In this lesson, students will learn the various locations of the Silk Route. In small groups, they will research one of six cities along the Road and explain to the class what the major exports were from that particular city.
Post various maps of the Silk Road around the classroom.
Discuss:
Where was the Silk Road located?
Was there one singular Silk Road?
How old is the Silk Road?
What did the Chinese call the Silk Road? Why?
In small groups of three of four, students will read books about the Silk Road. You could also read these books to the class as a read-aloud over several days.
Some books to consider:
The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History by John S. Major
We're Riding on a Caravan: An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs
Appleseeds magazine: Children of China Long Ago printed November 2002
Stories from the Silk Road by Cherry Gilchrist
After each group finishes reading their assigned book, they will compile a list of goods that their city exported, and goods that merchants from their city would buy from other Silk Road locations. If you do a read-aloud, have each group take notes about goods their city would sell as you read the story.
Cities for small groups:
Chang'an
Tashkent
Herat
Baghdad
Damascus
Byzantium
As each small group presents their findings, have them post a list of the goods that their city would trade on the Silk Road map posted in your room.
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