World History 1
Ancient China Unit
Worksheet: Qin Emperor Poster Exercise
Qin Shi Huang Di: Villain or Hero?
Qin Shi Huang Di was China’s first emperor and the first to unify the many warring
kingdoms that previously ruled China. After we review the history of his empire…
Create a campaign poster promoting Qin Shi Huang Di:
Qin gets a pretty bad rap in the history books. Sure, he accomplished MANY things
for china, but often at the cost of thousands of lives and the destruction of some of
China’s national treasures. Make a poster that highlights his many positive
contributions to China. Pretend that there is an upcoming election and that Qin is
running for a second term as emperor.1 Be sure to explain his government system:
Legalism. Also, mention his contributions to Chinese society, economy,
infrastructure, and writing.
-orCreate a WANTED poster of Qin Shi Huang Di:
Sure, Qin did some amazing things for China, but at what cost? What crimes did he
have to commit to complete his many projects and rid China of dissent? Pretend Qin
is alive and on the run. You must describe him and his crimes to the general public.
Be sure to include crimes against his government, economy, the arts, and humanity.
Remember that behind all of his achievements lies a certain degree of well, crime.
You can use a sheet of paper to draw or type your poster. You can also design this
poster using a computer program.
1
OK- emperors did not run in elections. In fact, democracy did not exist in China. Emperors ruled
under the Mandate of Heaven. But let’s just pretend that democracy existed and that Qin actually had
to be elected.