. I am still your nice, kind, supportive teacher who uses his abilities for good. Enjoy the video.

Dynasties of China Online Practice

Click the Link below to practice your China Dynasty knowledge. This link will give you a variety of questions that deal with the first four dynasties of China: Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han. This would be an excellent opportunity to take advantage of and get ready for the test on Friday. You can take the practice challenge without having an account, but if you sign up for a free account, you will be able to keep track of you statistics and see your improvement as you get better. Use this tool!!! It took me 14 hours to make this for you, so please use it! Thank you. 

Dynasties of Ancient China Practice

Mouse War 2014: The Battle of Sink Cabinet

It is a difficult task to concentrate on your job throughout the week when your mind is many miles away. Sure, I may seem okay, but that is just a mask because my true thoughts this week were at home, on the battle field, to the war raging in the kitchen. Mouse War 2014 threatened to tear down the very core and beliefs of our home and what it stands for. As the mouse ran amuck throughout our house each day, the very fabric of our lives was beginning to pull, tear. With each passing day and empty trap, our hopes and dreams were beginning to splinter, teetering on the verge of irreparable. The discovery of the mouse happened Monday with the revelation of tiny mouse droppings under the kitchen sink. That discovery set in motion one of the most fierce and bitter battles the world has ever seen. It made the Battle of the Bulge look like a joyous family gathering in the meadow. Immediately upon discovery, I rallied the troops and placed four traps strategically throughout the kitchen. I was determined, focused. I laced each trap with peanut butter, thinking surely that feisty little bugger would not be able to resist the succulent taste of the creamy Jif. I awoke the first morning excited to end the battle after just one night. However, that sneaky little devil had made his way around to all four traps and licked every one clean. As I slept that night, dreaming of the common core, Google drive and sunsets, that mouse helped himself to quite the midnight snack. Undeterred, I retrieved each of the four traps and loaded them again with peanut butter. The next morning, I again sprang out of bed to see if the mouse had raised the white flag and again I saw nothing but four sparkling clean traps. Not a speck of peanut butter in sight. I could almost hear the laughter booming from wherever that mouse was hiding, deep within the cabinets. That taunting just fueled my inner drive to not give up and keep fighting, no matter the cost. During the evening, it seemed as if my eye would constantly catch a shadow darting across the floor or peaking out from a corner. I would snap my head around and but nothing. For my next plan of action, I decided to abandon the peanut butter method and go a different route. With "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities blaring in my headphones, I jammed a piece of cheese into each trap and placed them in position. On the morning of the fourth day of the war, I made my way downstairs to the kitchen, on the verge of losing hope and motivation. A man can only be pushed so far before he breaks. The first trap I checked, nothing. The cheese had been swiped during the night. Dejected, I checked the second trap and again, found it empty. No cheese. As my eyes began to moisten and the real possibility of defeat looming above my head, I checked the third trap and there it was. A sight like no other. A magical moment that Hollywood itself could not recreate. The mouse had been caught! The wire bar had snapped down, breaking his neck instantly, ending the long and grueling war. I sat on my kitchen floor, looking at the fallen mouse, with his eyes bugging out of his head and just reflected on all that had happened during the week. The pain, the suffering, the fear. It was a moment etched in the timeline of my life that will not easily be forgotten. I feel like now that I have won the Mouse War 2014, I can do anything.

Ancient Chinese Inventions in Action!

Chinese Inventions In Action from Dan Klumper on Vimeo.

Ancient Chinese Inventions

Ancient China is famous for inventing many things. Every day, you use something that was invented in ancient China. Don't believe me? Well, watch this video and see some of the many ancient Chinese Inventions. As you watch the video, ask yourself: What inventions do I use? What inventions do I use the most? Do I know what that is? Think about the major impact the inventions of ancient China has had on our culture here in Brandon, SD. Imagine taking away all the inventions from the video. What would life be like?

