Ancient Chinese Inventions World Cultures

China: Ahead of the World Many are surprised to realize that modern agriculture, shipping, astronomical observatories, decimal mathematics, paper money, umbrellas, wheelbarrows, multi-stage rockets, brandy and whiskey, the game of chess, and much more, all came from China--in additional to papermaking, printing, and gunpowder.

History Standard 1 and 2 Seek and evaluate multiple historical sources with different points of view to investigate a historical question and to formulate and defend a thesis with evidence Seek and evaluate multiple historical sources with different points of view to investigate a historical question and to formulate and defend a thesis with evidence Which Chinese invention has been most important to the development of Civilization throughout the world? Persuasive top 5 most important after class presentations The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes within regions of the Eastern Hemisphere and their relationships with one another How did new inventions influence people in China during ancient times?

Essential Questions How did new inventions influence people in China during ancient times? Which Chinese invention has been most important to the development of Civilization throughout the world?

IPAD RESEARCH 1. Brief history: Invention, Who invented, When, Where? What dynasty? 2. Information on how this invention works? Purpose? 3.A comparison of the old invention with present applications. Has it been improved upon since it was invented? 4. The importance of the invention: Did it change the world? Has it saved lives, helped transportation, simplified communication, increased the food supply?

Inventions The Spinning Wheel Small Pox Inoculation Paper Money Porcelain Magnetic Compass Mechanical Clock Moveable Type Printing Abacus Gunpowder Writing paper Fishing Reel Rudder to steer ships Bicycle and chain Matches Sea Faring Ships Lock system to raise and lower boats like the Panama Canal Revolving Bookcase Seismograph/earthquakes Acupuncture/ medicine Alcohol Brandy Whiskey Pasta or the noodle Rice Cultivation paddy fields Tea Cross Bow Cannon Rockets/Missles Magic Mirrors Fireworks Stir fry, Restaurants, Menus, Fork, Chopsticks Paper Cup, Napkin, Toilet paper Arch bridge Silk, nailpolish Decimal System, Tanagrams Cast iron, steel Alchemy/Chemistry Dominos/playing cards,

Rubric for Presentation Subject Knowledge Most/All facts included in an interesting way. 6pts Additional information enhances presentation Conventions No errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation 6pts Graphic Design Slides keep interest, enhance content, 6pts pictures Order of Content Clearly focused on required content 6pts Written information Per slide so presentation is not loaded with 6pts words 30 points

Make Advertisement When done: When you have your slide show made: Draw an advertisement for your Invention. Give the purpose and importance of this invention. Add color. We will use this in the second part of our discussions on Chinese inventions. 1. Brief history: Invention, Who invented, When, Where? What dynasty? 2. Information on how this invention works? Purpose? A comparison of the old invention with present applications. Has it been improved upon since it was invented? 4.The importance of the invention: Did it change the world? Has it saved lives, helped transportation, simplified communication, increased the food supply?

Notes on Presentations: 15 pts Invention/Innovation Year or Dynasty Description Effect on Society Paper Money Porcelain Magnetic Compass Moveable Type Printing There will also be a 15 pt. video of inventions to add to this.

Task 2 Students will discuss as a group which inventions have been most important to the development of civilization throughout the world and in doing so will rank the top 5. Finally students will write a persuasive essay in which you will need to defend your top 5 choices for the inventions you believe has been most important Chinese inventions to the development of civilization throughout the world. 25 points Rubric for persuasive writing

Sericulture (Silk Production) Legend says that around 2700 BCE, the Empress Hsi Ling Shi had a silkworm cocoon fall into her hot tea. As she watched the stands of fiber unravel, she had a vision of how to harvest and weave the threads into silk. Making Silk

Decimal System An example of how the Chinese used the decimal system appears in a transcription from the 13th century BCE, in which '547 days' is written 'Five hundred plus four decades plus seven of days'.

The Seismograph Earthquakes had long plagued China. Chang Heng, a scientist, mathematician and inventor designed the first seismograph around 132 CE, a bronze vessel with an inverted weighted bob in the center which would release a small bronze ball through one of eight grooved openings when a tremor caused the bob to sway.

Replica of Didong Yi, the world's first seismograph.

Paper The invention of paper from hemp fibers dates to the second century BCE. The oldest surviving piece of paper was found in a tomb near Xian and dates from between the years 140 and 87 BCE.

Lacquer ware Lacquer dates from the 13th century BCE. Lacquer is a plastic varnish that has great powers of preservation, strength and durability (like plastic). The Chinese obtained lacquer by tapping lacquer trees and used it for furniture, screens, coating cooking utensils and making weapon accessories.

Rockets and multi-staged rockets Invented around 1150 CE when a bamboo stick was attached to a cluster of fireworks. The stick was fitted with an arrowhead (sometimes coated with poison) and a balancing weight and was lit from a frame shaped like a dragon or other type of launcher box. Multistage rockets were rigged so that the rear fuses for the second stage of the rocket would light once the front stage had burnt out.

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Horse collar or Trace By the fourth century BCE, the Chinese had invented the trace harness. This harness worked by means of a breast strap which allowed a horse to exert itself and bear pressure on the chest bone. Prior to this invention, horses were made to wear throat- and-girth harnesses, which severely choked the animal as it tried to pull.

The Abacus By the 14th century the abacus was in common use. The abacus is a wooden frame with a horizontal bar that divides the upper section of the frame from the rest. Columns of vertical wood rods hold counting beads. The counting beads are moved over to represent the units, tens, hundreds, thousands and so on.

What is this?

Compass The spoon or ladle is of magnetic lodestone, and the plate is of bronze. The circular center represents Heaven, and the square plate represents Earth. The handle of the spoon points south. The spoon is a symbolic representation of the Great Bear. The plate bears Chinese characters which denote the eight main directions of north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, northwest, and symbols from the I Ching oracle books which were correlated with directions. Separately marked are the finer gradations of twenty-four compass points, and along the outermost edge are the twenty-eight lunar mansions.

Wheelbarrow

Barbed wire being transported by a traditional Chinese wheelbarrow near Shanghai in This type, with the large central wheel, can be pulled from the front as well as pushed from behind, and can carry more than two tons-The Genius of China

Kites

Video Chinese Inventions