activity three

The Ming dynasty Great Wall at Jinshanling, outside Beijing. Photograph by Jean-Francois Lanzarone.
Reproduced courtesy Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.

The Great Wall of China: dynasties, dragons and warriors

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Teacher Information

Assessment

Podcasts

Tuning in activity

Location of the Great Wall

Knowledge Hunt

Terracotta Warriors Report

Can the Wall be seen from the Moon?

Dynasties of the Great Wall

Knowledge Hunt on the Great Wall

Introduction:
"Like a gigantic dragon, the GreatWall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ) from east to west of China".travelchinaguide

Complete the following activities in order for you to have some background information on the geographic location of the Great Wall in preparation for you class visit to the exhibition at the Museum of Melbourne.

Questions and Activities

Xuanbi great wall, Jiayuguan, Gansu. Photograph by Jean-Francois Lanzarone. Reproduced courtesy Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.	1.	UNESCO The Great Wall of China is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Explain what UNESCO stands for and what it means for the Great Wall to be on this list.
	2.	UNESCO - The Great Wall Identify when The Great Wall was added to the UNESCO listing. From the brief description provided list three pieces of information about the Wall.
	3.	The Great Wall Why do you think that The Great Wall "belongs not only to China but also to the whole world"? Take care to explain your answer.
Great Wall souvenirs including caps, tee-shirts, a paperweight, and playing cards, China, 2006. Photo: Marinco Kojdanovski. © Powerhouse Museum, 2006.	4.	eCard of Great Wall Send an eCard of the Great Wall to a parent/guardian. . In the text box of this card reflect on what you have learnt about the Great Wall so far.
	5.	To gain an overview of this period of history use the information provided by Encarta use excel to complete a Timeline of the key historical events in the history of the Wall. This microsoft site will provide you with instructions on how to do this. Key eras to include are: 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century Alternatively you may wish to use this Online Timeline Tool
	6.	The Wall of Qin Shihuangdi Describe the purpose of Wall Building in China. When did it begin and why? Explain what the hang-tu method of building was.
The Ming dynasty Great Wall at Badaling, Yanqing, Beijing. Photograph by Jean-Francois Lanzarone. Reproduced courtesy Powerhouse Museum, Sydney.	7.	The Ming Walls Why did the Ming Dynasty commence building walls in the late 15th century? Describe the relationship between the Ming Dynasty and the Mongols. List the goods which the Ming were keen to trade with the Mongols for. Explain what the Walls were made from. Were the Walls effective in keeping the Mongols out? why? why not?
	8.	Myth of the Great Wall Explain what the "Myth of the Great Wall" is. What happened to the Wall during the reign of Mao Zedong?
	9.	Impact of Tourism Identify and list the different ways in which The Great Wall is "suffering" from "tourism and neglect".

Big Question:
Why is the Great Wall seen as a unique part of the cultural history of China? How can antiquities such as the Great Wall be accessible to visitors and still be preserved? And what, if any, restrictions should be imposed?

Post your thoughts at the Online Forum provided by National Geographic.

Conclusion:
The Great Wall of China provides insights into the history of China. It also leads us to question how this unique piece of history contributes to the present economically and leads us to question what responsibilities do we have to preserve such antiquities for future generations.