Lone Survivor: An Epic Experience

(L to R): Murphy, Luttrell, Axelson, Dietz

This past weekend, I saw the movie "Lone Survivor" and felt moved to share.  The story is about Operation Redwing, a Navy SEAL mission to provide recon against a leading Taliban target in the mountains of Afghanistan. The mission goes awry when some goat herders come upon the four SEALs laying in cover, watching the compound. Suddenly, the SEALs are forced to make a tough decision: execute the goat herders and protect the operation or let them go and risk the goat herders alerting the army below. Lt. Michael Murphy, the SEAL in charge, decides to let the goat herders go, deciding that executing the three goat herders was not the right thing to do and in violation of the terms of engagement. Within hours, hundreds of Taliban soldiers armed to the teeth are upon the SEALs and a ferocious gun fight ensues. The movie does an amazing job capturing the horrific scene of the fight, yet portraying the bond and brotherhood between the SEALs as they fight to stay alive and fight for each other. Movies today are done with such a high level of quality that sitting in that theater room, you felt like you were on that mountain, fighting with the SEALs. It was such an amazing thing to watch those four SEALs, outnumbered 100-1, never quit, never give up, never stop fighting. As the name suggests, only one man makes it off that mountain, Marcus Luttrell, who is taken in and protected by a village near the mountain. He returns to the United States and tells the story of his brothers and what happened that day. It really hits home and makes one think at the end of the movie when they show pictures of the real SEALs who died that day, along with their family members. Many of those SEALs had sons and daughters, kids that will never get to see their dad again, wives widowed, moms and dad's outliving their children. The sacrifice these SEALs made and the sacrifice they continue to make is such an unbelievable thing, something we often take for granted. We often forget about the men and women out there, fighting, keeping us safe. We can sit on our front porch, watch the sunset in the horizon and not have a care in the world. We can be at home when our kids wake up and eat breakfast together. We have the right to share what we think without fear of persecution. We can choose our path in life and forge our own destiny, all because we live in America, the home of the brave and courageous. We live in freedom, protected by the undeterred men and women who fight in the shadows. I think it is so humbling that those men would willingly go into those mountains, into the eye of the storm, to fight and die for me, for you, for people they've never met. If you get the chance to experience Lone Survivor, you will leave with a swirling mind, an overflowing sense of appreciation and a full heart. 

The Wondrous Pizza Bagel

Is there such a food that makes one forget about all their problems? Is there a food that takes one out of reality and into a dream world of flavor and deliciousness? Is there a food that hypnotizes the mind and soul? The answer: Yes. A most emphatic Yes. It is called the Pizza Bagel and it is a wondrous combination of flavor and awesomeness. The Pizza Bagel can be bought at Bagel Boy in Sioux Falls, SD. Upon entering Bagel Boy, I walk with a spring in my step over to the counter and peer into the bagel rack to make sure they have the "Everything Bagel" which is by far the best type of bagel to use for the Pizza Bagel. One time, I walked into Bagel Boy and the worker informed me that the Everything Bagel was out for the day, I couldn't believe it. I put my head down and did the zombie shuffle out the door and into my truck, where I sat for 10 minutes and cried. I drove straight home and sat in a dark room, depressed for three days. When ordering the Pizza Bagel, make sure the worker puts a pepperoni over the hole in the bagel because then the sauce will not leak out the hole and fall onto your pants, making a slightly embarrassing stain on your trousers. I like to go to Bagel Boy, order a Pizza Bagel and then sit by myself in the corner of the restaurant and enjoy the delicious, flavor packed wonder that is the Pizza Bagel. It is best to sit alone, away from the other people because they often give odd glances of confusion as I sit there, eating with a giant smile plastered across my face the whole time. Upon first bite, the combination of cheese, sauce, pepperoni and the multiple flavor crystals of the Everything bagel such as onion, poppy, garlic, etc. makes my taste buds overflow like the Nile river. Each time I am fortunate enough to make it to Bagel Boy, I order a cinnamon crunch bagel with cinnamon and sugar along with my Pizza Bagel because when the Pizza Bagel comes out of the toaster, it is too hot to eat, so the cinnamon and sugar bagel serves as a nice little appetizer while you wait for the Pizza Bagel to cool. Eating the Pizza Bagel when it is too hot is one of the worst things a human can do because one can not enjoy all the flavor if it's too hot. So be patient. Dig down deep to find the strength to wait for it to cool off. Once it has reached the appropriate temperature, though, tear in to that thing with reckless abandon. So, next time you are in Sioux Falls or any city with a Bagel Boy, stop in. Order up a Pizza Bagel on the Everything Bagel. You will be glad you did.

Welcome to Ancient China

Water for Sixth Grade in 2014: Honoring the Troops

Water for Sixth Grade will be honoring the United States Military in 2014. What better way to ring in the new year than thanking the men and women who keep this country free? What better way to thank those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice when they laid down their lives to protect ours? Though this class is focused on ancient civilization, we are all free Americans and for that, we should be very thankful. If you happen to be out and about and see a soldier in uniform, be brave enough to go up to them and thank them, whether they are in perilous situations on the front lines, or do not encounter any danger, they have still made the choice to bear arms and fight for our country. They have chosen to be away from their family in order to protect ours. The new WSG logo represents all the branches of the United States military. Can you figure them out? Bonus questions: What is the picture in the bottom right hand corner? Might need to do some searching on that. So, as we begin ancient China and 2014, we salute the troops and say a big "Thank you!"