as the Chinese and Romans must have felt with only partial knowledge about how to get from one place to another and how they might be received by the other culture. Students might then think about going places they only know vaguely, such as the high school, a new neighborhood, or a new community. Supporting Question 1 The first supporting question—“Where were the Roman and Chinese Empires located?”—initiates this inquiry by encouraging students to think about the relative location of each empire. The formative performance task asks students to write a description of the relative locations and geographic features of the Roman and Chinese Empires. The two featured sources provide maps outlining the general locations of the two empires along with some of the geographic features of each place. These geographic features would largely shape how interaction between the two groups emerged over time. Supporting Question 2 The second supporting question—“What did the Chinese know the West?”—continues the inquiry by encouraging students to think about the earliest efforts by the Chinese to explore their western frontier. The tumultuous time in Chinese history known as the Warring States came to an end in 221 BCE with the establishment of the important but short-lived Qin dynasty. Afterwards, the Chinese consolidated under the four-century-long Han Dynasty. It was under Han rule that the Chinese began to expand and explore to the west. The formative performance task requires students to complete the first portion of a T-chart that compares what the Chinese and Romans knew about one another. The featured sources for this inquiry include three accounts of these explorations from Chinese historians Sima Qian, Fan Ye, and Yu Huan and a map bank. Supporting Question 3 The third supporting question—“What did the Romans know about the East?”—extends the inquiry by redirecting students’ attention to early exploratory efforts by the Romans. Like the Chinese, the Romans were interested in expanding their influence. The Romans were able to build on the success of the Greeks who had previous interactions with far-Eastern cultures. Students complete the T-chart they began in the second formative performance task that compares the efforts of the Chinese and Romans to learn more about one another. The featured sources include writings from two Roman scholars—Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy— as well as map created by Ptolemy that places China with remarkable accuracy on a map of the world. Supporting Question 4
as the Chinese and Romans must have felt with only partial knowledge about how to get from one place to another and how they might be received by the other culture. Students might then think about going places they only know vaguely, such as the high school, a new neighborhood, or a new community. Supporting Question 1 The first supporting question—“Where were the Roman and Chinese Empires located?”—initiates this inquiry by encouraging students to think about the relative location of each empire. The formative performance task asks students to write a description of the relative locations and geographic features of the Roman and Chinese Empires. The two featured sources provide maps outlining the general locations of the two empires along with some of the geographic features of each place. These geographic features would largely shape how interaction between the two groups emerged over time. Supporting Question 2 The second supporting question—“What did the Chinese know the West?”—continues the inquiry by encouraging students to think about the earliest efforts by the Chinese to explore their western frontier. The tumultuous time in Chinese history known as the Warring States came to an end in 221 BCE with the establishment of the important but short-lived Qin dynasty. Afterwards, the Chinese consolidated under the four-century-long Han Dynasty. It was under Han rule that the Chinese began to expand and explore to the west. The formative performance task requires students to complete the first portion of a T-chart that compares what the Chinese and Romans knew about one another. The featured sources for this inquiry include three accounts of these explorations from Chinese historians Sima Qian, Fan Ye, and Yu Huan and a map bank. Supporting Question 3 The third supporting question—“What did the Romans know about the East?”—extends the inquiry by redirecting students’ attention to early exploratory efforts by the Romans. Like the Chinese, the Romans were interested in expanding their influence. The Romans were able to build on the success of the Greeks who had previous interactions with far-Eastern cultures. Students complete the T-chart they began in the second formative performance task that compares the efforts of the Chinese and Romans to learn more about one another. The featured sources include writings from two Roman scholars—Pliny the Elder and Ptolemy— as well as map created by Ptolemy that places China with remarkable accuracy on a map of the world. Supporting Question 4
NewYork_6_China_Rome.docx