1. Ancient China

2. Section Four: River Dynasties in China

3. I. Geography A. River Systems and Environmental Challenges  natural barriers, like mountains/deserts, isolated China  2 major river systems affect China- Hung He (Yellow River) and Yangtze  unpredictable floods a constant challenge

4.  China’s isolation forced early ppls to supply their own goods w/o the benefit of trading  Only 10% of China’s land is suitable for farming- the region b/w the Hung He and Yangtze rivers, called China’s Heartland

5. B. Civilization Emerges  Chinese civilization pre-dates even the Sumerians  When the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Indus civilizations were falling to outside invasion, China’s first strong civilization was forming under the Shang ppl

6. C. The Development of Chinese Culture  In Chinese view, all but the Chinese were barbarians  family was central to Chinese society- a man’s chief loyalty was to his family. A woman was to obey.

7.  Social classes sharply divided Chinese culture- nobles owned land and governed the peasants  Religion was a focus and linked to your family- believed that ancestors could help bring you good fortune

8.  Chinese developed a system of writing where each character stands for a syllable- to be literate you would need to memorize over 1500 characters, a scholar over 10,000  This greatly limited the availability of education in China

9. D. The Dynastic Cycle  1027 BC, the Zhou overthrew the Shang and created their own dynasty- members of a family pass power down through generations  to justify their power, the Zhou claimed the Shang had been poor leaders so gods had taken their power and given it to the Zhou- introducing the idea of the Mandate of Heaven

10. Dynastic Cycle

11. E. Science and Technology  Zhou produced many innovations  roads and canals were built  coined money was introduced  cast iron was developed for tools, weapons, jewelry etc…

12. Historical Essay Writing 101 Q. Using the five characteristics of a civilization, prove that your city is in fact “civilized.” (use at least 3 characteristics of a civilization) Step 1- Thesis statement Step 2- Support thesis with facts Step 3- Conclusion