Critical Mission: Silk Roads

CRITICAL MISSION OVERVIEW

The Critical Mission assignments included in Connect History are designed to provide students with the opportunity to participate in active research. They are tools for student engagement and for teaching research strategies. Each of the Critical Missions has a similar format, and they are designed to be assigned either as standalone assignments or as part of a broader research theme running through a course.

The Critical Missions promote active research through their design. For each of the Critical Missions, students are given a mission. This mission puts the student in the role of an advisor to a historical figure at a key point in Eurasian history. The student is then asked to make an argument to that historical figure regarding an event or decision. To complete this mission, students are asked to take a series of steps in which they review evidence, decide upon major themes, pick appropriate evidence, and then write an argument for their position.

CRITICAL MISSION: PART 1For Part 1 of each Critical Mission, students are led through four steps which are designed to teach them how to carry out research and how to build a historical argument based upon research.

Reviewing Evidence – With each mission, students use a series of tools to review evidence including maps, timelines, documents, and images. They can always refer back to these tools by using the Toolkit link on each page. A full listing of the evidence provided can be found below.

Major Arguments – After reviewing this evidence, students are asked to determine what arguments could be made to support their position as an advisor. A series of arguments is presented, and students are asked to determine if each “supports” or “does not support” a series of themes. After making a decision for each theme, students are told which is valid (“supports” the theme) and invalid (“does not support” the theme), with feedback given for each. They are then required to alter their choices until they have correctly categorized each of the themes.

Students occasionally have questions concerning the “supports” and “does not support” section. In Part 1 of the Critical Mission, students are asked to categorize six different themes based on their research. In this case, what they are being asked is if each of the themes could be used to make their overall argument. The following examples are provided so that you can see how this section is handled and can then quickly explain it to students should questions arise.

In Part 1, one of the themes is “Merchants are given loans and are supported by wealthy businessmen back home.” This is a correct (“supports”) theme. If students choose “supports,” they will see the screen below if they click “Feedback”:

If students choose “does not support,” they will see the screen below if they click

“Feedback”:

In Part 1, another theme they can choose is “The best merchants should travel the

entire distance of the Silk Roads to be sure that they receive the best goods at the best prices.” This is a “does not support” theme. If students choose “does not support,” they will see the screen below if they click “Feedback”:

If students choose “supports,” they will see the screen below if they click “Feedback”:

For this Critical Mission, the correct answers for each theme are as follows:

Picking Evidence – Students are then asked to connect the supported themes with the evidence they reviewed earlier. This process takes the form of further “supported”/”not supported” statements. For each of the supported original themes given, students are then provided with a series of direct quotations or references to the evidence. Students are then asked to choose if each piece of evidence would help support their case for that particular theme or not. Again, they are asked to choose “supports” or “does not support” for each, and they are shown the correct answers and can click “Feedback” for further information. The example below is the feedback for the first selection from the theme “Merchants are given loans and are supported by wealthy businessmen back home.”

For this Critical Mission, the correct answers for each piece of evidence are as

follows:

Writing a Response – Students will be presented with a summary of what they have completed to this point. It will contain all of the supported themes picked in Step 2 and all of the evidence chosen in Step 3. Thus, as they reach the point of writing a response, they will have a base of evidence, a series of argument themes to make to the historical figure, and selected quotations from that evidence to support each theme. Then, they are asked to write an argument to the historical figure (see below). The guidelines here are minimal, so you are encouraged to expand upon them to your students if you are looking for something specific (i.e. number of quotations, word limits, etc.).

CRITICAL MISSION: PART 2

Part 2 of each Critical Mission contains only Step 1 and Step 4. Students are not led through the arguments they could make and they are not guided about what evidence to choose. In other words, Part 2 is intended to have the students apply what they did in Part 1 of the mission and complete the process without outside help. In general, while Part 1 has the student make an argument to a historical figure, Part 2 is designed to have the student apply the ideas and evidence from Part 1 to a more modern situation (see below).

All of the Critical Mission assignments are divided into two parts. You can choose to assign either one or both of the parts of each mission. It is recommended that if you choose to assign only one part to assign Part 1, as Part 2 is usually dependent on the material from Part 1 to complete.

