1. DO NOW Read the diary entry of a Tang farmer.
February 26, 813
Dear Diary,
Life’s tough in Northern China. It’s so cold and dry here! I’m a farmer, and I grow wheat. We barely have enough wheat to feed our family. Sometimes I wish I could have more kids to help me around the farm and to take care of me in old age, but I can’t grow enough food to feed another child! I wish I could do something else besides farming—like make beautiful silk clothes or porcelain dishes—but I must farm to feed my family. Even worse, I don’t own the land, so the landowner takes some of the rice I grow, and then he sells it at the market. He’s growing rich from my hard work! Oh no, the Mongols are coming, I must run to protect my family!
-Tang Shi
Read the diary entry of a Tang farmer.
What problems did this farmer have? List at least three.

2. …but then everything changed forever!
Objective
SWBAT explain the significance of agricultural changes during the Song Dynasty.
For centuries and centuries, Chinese farmers had grown wheat in the cool, dry climate of northern China…
…but then everything changed forever!

3. We’re under attack! MOVE!
Change seats!!!

4. CAUSE: Farmers moved to southern China
Attacks by Mongols drove many landowners and farmers to move to southern China
The warm and wet climate of the south was ideal for growing rice plants
Turn up heat, play sound

5. PLANT HARVEST EAT Old Type of Rice
Did you know that the Chinese invented playing cards?
Game: Pretend that every second is actually a month.
EAT

6. New Type of Rice
PLANT
HARVEST
EAT

7. New Type of Rice Ready to harvest in two months instead of five
Resistant to drought and floods

8. New Farming Strategies
To grow rice on hillsides, farmers created terraces
Name another civilization that used terraces.

9. New Farming Tools
How did farmers get water to where they needed it?

10. Surplus of Rice!
Surplus: extra amount of something

11. What are the effects of a surplus of rice?
February 26, 813
Dear Diary,
Life’s tough in Northern China. It’s so cold and dry here! I’m a farmer, and I grow wheat. We barely have enough wheat to feed our family. Sometimes I wish I could have more kids to help me around the farm and to take care of me in old age, but I can’t grow enough food to feed another child! I wish I could do something else besides farming—like make beautiful silk clothes or porcelain dishes—but I must farm to feed my family. Even worse, I don’t own the land, so the landowner takes some of the rice I grow, and then he sells it at the market. He’s growing rich from my hard work! Oh no, the Mongols are coming, I must run to protect my family!
-Tang Shi
What are the effects of a surplus of rice?

12. Effects China’s population grew to over 100 million
Farmers could take away time from farming to make silk, cotton cloth, and other products to sell or trade
Landowners could sell surplus rice to buy luxury items such as silk, porcelain, pearls, & ivory

13. Summarize what you learned!
 Now that I grow rice, my life has improved in many ways.
First,
Secondly,
Finally,

14. HOMEWORK 1 page diary entry from the perspective of a Song farmer
February 26, 813
Dear Diary,
Life’s tough in Northern China. It’s so cold and dry here! I’m a farmer, and I grow wheat. We barely have enough wheat to feed our family. Sometimes I wish I could have more kids to help me around the farm and to take care of me in old age, but I can’t grow enough food to feed another child! I wish I could do something else besides farming—like make beautiful silk clothes or porcelain dishes—but I must farm to feed my family. Even worse, I don’t own the land, so the landowner takes some of the rice I grow, and then he sells it at the market. He’s growing rich from my hard work! Oh no, the Mongols are coming, I must run to protect my family!
-Tang Shi
1 page diary entry from the perspective of a Song farmer
How is your life different than a Tang farmer’s?
Use words like climate, rice, terraces, chain pump, surplus

15. Objective
SWBAT explain the significance of commercial changes during the Song Dynasty.
Commercial: having to do with the buying and selling of goods
Which letter of GRAPES?

16. Agricultural Changes
PLANT
HARVEST
EAT

17. Surplus of Rice!
Surplus: extra amount of something

18. Increased supply of goods: Peasants begin to make other goods
Cause #1 of Commercial Change
Increased supply of goods: Peasants begin to make other goods
Now that I have extra rice, what should I do instead of farm?

19. Increased demand for goods: Wealthy landowners wanted to buy luxuries
Cause #2 of Commercial Change
Increased demand for goods: Wealthy landowners wanted to buy luxuries
Owning these rice paddies has made me rich… what should I do with my money?

20. When supply of goods is high and demand of goods is high, the economy will GROW!

21. Water Transportation
China had two major rivers, but they were 1,000 miles apart
VIDEO: How did the Chinese link cities on the Yellow River with cities on the Yangtze River?

22. Water Transportation
To link cities on the Yellow River with cities on the Yangtze River, the Chinese built the Grand Canal, an artificial river

23. Water Transportation
How did the Chinese move boats uphill or downhill without damaging the boats?
The Chinese built canal locks!
Look at the diagram and tell your neighbor how a canal works. Go step by step through all seven steps.

24. Canal Locks Today
One of the most important canals is located at the Panama Canal
Why would engineers build a canal here?

25. Copper coins
Paper money

26. Paper Currency The Chinese had a shortage of copper coins.
Plus, copper coins were too heavy.
The Chinese had a solution…
Paper currency!
Which invention was used to make paper currency?

27. Visualize!
Imagine you are at a market town along a canal. The canal is crowded with barges loaded with rice and other goods. The barges are sailed, rowed, or pushed along with the help of long poles. Carts pulled by oxen trudge along the bridges that cross the canal. Peasants are coming to town to sell their surplus crops and animals, as well as things they have made at home, such as silk, charcoal, and wine.
On the streets and bridges, merchants have set up small shops to attract customers who are visiting the city. You also see “deposit shops” where rich landowners trade long strings of copper coins for paper money.