G u i d e
t o
R e a d i n g
N o t e s
Section 2
1. Ruins of a Shang city were discovered at
Anyang.
2. Shang cities included the king’s palace on a
platform, royal tombs, a temple, houses, and
workshops.
Section 3
Sensory figure responses will vary. Possible statements:
With my ears, I hear . . . the rumble of the chariot
that I am riding in.
With my eyes, I see . . . my king talking to his
brothers and nephews.
With my heart, I feel . . . loyalty to my clan and
the desire to defeat the other clans.
With my hands, I touch . . . weapons and armor
made of bronze.
Section 4
Social classes should be listed from top to bottom:
King, Nobles, Artisans and Traders (same level),
Farmers, Slaves. Drawings of artifacts will vary
but should be appropriate for each social class.
Section 5
Sensory figure responses will vary. Possible statements:
With my ears, I hear . . . the oracle bone crack and
the holy man give advice.
3. Written language helped unify the Chinese
people.
Section 7
1. A Shang artist might use bronze to make a vessel and use jade to make a pendant (jewelry).
2. Shang artisans decorated vessels and other
objects with geometric designs and with
pictures of mythical creatures, including an
animal mask later called a taotie.
Section 8
1. Spoke diagrams should include the following
weapons: arrowheads, spearheads, ax heads,
helmets. Statements about the most important
weapon will vary.
2. The Shang used their knowledge of bronze
making to make many tools of war which
helped their dynasty stay in power for more
than 500 years.
Section 9
In the flowchart, students should include the following reasons for the fall of the Shang dynasty: a
military weakened by too many wars, an economy
weakened by excessive spending, and a society
weakened by the corrupt practices of the last
Shang king. Students may also note the short-term
cause—that the Zhou armies caught the Shang
armies unaware.
With my eyes, I see . . . the holy man pressing a
hot needle to an oracle bone as I do my duty by
seeking advice from my ancestors.
With my heart, I feel . . . that it is important to
honor my ancestors.
With my hands, I touch . . . the offerings of food
we give our ancestors.
Section 6
1. Chinese writing was first found on oracle
bones.
2. Logographs are characters that stand for words
rather than sounds or objects.
© Teachers’ Curriculum Institute
The Shang Dynasty 1