1. The Silk Road After completing this lesson, students will able to:
1. Identify Asia, Europe, and Africa.
2. Identify regions that were part of the Silk Road network (China, India, Central Asia, Persia, Mediterranean, Arabia).
3. Trace the Silk Road (or place trade route towns) on a map of Europe and Asia.
4. Describe major geographic conditions (climate, deserts, mountains) along the Silk Road.
5. List important economic goods and cultural ideas that were exchanged along the Silk Road.

2. Vocabulary needed for lesson:
The Silk Road
Vocabulary needed for lesson:
merchants monk
bolt oasis
porcelain jade
Bactrian camels Dromedary camels
bandits port city
caravan mosque

3. The Silk Road
This lesson is based on content found in The Silk Route, 7000 Miles of History by John S. Major
Other books for children include pictures:
-- We’re Riding on a Caravan, An Adventure on the Silk Road by Laurie Krebs
-- Stories from the Silk Road by Cherry Gilchrist
-- Caravan to America, Living Arts of the Silk Road by John S. Major & Betty J. Belanus (and forward by Yo-Yo Ma)

4. Where were the largest cities during Silk Road times?

5. Where were the largest cities in the Year 100?
West
East

6. Where were the largest cities in the Years 500 and 1000?
West
East

7. Silk Road towns connected the largest cities of the West and the East.

8. Silk Road towns connected the largest cities of the West and East in 500 and 1000 CE.

9. We will explore the Silk Road using a satellite image.
In this satellite image, the green color tells us about vegetation. Green areas have enough water for trees and crops.
Which colors would indicate drier areas or deserts? 9

10. Our Silk Road journey starts in China in the Year 700.
In the Chinese city of Chang’an (#1), merchants load bolts of silk, porcelain dishes, and herbal medicines onto two-humped Bactrian camels. 10

11. Between Chang’an (#1) and Dunhuang (#4): Bandits from Mongolia or Tibet may attack caravans. Therefore, Chinese soldiers often join the caravan. 11

12. Dunhuang (#4): This trade route town is an important Buddhist religious center. Buddhist monks from India traveled along the Silk Road and brought Buddhism to China. 12

13. Taklamakan Desert (name means “if you go in, you won’t come out”): Oasis towns are located along the edge of this desert. Caravans must travel through here before the heat of summer hits. 13

14. Taklamakan Desert: Notice the low amount of precipitation (rainfall or snow).
Tien Shan: The green stripes indicate a slightly higher amount of precipitation (mainly snow) in the mountains.

15. Oasis towns are located along the edges of the Taklamakan Desert.
Kashgar is an oasis town. A river brings water from melting snow in the mountains.
The Pamir Mountains are west of Kashgar. They are high and cold. 15

16. In Kashgar (#10), local merchants trade their
dates, melons, grapes, and jade for silk that the caravans bring from China. 16

17. Pamir Mountains: The route through these mountains is called the “Trail of Bones” because the route is dangerously steep and cold. 17

18. Pamir Mountains: At elevations higher than 10,000 feet (3000 meters), it is extremely cold, and there is no food for the animals.

19. The highest elevations are purple and dark gray.
Pamir Mountains: When caravans traveled between Kashgar (#10) and Tashkent (#13), they had to cross the high, cold Pamirs.
Tien Shan: Rivers flow from these high mountains to oasis towns (#7, #8, #9).
The highest elevations are purple and dark gray.

20. In Tashkent (#13), local merchants buy Chinese silk and porcelain
In Tashkent (#13), local merchants buy Chinese silk and porcelain. The merchants from China purchase glass, metal works, and musical instruments that have come from Persia, the Middle East, and Europe. 20

21. In Tashkent, Chinese military trade silk for the strong horses that are raised in Central Asia.21

22. Transoxiana is the northern boundary of the Persian Empire
Transoxiana is the northern boundary of the Persian Empire. This wild land is subject to bandit raids. 22

23. In Herat (#17), an Islamic mosque looms over the city market
In Herat (#17), an Islamic mosque looms over the city market. Arabs brought the Muslim religion to Silk Road towns. Muslims, Zoroastrians, Nestorian Christians, and Buddhists live together here. 23

24. In Srinagar (#21), spices and printed cotton cloth from India and precious stones from Ceylon head for China in exchange for silk and porcelain. 24

25. Dromedary camels from Arabia are used from here westward.
Persia: Arabs from near the Mediterranean Sea bring fine metalwork and glassware. Traders from India bring cotton cloth and spices, and local merchants sell fine wool carpets.
Dromedary camels from Arabia are used from here westward. 25

26. In Baghdad (#24), ivory, gold, and spices from Africa and pearls from the Persian Gulf are exchanged for Chinese silk and porcelain. 26

27. Tyre (#27): Goods are loaded on ships
in this Mediterranean port city to be sent to Byzantium, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. 27

28. Few people in Byzantium (#28) know where China is, yet they wear garments made of silk. Byzantium is linked with China by trade and the brave merchants of the Silk Route. 28

29. Silk Road towns connected the largest cities of East and West.

30. Silk Road towns connected the largest cities of the West and East in 500 and 1000 CE.