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SPECIAL EDUCATIONGRADE 6 SOCIAL STUDIESWeeks 5 & 6 – (May 4–15)

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Students should complete the following modified materials for the 6th grade social studies course, including the embedded assessment items. Social Studies AssignmentsThe Qin Dynasty and the Unification of China: 221-202 B.C.The Cultural Heights of China's Han DynastyThe Samurai and Bushido


The Qin Dynasty and the Unification of China: 221-202 B.C.By Encyclopedia Britannica, adapted by Newsela staff on 08.02.17

A 200-year-old painting of Chinese ships. They were sent by the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Photo from Wikimedia.

Before 221 B.C., China was not one country. It was made of many states. Then, the Qin dynasty, or ruling family, came to power.

For 800 years, the Zhou dynasty had ruled China. But now, many states in China were fighting each other.

At the time, states were under feudalism. The king shared power with the lords in his area, and the lords paid him to get land. In this system, states were not easy to rule. Often, there were too many officials. Qin was a new state, though. It was free to make up its own kind of government.

Making new laws

For many years, the Qin was only a small power in China. Two people helped make it stronger: Xiaogong and Shang Yang.

Shang Yang used to work for the Wei dynasty. He was not happy with how it ruled. So, he decided to team up with the Qin ruler, Xiaogong.


The two made new laws. Everyone who was ruled by the Qin had to follow these laws. It didn't matter how rich or poor they were.

Xiaogong and Shang Yang changed the government, and made the state easier to rule. Shang Yang also wanted people to farm more. He gave out rewards to people who did. Workers were brought from nearby states to farm.

China's ruling power

Soon, the Qin became stronger and richer. One by one, it fought and beat its neighbors. After many years, the Qin became the ruling power in China.

The Qin made China one country in 221 B.C. The first emperor was Shi Huangdi. He is also sometimes called Qin Shi Huang.

Shi Huangdi ended feudalism. He also made a writing system that everyone could use.

Shi Huangdi had power over many workers. Hundreds of thousands of workers were forced to become builders. They built highways and part of the Great Wall of China. The wall helped protect the land from enemies.

All this work was hard on the people of China. Even getting to work was dangerous, and many died along the way. Many were also killed for speaking out against the emperor. They were not happy with how the emperor was ruling.

The end of the Qin dynasty

Shi Huangdi believed he had brought peace and order. He thought he had fixed the problems of leaders before him. He was afraid of death and hoped to live forever, but died in 210 B.C.

Thousands of years later, his tomb was discovered. Inside it, there were more than 6,000 statues of clay soldiers.

The Qin dynasty did not last long after Shi Huangdi. Angry workers and soldiers rose against the Qin. In 206 B.C., the last Qin prince gave up his power.

Quiz1. Read the section "Making new laws." Select the paragraph from the section that helps explain HOW the Qin encouraged people to grow more food for the state.


2. Which sentence from the article explains that NOT all of the Qin's changes were good for the people of China?

(A) Everyone who was ruled by the Qin had to follow these laws. (B) He also made a writing system that everyone could use. (C) They built highways and part of the Great Wall of China. (D) Many were also killed for speaking out against the emperor.

3. Read the section "Making new laws." HOW does the map help the reader better understand the rise of the Qin dynasty?

(A) The map shows how the Qin dynasty started as one of the smallest kingdoms in China.

(B) The map shows how much the Qin dynasty needed to grow in order to take over China.

(C)The map shows that the Qin dynasty would not have grown without Xiaogong and Shang Yang.

(D)The map shows how difficult feudalism made it to govern different Chinese states.

4. Read the section "The end of the Qin dynasty." What does the photograph in that section show about Shi Huangdi?

(A) The photograph shows that Shi Huangdi was a good and powerful military leader. (B) The photograph shows that Shi Huangdi was a cruel leader. (C)The photograph shows that Shi Huangdi wanted to be protected after he died. (D)The photograph shows that Shi Huangdi wanted to live forever.

5. Examine the images in the article. What are three important details you observe in the images in the article? Elaborate by explaining why these details are important using evidence from the article to support your thinking.

The Cultural Heights of China's Han DynastyBy USHistory.org, adapted by Newsela staff on 06.28.17


Illustration of the construction of the Great Wall of China. During the Han Dynasty, the construction of the Great Wall continued. Photo from Wikimedia.

The Han dynasty in China will always be remembered for its use of the Silk Road. It was a trade route that connected Asia with Europe. It helped to exchange goods like silk and spices with lands as far west as India and the Roman Empire. It also brought ideas such as Buddhism to the rest of the world.

China's most famous landmark is its Great Wall. It was built mostly during the Han period. The Great Wall protected the Chinese people from foreign invasions.

Before the Han

The Shang dynasty that ruled China ended in 1111 B.C. It was replaced by dynasties called the Zhou (1111 to 221 B.C.) and the Qin (221 to 206 B.C.). They continued China's advances. Building skills improved. The use of iron became common.

But there was little unity. Feudalism became popular under the Chou. Feudalism was a system of government. In it, the king shared his power with the area's lords. The lords paid the king to get


land and fancy titles. But the Zhou became weak. The lords battled among themselves. This was called the Warring States period (403 to 221 B.C.). It only ended when all of northern China was united under the Qin.

The Qin made changes that were needed. But they were hard leaders. They often punished people. The Qin dynasty fell after just 15 years. It was replaced by the Han. The Han dynasty started in 202 B.C.