SILK ROADS OVERVIEW

Part 1

Students are asked to take the role of an advisor to the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. They are to update the Periplus maris erythrae, a guide to the Silk Roads written over five centuries ago. Students will need to have knowledge of:

the political organization of the sixth-century western, central, and eastern Eurasian world

the various kinds of trade goods exchanged along the Silk Roads the decentralized and segmented nature of the Silk Roads

the importance of regional geographies and weather patterns in determining the course of the Silk Roads

the economic and political structures that supported merchant expeditions the importance of political stability and freedom of movement to the maintenance

of the Silk Roads the impact of the spread of disease on both the Silk Roads and the societies they

linked together the impact of the spread of ideas and religions along the Silk Roads

Students are given the following evidence to find support. At the top of the page of evidence is a help link, “help me analyze these sources,” that the students can click on for additional help within the mission.

Timeline of Events covering the following, with a short explanation of each:o 220 C.E. The Chinese Han Dynasty Collapseso 330 C.E. Constantine Reunites the Roman Empireo 476 C.E. The Western Roman Empire Collapseso 527 C.E. Justinian Becomes the Byzantine Emperor

Cosmas Indicopleustes, Christian Topography, (c. 550 C.E.) (excerpts) The Periplus maris erythraei, (1st Century C.E.) (excerpts) "A Letter from a Sogdian Merchant in China,"(313 C.E.) (excerpts) Hou Han Shu, (97 C.E.) (excerpts) Liang-Shu, (c. 502-556 C.E.) (excerpts) Procopius, On the Wars, (c. 550 C.E.) (excerpts) The Travels of Fa-Hsein, (c. 399-414 C.E.) (excerpts) Map of Eurasia describing the following between 200-400 C.E. and 500-1000

C.E.:o Important States and Empireso The Silk Roads Land Routeso The Silk Roads Sea Routeso City Nameso The Spread of Religions

In the process of completing the mission, students will identify four themes to include in their new guide to the Silk Roads for the Emperor Justinian. These four are the “supported” themes found in Step 2 of the process. The four “supported” themes are:

Merchants are given loans and are supported by wealthy businessmen back home. Merchants are not the only travelers along the Silk Roads; one may encounter a

number of pilgrims along the way. The vast majority of goods pass through many hands as they make their way

across the Silk Roads. Governments and merchants are highly protective of their territories along the

Silk Roads, and they will give misinformation to outsiders to retain control of their position.

Then, for each of the themes, they will pick out correct quotations or references from the evidence to support the themes. Using that chosen evidence, students are asked to create their guide for Justinian. Their answer should include how merchants should plan their

trade and travels on the Silk Roads, supported by geographical, political, and economic information from the mission. While this should be an adequate instruction, given what they have analyzed to this point, it might be helpful to give the students more direct instructions if there is a particular direction to the argument that is desired. The students are asked to support their argument with the evidence that they have gathered.

Part 2

Part 2 of each Critical Mission is designed to have the students apply the themes and evidence from Part 1 to modern examples. It is not recommended to assign Part 2 of the Critical Mission without also assigning Part 1, as the students would not have all the information they need to complete it. Also note that the Part 2 sections of the Critical Missions do not have the students develop themes and pick evidence. The students must complete both of those activities on their own without any extra help. This design is intentional, as the students are expected to apply the lessons in research and writing that they used in Part 1 in order to complete Part 2.

For the Silk Roads Critical Mission, Part 2 focuses on the unintended consequences of exchanges along the Silk Roads. The students are asked to read two secondary sources and develop an essay regarding the ultimate costs and benefits of cross-cultural interactions between 200 and 1000 C.E. There is no additional background information required and the students will be able to complete the Critical Mission using the information provided.

The student is given the following secondary sources as evidence to work with in this mission:

"China's Han Dynasty and the Silk Road" "The Global Context: Looking Ahead to the Middle Ages"

Using that evidence students are then asked to describe both the costs and benefits of cross-cultural interaction between 200 and 1000 C.E. They are asked to consider the totality of the Silk Roads' impact and should avoid describing only one location or issue. It is crucial to encourage students to consider political, technological, religious, and epidemiological change influenced by the Silk Roads. To successfully complete this mission the student will need to refer back to the material from Part 1.

