Geography
What geographic features helped isolate China from other civilizations?
Deserts and mountains
Which dynasty is considered legendary?
Xia Dynasty
What does “dynasty” mean?
A series of rulers from the same family
Which group owned most of the land?
Aristocrats
What does filial piety mean?
Respect and care for family
What type of laws did the Qin Dynasty use?
Strict laws and harsh punishments
Name one river important to early Chinese civilization.
Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River OR Huang He (Yellow River)
Which dynasty ruled China first, according to legend?
The Xia Dynasty
What were oracle bones used for?
Predicting the future
Which group made up the largest part of the population?
Farmers
Who was the head of the family?
The oldest male
How did the Qin Dynasty control China?
Centralized government power
Why were rivers important to early Chinese farmers?
They provided fertile soil for farming
What belief explained a ruler’s right to rule?
Mandate of Heaven
What were pictographs and ideographs used for?
Writing and communication
Why were merchants not respected?
They worked for personal gain, not society
What was one role of men in ancient China?
Attending school or serving as soldiers
Name one achievement of the Qin Dynasty.
Building the Great Wall
What natural problem did Chinese rivers often cause?
Flooding
Why did the Zhou Dynasty eventually lose power?
Lords became too powerful and rejected the king’s authority
What were the Silk Roads?
Trade routes connecting China to other regions
Which group learned skills from their fathers?
Artisans
What was one role of women in ancient China?
Raising children, managing the home, managing finances
Name one achievement of the Han Dynasty.
Civil service jobs OR education OR expansion of trade
Explain one way China’s geography helped protect it from invasion.
Deserts and mountains made travel and invasion difficult.
This dynasty was the first Chinese dynasty to use oracle bones and develop one of the earliest forms of Chinese writing.
Shang Dynasty
What is the difference between pictographs and ideographs?
Pictographs represent objects or ideas with pictures, while ideographs combine symbols to express ideas.
Why were farmers considered important even though they were not wealthy?
They grew the food that supported the entire society.
How did filial piety help keep order in ancient Chinese society?
It encouraged respect, obedience, and care within families.
Name one way the Han Dynasty improved life compared to the Qin Dynasty.
The Han increased education, created civil service jobs, or supported agriculture.