G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
Section 2
Section 3
1. The Han were able to expand their empire because
of their military methods and new weapons.
Their empire reached west into Central Asia, east
to present-day Korea, and south to present-day
Vietnam.
1. Han dynasty rulers softened the harsh ruling style
of the Emperor of Qin and brought Confucian
ideas back into government.
2. Improved iron armor was stronger and more flexible. Longer iron swords allowed Han soldiers to
swing at enemies from a safer distance. The crossbow was a more advanced way to shoot arrows
at enemies. The Han army used the kite to send
messages for military purposes and to frighten
enemies at night.
3. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate the weapon that they think most strengthened the
Han army.
Students who participate in the activity will
annotate the map as shown below. They will
explain how geography affected the expansion of
the Han empire. Answers will vary.
2. The Han government was a bureaucracy, which is
a large, complex organization that functions under
a fixed set of rules and conditions. People at each
level of the bureaucracy direct those at the level
below them. Han emperors used a civil service
exam to decide who would get government jobs.
Every three years, civil servants were evaluated to
determine who would be promoted or demoted.
3. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate the way they think the Han most improved Chinese
government.
Students who participate in the activity will analyze
the civil service test they took. Answers will vary.
The Han Empire, About 80 B.C.E
N
40°
NORTHEASTERN
PLAIN
500
1,000 miles
0
1,000 kilometers
500
Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection
TIBET-QINGHAI
PLATEAU
ow
0
Huang H
TAKLIMAKAN
DESERT
Ri
ve
r)
GOBI
DESERT
e (Ye l l
Chang’an
NORTH
CHINA
PLAIN
30°N
140°E
)
ang (Yan g tze Riv e r
g Ji
an
Ch
Yellow
Sea
N
W
HI
E
MA
S
LA
YA
S
CHANG JIANG
BASINS
East
China
Sea
PACIFIC
OCEAN
20°N
Qin Empire, about 221 B.C.E.
Han Empire, about 80 B.C.E.
120°E
Great Wall under the Qin Empire
110°E
South China
Sea
130°E
AW_LG_23_02 B/W Map of Qin Empire
Third Proof
TCI18 87
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
The Han Dynasty 1
G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
Section 4
Section 6
1. Farmers had to grow food, make their clothing,
build their homes, and give one month of unpaid
labor to the government. Floods and drought often
destroyed their crops.
1. Chinese calligraphy writing was much like painting. It was a style of writing inspired by the flow of
nature. Calligraphers created characters by making
quick strokes in a particular order.
2. The chain pump made it easier to move water from
irrigation ditches and canals to fields. The iron
plow made it easier to prepare fields for planting.
The wheelbarrow allowed farmers to move heavy
loads with less effort.
2. Before the invention of paper, the Chinese used a
brush and ink to write on silk and bamboo. Paper
was an improvement on silk and bamboo because
it was inexpensive, easier to bind together, and better able to absorb ink.
3. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate the
tool that they think most improved agriculture
during the Han dynasty. Accept any reasonable
description of the benefits to farmers of one of the
following: the chain pump, the iron plow, or the
wheelbarrow.
3 Answers will vary. Students will determine what
they think is the most important use of paper during the Han period.
Students who participate in the activity will
describe the effect of the agricultural inventions on
Han farmers. Answers will vary but should include
information on the effects of farming advancements such as the chain pump, the iron plow, or
the wheelbarrow on farmers’ lives.
Section 5
1. A foot-powered machine that could wind fibers
onto large reels made silk production easier.
2. Salt was an important trade item in ancient times
because it was used to help preserve meat and vegetables.
3. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate the
invention that they think most improved industry
during the Han period– the foot-powered
machined to wind silk fibers or the iron-tipped
bamboo drill.
Students who participate in the activity will compare the Chinese drilling process with the model
they used. Answers will vary. Possible answer: The glass of water represents the salt water or brine
beneath Earth; the straw represents the hollow
bamboo pole on the drill; and the empty glass represents the large iron pots into which the brine
is placed.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
Students who participate in the activity will
explain the advantages of writing on paper rather
than on silk or bamboo. Answers will vary.
Section 7
1. The Han believed that illnesses were caused when
the forces of yin and yang were out of balance in
the body.
2. Acupuncture: What is it? It is the process of inserting thin needles into specific parts of the body.
Why is it used? It is used to cure illnesses that
strike quickly, like headaches.
Moxibustion: What is it? It is the process of placing
and burning a small cone of powdered leaves or
sticks on or near the skin. Why is it used? It is used
to treat long-term diseases, such as arthritis.
3. Chinese doctors discovered things about how the human body works. They learned that a pulse indicates a person’s heartbeat and that blood circulates through the body.
4. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate what they
think is the most important medical achievement
during the Han period. They may choose a medical technique—acupuncture or moxibustion, or a
discovery about how the human body works, such
as using the heartbeat or pulse to judge health, or
the knowledge of how blood circulates in the body.
Students who participate in the activity will
explain that acupressure is a way to clear blocked
energy that can cause stress. Answers will vary.
The Han Dynasty 2
G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
Section 8
1. Chinese astronomers discovered why the moon
shines and why solar eclipses happen.
2. The Han used the seismograph to detect
earthquakes occurring far away and to determine
in what direction they were occurring.
The first compasses were used to determine the
correct positioning for temples, graves, and homes
to bring good fortune.
3. Answers will vary. Students will evaluate the scientific discovery that they think was the most
important advancement during the Han period.
They may choose the observations made by astronomers, the invention of the seismograph, or the invention of the magnetic compass.
Students who participate in the activity will complete a bar graph and explain why the Chinese
would want to invent a seismograph. Answers
will vary but should mention that knowing where
earthquakes occur could protect people.
Deadliest Earthquakes in China
Year
1976
1920
Tangshan, China
Haiyuan, China
Shensi, China
1556
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
Number of Deaths
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
The Han Dynasty 3