SILK ROADS GRADING GUIDE

Critical Mission Grading Overview

As with all of the Critical Missions, the instructions are flexible concerning what the student is expected to turn in. This allows you to adjust the assignment individually. As it stands without any further instruction, the students are given one to three questions to answer, with the guideline that they are to use the material from the mission to support

their argument. After that, there is a blank area where text can be either typed in immediately or worked on outside Connect History and pasted in later. No further guidelines are given regarding length, expectations, or grading guidelines for the students. Thus, you are encouraged to give the students supplementary instructions if more specific responses are desired. Another option is to use the missions but bypass the supplied grading blank. This could be done for various reasons, including a desire to have the material turned in as a hard copy or to your own LMS, to have the assignment submitted to a plagiarism-detecting system such as turnitin.com, or to have the students complete an assignment that does not take the format of the one provided in the mission. Several alternative assignments will be given in the next section that could be completed with the same material while not having the students complete the assignment in the provided area.

Part 1

To grade Part 1, you need to decide on a format. The essay blank given in the mission has no specific requirements for length. With no specific guidelines, the level of work will vary widely, and so it is recommended to provide a specific minimum word count, a specific number of references, or some other requirement to the students as a guide. Depending on the number of students and the time available for grading, this guide can be brief or extensive. However, remember that the purpose of the assignment is to have the students bring in specific evidence and to cover four major themes. This means that a substantial answer should probably be expected.

Regardless of the length desired, a strong answer should include the four identified supported themes and evidence from the provided documents. The format of the provided prompt also requires that the student develop and support a guide of the Silk Roads for Justinian. Thus, a complete answer should include:

a guide noting goods that are exchanged and the impact of geography and politics on the Silk Roads

use of the four supported themes identified in the mission direct evidence from the provided resources placement of the entire document in its correct historical context

For the students who realize it, the essay is largely completed by working through the mission, and it is simply a matter of putting the information together in the form of an argument. It is up to you whether to make this obvious to the students or to let them figure it out for themselves. Either way, you should provide extra instructions about expectations and grading methods to the students. If a certain word count is desired or if a certain number of sources are expected, then make that explicit to the students, as the instructions in the mission are intentionally general to fit any type of assignment.

One way to detail your grading standards to the students is to provide them with a grading rubric for the assignment. Below is a sample grading rubric for grading a complete answer to the essay prompt. This rubric can be used directly as given here or can be modified based upon your preferences. You can include a standard regarding writing features, such as organization, grammar, and/or spelling to the rubric.

GRADING RUBRIC FOR CRITICAL MISSION ASSIGNMENT – SILK ROADS PART 1

Standard Not Done Poor Average Good ExcellentA guide noting goods exchanged and the impacts of geography and politics on the Silk Roads (25 points)

No attempt at creating a guide for Justinian(0 points)

Does not construct a coherent guide but does mention some aspects of the Silk Roads.(10 points)

Provides some guidance that partially answers the core question of the prompt.(15 points)

Provides clear guidance but this information is restricted to the introduction and conclusion.(20 point)

Constructs a clear and effective guide that is consistently addressed through the entirety of the essay.(25 points)

Use of the four supported themes identified in the mission(25 points)

No references to any of the major themes(0 points)

Only generally discusses the themes without referring to any of them directly.(10 points)

Not all themes are discussed in the essay.(15 points)

All four of the themes are discussed in the essay.(20 points)

Effectively uses all four of the themes in separate paragraphs that are incorporated into the broader conclusions of the essay.(25 points)

Direct evidence from the provided documents(25 points)

No use of the provided evidence to support the themes or guide(0 points)

Presents only basic, paraphrased evidence to support some of the themes.(10 points)

The evidence used in the document is paraphrased and general but does support all of the themes.(15 points)

Multiple quotations from the documents are used, but at least one theme has no direct evidence.(20 points)

At least one direct, relevant quotation or piece of evidence is used to support each of the four supported themes of the essay.(25 points)

Placement of the entire document in the correct historical context(25 points)

No reference to any resources outside of the mission or any demonstrable understanding of long-distance trade in Classical and Medieval Eurasia(0 points)

The essay contains incorrect information about Classical and Medieval Eurasia.(10 points)

The essay demonstrates a general understanding of Classical and Medieval Eurasia that does support the argument.(15 points)

The essay contains information from sources outside of the mission that support the guidance being provided.(20 points)

The entire essay is set in the historical context and shows a full understanding of the time period and major issues applicable to Classical and Medieval Eurasia.(25 points)

Part 2

The answer to Part 2 is less structured for the students, as they are not provided with either themes or evidence tied to themes (which are included in Part 1). Thus, the expectations need to be even clearer to the students for this section of the Critical Mission. The length of the essay given can vary based upon how detailed you want this section to be. Since it is less detailed and the structure is not as clear, you might want to consider a shorter word count requirement for Part 2.

