• Angkor What? Angkor Wat!

    The"Terrace of Elephants" at Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

    Beginning in the 9th century the Khmer empire, which was based in what is today northwestern Cambodia, began to gather power and territory in mainland Southeast Asia. It would grow to be one of the largest empires in Southeast Asian history. In this lesson, students will learn about Angkor Wat and its place in Cambodian, and Southeast Asian, history. Students will attempt to “read” the temple, in a way which resembles the reading of a primary document, to gain insight into this history.

  • Following the Great Wall of China

    A view of a portion of the Great Wall of China, which stretches across some 1200 miles of northern China.

    The famous Great Wall of China, which was built to keep the China’s horse-riding neighbors at bay, extends more than 2,000 kilometers across China, from Heilongjiang province by Korea to China’s westernmost province of Xinjiang. This lesson will investigate the building of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty, and will utilize the story of the wall as a tool for introducing students to one period in the rich history of China.

  • Life in the Floating World: Ukiyo-e Prints and the Rise of the Merchant Class in Edo Period Japan

    Portrait of Nakayama, Kabukidô Enkyô

    The Edo Period (1603-1868) in Japan was a time of great change. The merchant class was growing in size, wealth, and power, and artists and craftsmen mobilized to answer the demands and desires of this growing segment of society. Perhaps the most well known art form that gained popularity during this period was the woodblock print, which is often referred to as ukiyo-e prints. In this lesson students will learn about life in Japan during the Edo period through an investigation of ukiyo-e prints.

  • Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

    "Floating Bridge of Dreams," from a chapter of the Tale of Genjii

    Noh, the oldest surviving Japanese dramatic form, combines elements of dance, drama, music, and poetry into a highly stylized, aesthetic retelling of a well-known story from Japanese literature, such as The Tale of Genji or The Tale of the Heike. This lesson provides an introduction to the elements of Noh plays and to the text of two plays, and provides opportunities for students to compare the conventions of the Noh play with other dramatic forms with which they may already be familiar, such as the ancient Greek dramas of Sophocles. By reading classic examples of Noh plays, such as Atsumori, students will learn to identify the structure, characters, style, and stories typical to this form of drama. Students will expand their grasp of these conventions by using them to write the introduction to a Noh play of their own.

  • The Korean War: "Police Action," 1950–1953

    U.S. troops storming the beach at Inchon, South Korea, September 15, 1950.

    In 1950, North Korean forces, armed mainly with Soviet weapons, invaded South Korea in an effort to reunite the peninsula under communist rule. This lesson will introduce students to the conflict by having them read the most important administration documents related to it.

  • Lesson 4: The Failure of Diplomacy, September–December 1941

    A Japanese torpedo bomber over Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941.

    Faced with crippling economic sanctions imposed by the United States, the Japanese government decided in September 1941 to prepare for war to seize the raw materials that they were now unable to obtain from America. Students in this lesson will put themselves in the shoes of U.S. and Japanese diplomats in the final months of 1941.

  • Lesson 3: Japan's "Southern Advance" and the March toward War, 1940–1941

    Ribbentrop, Kurusu, and Hitler negotiate the Tripartite Pact, 1940.

    For the Japanese leadership, events in Europe during the first half of 1940 offered new opportunities for resolving the war in China. In this lesson students will examine primary documents and maps to discover why Japan embarked on its "southern advance."

  • Lesson 1: The Growth of U.S.-Japanese Hostility, 1915–1932

    Japanese forces enter Mukden, China, September 18, 1931, as part of Japan's Manchurian campaign against China.

    The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had its origins in a growing antagonism between the United States and Japan that first developed during World War I. Using contemporary documents, students in this lesson will explore the rise of animosity between the United States and Japan.

  • 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae: Herodotus' Real History

    “Μολον Λαωε!”

    Students may be familiar with this famous battle from its depiction in Zack Snyder's movie 300, based on Frank Miller's graphic novel. In this lesson students learn about the historical background to the battle and are asked to ponder some of its legacy, including how history is reported and interpreted from different perspectives.

    Lesson Plans: Grades 3-5
    Curriculum Unit

    On the Road with Marco Polo (8 Lessons)

    Tools

    Share

    The Unit

    Overview

    In the 13th century, a young Venetian named Marco Polo set out with his father and uncle on a great adventure. Following a series of trade routes, they traveled across the vast continent of Asia and became the first Europeans to visit the Chinese capital (modern Beijing). Marco so impressed the reigning emperor of China, Kublai Khan, that he was appointed to the imperial court. For the next 17 years, Marco was sent on missions to many parts of Kublai's sprawling empire. The Polos finally returned to Venice via the sea route. Marco later wrote a book about his experiences, which inspired new generations of explorers to travel to the exotic lands of the East.

    In this curriculum unit, students will become Marco Polo adventurers, following his route to and from China in order to learn about the geography, local products, culture, and fascinating sites of those regions. Students will record their "journey" by creating journal entries, postcards, posters, and maps related to the sites they explore. The EDSITEment Marco Polo Journey Map, with its guiding questions, may be used either as a culminating exercise or a method of reviewing previous lessons and introducing new ones.

    Guiding Questions

    • What routes did Marco Polo follow to China and back?
    • What sorts of natural environments did he travel through?
    • What were the major products of the places he visited?

    Learning Objectives

    • Trace the routes of Marco Polo on a map of Europe and Asia
    • Describe the major geographical features of regions along these routes
    • List some of the important products of these regions

    Preparation Instructions

    Read through the entire lesson plan and become familiar with the content and resources. Bookmark relevant websites for later reference. Download and duplicate the map of China available through EDSITEment-reviewed resource Xpeditions for Activity 5 and the Map of the Indian Ocean Area available through EDSITEment-reviewed resource SARAI for Activity 6. It would be very helpful to have a large map of the world in your classroom as well as a set of atlases.

    As you progress through the lessons, you may want to speak to your students about the changing status of maps, and the various ways maps can be used to represent a geographic and political area. Since students may find themselves confused by the large number and types of maps in these lessons, you may want to pick one or two to serve as reference points against which other maps are compared (your classroom atlas or a large map of the world might be a good choice). A good online map to use as an overall guide is the Map of Marco Polo's Route available through EDSITEment reviewed resource Asia Source.

    Review the EDSITEment Marco Polo Interactive Map. You may use the map either as a culminating exercise or as a way of reviewing material from the previous day's lesson before introducing new material.

    Additional background materials can be viewed at the following websites:

    The Lessons

    The Basics

    Grade Level

    3-5

    Subject Areas
    • Art and Culture > Subject Matter > Anthropology
    • History and Social Studies > Place > Europe
    • History and Social Studies > World > The Medieval World (500 CE-1500 CE)
    • History and Social Studies > Place > Asia
    • History and Social Studies > Themes > Exploration & Discovery
    Skills
    • Compare and contrast
    • Critical analysis
    • Cultural analysis
    • Discussion
    • Evaluating arguments
    • Gathering, classifying and interpreting written, oral and visual information
    • Historical analysis
    • Internet skills
    • Interpretation
    • Journal writing
    • Logical reasoning
    • Making inferences and drawing conclusions
    • Map Skills
    • Representing ideas and information orally, graphically and in writing
    • Visual analysis

    • EDSITEment has partnered with Thinkfinity to help you find, save, and share even more free lesson plans and educational resources. Try it Now

    Keep Informed

    Get updates on new lesson plans and other resources.

    Sign Up Now