The Han rise and gain control

The Han gave lords their positions of power again. China was peaceful and richer. The Emperor Wu Ti is given credit for the first big successes of the early Han. He ruled for 54 years from 140 B.C. to 87 B.C. He took over lands and made China larger.

Wu Ti had heard rumors of rich lands to the west. In 138 B.C., he sent the explorer Chang Ch'ien out to search. Thirteen years later, Chang Ch'ien returned. He did not reach many western lands, but he learned about them. These places included Persia, Arabia and the Roman Empire.

Wu Ti sent Chang Ch'ien west again a few years later. These trips started the Silk Road. It was a trade route. The Chinese received goods on the Silk Road. Those goods included ivory, glass and wool. In return, the Chinese sent furs, jade and iron goods. China also sent silk.

Another brick in the Great Wall.

The Han kept building the Great Wall of China. This is one of the country's greatest creations. It began during the Qin dynasty. Wu Ti restored the wall. He also built another 300 miles. This protected China against outsiders. The Great Wall is now called one of the wonders of the world. But it came at a high price. About 10 workers died for each mile that was built.

The Han began to fall


Medicine and astronomy advanced under the Han. The dynasty lasted for more than 400 years. But there was fighting inside the government. Other problems also made people angry. The Han dynasty lost power in A.D. 220. This started nearly 400 years of political chaos in China.

Quiz1. Read the section "The Han rise and gain control." Which paragraph explains the importance of Chang Ch'ien's explorations?

2. Read the section "Before the Han." Which answer choice helps explain WHY the Qin dynasty fell?

(A) The lords paid the king to get land and titles.(B) The lords battled among themselves. (C)The Qin made changes that were needed. (D)They often punished people.

3. Which section of the article gives information about an emperor who ruled the Han dynasty for a long time?

(A) "Before the Han" (B) "The Han rise and gain control" (C) "Another brick in the Great Wall" (D)"The Han began to fall"

4. Which answer choice BEST describes the structure of the section "Before the Han"? (A) compare and contrast (B) question and answer (C) cause and effect (D)problem and solution

The Samurai and BushidoBy History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 01.17.17


TOP: A samurai in formal dress with a drawn dagger and an inset of Edo Castle are pictured in this color woodcut. Courtesy of the Wellcome Collection. BOTTOM: A photo of an armored samurai wielding his sword, taken around 1860. Photo by Felice Beato from the Encyclopaedia Britannica.

The samurai have long played an important role in Japan's history. They began as warriors who protected rich lords in the countryside. Over time, the samurai would earn power of their own. Japan was ruled by an emperor. However, in the 1100s, the shogun came to power. The shogun was a type of military leader. It was the samurai who helped the shogun keep his power over the emperor.

Hundreds of years later, many of the samurai would become leaders of business and government in modern Japan. Even after they were no longer warriors, their traditions lived on. Samurai believed in honor and setting strict rules for oneself. The samurai way became the basic code of conduct for much of Japanese society.


Samurai became powerful in Japan

From about 794-1185, the samurai worked as guards. Rich landowners paid samurai to protect their land. The word "samurai" means "those who serve."Soon, the rich landowners became more powerful. That made the samurai powerful, too. After a war in 1185, Minamoto Yoritomo became shogun. Yoritomo used the samurai as his army. They made him appear strong.

He gave the samurai special rights. No one could call himself a samurai without Yoritomo's permission. The rulers who came after him were part of the Kamakura Shogunate.During this time, the sword became very important to samurai. The making of swords became an art.

Japan has no strong central leaderAfter many years the Kamakura Shogunate became weak from fighting off invaders. Ashikaga Takauji took advantage and grabbed power. The Ashikaga Shogunate began around 1336. In the 200 years following, powerful Japanese families were nearly always fighting for control.

Japan did not have a strong central leader. Soon, samurai stepped in to keep law and order. Despite many wars and fighting, Japan's culture was blooming. Arts such as rock gardens and flower arranging became more advanced. Theater and painting became popular.

Many years of peace. A time of war finally ended in 1615. Tokugawa Ieyasu was the leader at this time. For 250 years, Japan was peaceful.

For the first time, the samurai put away their swords. They became peaceful leaders. They no longer had to rule people with force. Loyalty and responsibility were important.

During this period, Japanese people followed bushido, the Samurai code. Bushido called for people to be kind and honest. It also called for people to care for family, particularly older people. It also meant uniting around a single purpose. A samurai had to care more for the cause than for himself.

Quiz1. Read the paragraph from the section "Japan has no strong central leader."


Despite many wars and fighting, Japan's culture was blooming. Arts such as rock gardens and flower arranging became more advanced. Theater and painting became popular.What does the author mean by "blooming"?

(A) growing flowers (B) developing quickly (C) helping plants (D) becoming shiny

2. Why is bushido important to Japanese culture? (A) It shows people how to fight like samurai. (B) It causes Japan to have a violent, warlike culture. (C) It allows samurai to join secret groups. (D) It helps people know how to live to make life better.

3. Read the sentences from the third paragraph of the article.Even after they were no longer warriors, their traditions lived on. Samurai believed in

honor and setting strict rules for oneself. The samurai way became the basic code of conduct for much of Japanese society.Based on these sentences, what is the BEST definition of "traditions" in the first sentence?

(A) laws created to protect people (B) weapons used by warriors (C)parts of a yearly celebration (D)ideas about how to live

4. What role did samurai play in Japan’s history?

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