In grading Part 2 of the mission, you should look for the following aspects in a complete answer to the prompt:

a discussion of both the costs and benefits of cross-cultural interaction between 200 and 1000 C.E.

a description of the Silk Roads that considers multiple locations but recognizes the Roads as one dynamic system

identification several different issues related to cross-cultural interaction, including political, technological, religious, and epidemiological effects

use the themes and evidence from Part 1 and Part 2 to discuss the topic

You should be clear about the instructions, especially regarding length and use of evidence. A grading rubric is supplied below that can be given to the students to help them understand the standards expected.

GRADING RUBRIC FOR CRITICAL MISSION ASSIGNMENT – SILK ROADS PART 2

Standard Not Done Poor Average Good ExcellentA discussion of both the costs and benefits of cross-cultural interaction between 200-1000 C.E. (25 points)

Does not discuss costs and benefits.(0 points)

Discusses costs or benefits but not both in the answer.(10 points)

Discusses costs and benefits but uses minimal evidence for support.(15 points)

Discusses costs and benefits and uses general evidence from the mission for support.(20 points)

Clearly discusses costs and benefits using multiple pieces of specific evidence from the mission for support.(25 points)

A description of the Silk Roads as one dynamic system and which considers multiple locations.(25 points)

Does not describe the Silk Roads as one dynamic system.(0 points)

States that the Silk Roads were one dynamic system but includes no support.(10 points)

Describes the Silk Roads as one dynamic system but uses evidence from only one location.(15 points)

Describes the Silk Roads as one dynamic system, using general evidence from the mission to support the argument.(20 points)

Clearly and effectively describes the Silk Roads as one dynamic system, supported with strong, specific evidence from multiple geographic locations.(25 points)

Identify several different issues related to cross-cultural interaction.(25 points)

Does not identify issues related to cross-cultural interaction.(0 points)

Generally identifies one or two issues, but uses no evidence for support.(10 points)

Generally identifies several different issues but uses minimal evidence for support.(15 points)

Identifies several different issues supported with general evidence from the mission.(20 points)

Clearly and effectively identifies many different issues supported with strong, specific evidence from the mission.(25 points)

Use the themes and evidence from Part 1 and Part 2 to discuss the topic.(25 points)

No reference to any resources from either part of the mission.(0 points)

No specific evidence used, but some general paraphrasing is present demonstrating knowledge of the documents.(10 points)

General paraphrasing from the documents in Part 1, but only uses specific examples from the documents in Part 2 to answer the questions.(15 points)

At least one example is drawn from the documents in each mission to answer the questions.(20 points)

Multiple, relevant, specific examples from both parts of the mission are used to enhance the arguments.(25 points)

ALTERNATE ASSIGNMENT IDEAS

You are not restricted by any means to the assignment found in the Critical Mission itself. The Critical Mission can be a good starting point to other assignments as well. Below are a few ideas to spark your imagination for using the Critical Mission in your own classroom.

Discussion

The Critical Mission is ideally suited for an in-class discussion, whether the discussion includes the completion of the written assignment in the mission or is used by itself. Here are some ideas for discussion topics:

The Silk Roads functioned best during times of political stability. How did political stability benefit long-distance trade and cross-cultural interaction during this period? What was the impact of growing political instability on the Silk Roads?

Merchants and pilgrims required accurate and timely information to successfully travel the Silk Roads. How did travelers obtain such information? What kinds of information was most important to merchants? How does this compare to information important to pilgrims?

Both material goods and ideas were exchanged along the Silk Roads. Which religions most successfully spread along the Silk Roads? Why might this be the case? How did religious or cultural interactions influence economic exchanges?

