The purpose of this study is to investigate elementary students' explanations of how physical features of the land influence the location of humanly defined structures including trade routes, such as the silk routes. The silk routes were a series of caravan trade routes that extended from Turkey to China and were located as far south as India and…

This publication contains 20 learning activities for developing basic skills while teaching about China at the secondary level. The activities, which were field tested, are self-contained and include short readings followed by student work sheets. For developing skill in reading about China, the learning activities focus upon translating Chinese…

Travel allows teachers to gather the data and realia to enliven history or global education in the classroom. In this special issue teachers describe personal travel experiences to many parts of the globe. Points of interest, itineraries, budgets, and artifacts collected are discussed. (RM)

This document contains five middle school lesson plans that teach about East Asia, focusing on Japan, China, and Korea. Lessons deal with geography, history, cultural comparisons, and trade relations. Lesson plans include background information, materials needed, extension and enrichment ideas, a lesson script, a rubric, a list of resources, and…

The journal, written by Connecticut teachers, covers various aspects of social studies education in that state. The objectives are to serve as a forum for exchange of information, to be a catalyst for dialogue on issues of common concern, and to be a source of mutual support and professional growth. The journal is comprised of five articles. The…

This curriculum unit introduces students to the travelers and traders from the early part of the Han-Roman times up to the 14th century who took great risks in pursuit of silk. A variety of activities explore the development of the Silk Road trade routes, including journal writing, small group reading and writing activities, role play and…

Understanding the culture of other nations contributes to the development of responsible citizens in a democratic society. A classroom teaching team proved these activities to be successful. Five initial lessons introduce students to the study of China by teaching Chinese geography. To enhance cultural understanding, 10 additional lessons focus on…

In this grade 6 interdisciplinary language arts and social studies unit, students are required to assume the role of a team and describe their country's participation in trade along the Silk Road. Countries represented in the unit include Egypt, Italy, Iraq, India, Israel, and China. The team is asked to create a display showing artifacts, journal…