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Explore the Ancient World Student Reseach Guide Guidelines
Research Tips

Unit 1
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4

    • Unit 2
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7

    • Unit 3
  • Chapter 8
  • Chapter 9
  • Chapter 10

    • Unit 4
  • Chapter 11
  • Chapter 12
  • Chapter 13

    • Unit 5
  • Chapter 14
  • Chapter 15
  • Chapter 16
  • Chapter 16A

    • Unit 6
  • Chapter 17
  • Chapter 18
  • Chapter 19
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    Unit 4: Ancient China - Chapter 13: The Chinese Empire

    Key Words: Shi Huangdi, First Emperor, Emperor Wudi, terra cotta soldiers, legalism, Qin Dynasty, Han Dynasty, Silk Road, Buddha, Buddhism, Sima Qian
    Fiction Books
    Anderson, Hans Christian. Retold by Stephen Mitchell. The Nightingale. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2002. Mitchell does a wonderful job of retelling Anderson's story in a quick and lively manner appealing to children. Beautiful traditional Chinese illustrations bring readers into the life and time period of the story. 48 pages. Fiction.

    Bailey, Linda. Adventures in Ancient China. Good Times Travel Agency. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press, 2003. The Binkerton children find themselves in first century China and learn about Chinese art, science, culture, architecture, and warfare. 48 pages. Fiction.

    Mahy, Margaret. The Seven Chinese Brothers. New York: Scholastic, 1992. Mahy pits the Seven Chinese Brothers of folklore against the First Emperor of Chinese history to create an intriguing story about the building of the Great Wall of China. 40 pages. Fiction.

    Osborne, Mary Pope. Day of the Dragon King. Magic Tree House, 14. New York: Random House Children's Books, 1998. With the help of a scholar and a silk weaver, Jack and Annie must seek the original copy of an ancient Chinese legend. If they do not succeed, the evil Dragon King will burn the Imperial Library. 68 pages. Fiction.
    Nonfiction Books
    Cotterell, Arthur. Ancient China. Eyewitness Books. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2000. In traditional Eyewitness format, Cotterell explores basic aspects of Chinese culture and history. The book spans the time from the First Emperor to 1912. 64 pages. Nonfiction.

    DuTemple, Lesley. The Great Wall of China. Great Building Feats. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publications, 2002. DuTemple presents a well-researched history of the building of the Great Wall over thousands of years of Chinese history. 96 pages. Nonfiction.

    Major, John. The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History. New York: HarperTrophy, 1996. Although set during A.D. 700, Major's account of a traditional merchant caravan from China could easily be applied to the Han Dynasty period. 32 pages. Nonfiction.

    O'Connor, Jane. The Emperor's Silent Army: Terracotta Warriors of Ancient China. New York: Viking Juvenile, 2002. This book covers both the modern discovery and ancient creation of the First Emperor's terra cotta army. O'Connor also explores the personality and rule of the First Emperor. 48 pages. Nonfiction.
    Web Sites
    http://campus.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/China/TerraWar.html
    Terra Cotta Warriors of the Qin Dynasty. Imagine having an entire army of statues standing guard at an important tomb, each "soldier" with different features and expressions, just like real people. This actually exists in China. Thousands of figures made of terra cotta were found by archaeologists at the burial site of the First Emperor. Visit this web site and read more about it!

    http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/greatwall/Allabout.html
    All about the Great Wall of China. During the reign of the First Emperor, the magnificent Great Wall was constructed. The history of the Great Wall is recorded on this site. There are also links to both a map of the wall, showing how far it stretches across China, and one to pictures of the wall from space. Another link provides information about the First Emperor.

    http://library.thinkquest.org/~C0122155/en/journey.php
    The Edible Journey through China. Follow your guide through this site, containing information on all kinds of subjects related to Chinese food past and present. Read about what people ate a long time ago in ancient China, what Chinese food is like today in the various regions of the country, what instruments people use to eat their food, and much more. Yummy!

    http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/04/eac/ht04eac.htm
    Met Timeline: China, 2000-1000 B.C. The time line featured here is from the perspective of art history; you can see how important events in China's history align with developments in art and literature. The links for the Qin Dynasty and the Han Dynasty provide information about each of these empires. Expand the maps and the thumbnail pictures of artifacts for closer views.

    http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
    National Geographic. Discover maps of the world, historical photographs, and interactive adventures on the National Geographic site.