The Silk Roads are an early example of the growing intensity and spread of global cross-cultural interactions. In what ways was the structure of the Silk Roads similar or different to modern networks of exchange? How does the legacy of the Silk Roads influence modern political or cultural boundaries and interactions?

Debate

Part 2 of this Critical Mission serves as an excellent starting point for a class debate. The question asks students to note the costs and benefits of cross-cultural interaction in the period between 200 and 1000 C.E.. This debate takes the question further and asks students to decide if cross-cultural interaction has ultimately been a positive or negative force in world history. The class, divided into two groups, can be directed to consider not only the period included in Part 2 but the entirety of world history. They should consider numerous outcomes of cross-cultural interaction, including political, religious, economic, technological, environmental, demographic, and epidemiological effects. Taken as a whole, has cross-cultural interaction positively or negatively impacted humanity? Students should consider in what ways "positivity" and "negativity" can be validly measured. Ultimately, students should be encouraged to view cross-cultural interaction as a complex phenomenon that generates significant costs as well as benefits, costs that present significant challenges to the modern world.

Group Project

Students can use the material in the Critical Mission to support a group project, turned in as a poster, classroom presentation, PowerPoint, or other format. The possibilities here could again include any of the above ideas for discussion or debate, as those topics could also easily be turned into a presentation or group submission.

Assign student teams the task of exploring the story of one trade item or idea that moved across the Silk Roads. Possibilities for material goods include silk, spices, precious metals, and glassware while ideas can include religions such as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, and technologies such as Arabic numerals, sailing techniques, and architectural forms. Students should consider the origins, exchange, and eventual consumption of their assigned item or idea and elaborate on the impact it had both in the regional and global contexts.

While the Silk Roads acted as a single complex system, it was composed of individual segments that differed from one another from region to region. Assign groups the task of exploring the Silk Roads in one particular context, such as East Asia, Central Asia, India, the Middle East, or the eastern Mediterranean. What items were produced and traded within the assigned region? What made each region similar or different to other segments of the Silk Roads? How did each segment interlink with the other parts of the Silk Roads system?

The Silk Roads were a decentralized system composed of individual actors seeking their own best interests. This assignment creates a "mini-Silk Roads" system in the classroom. Using silk as the product being exchanged, assign each group the role of a merchant caravan taking the product through a single segment of the Silk Roads. The first group (where the silk is produced) should be given the price of obtaining the silk and the costs of transporting it to the next segment. The next groups should be given information on the costs of transport. The final group (where the silk is consumed) should be supplied with not only the costs of transport to the final destination, but also the price they should expect to receive from consumers. It is then up to the groups to negotiate with their neighbors for an appropriate price for silk at each stage of the journey. The instructor should consider augmenting the assignment with unforeseen events (natural disasters, raids, etc.), discounts for exchanging with those who share religious/cultural backgrounds, and the impact of friendly or hostile relations between the states that the caravans must cross.

Cross-cultural interaction, while undertaken for economic reasons, frequently leads to unintended consequences. Assign groups to explore in more detail one example of these consequences from the past or present. Possible topics include the spread of disease, the spread of political or social ideas, environmental change, the creation of new elites, technological diffusion, etc. As a whole, the class can consider the impact of unintended consequences on human history. They may also be asked to reflect on what unintended consequences the world struggles with today and consider methods for anticipating such consequences in the future.

Alternate Writing Assignments

The writing assignment contained in the Critical Mission is just one way to use the documents and ideas from the mission for a written submission. The students can be

asked to write on many of the topics discussed above. For a short submission, you can assign reaction papers or short summaries to have the students prepare for an in-class discussion or debate. An alternative assignment could also place the Silk Roads in a broader context. The Silk Roads are only one example of long-distance trade routes. Students can be asked to compare the structure of the Silk Roads to other trading networks. Possibilities include the Indian Ocean network (sometimes considered a segment of the Silk Roads), trade routes linking Mesoamerica and North America, the trans-Saharan trade routes, and the oceanic trade routes (including the trans-Atlantic trading system) that emerged as a consequence of European exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. Students can compare the types of items exchanged (both material goods and ideas), the structure of the routes, and the impact on political units and societies as a consequence of being connected through these trade networks.

CONCLUSION

The Critical Missions are designed to enhance and support the needs of instructors in the classroom. How you use the missions is up to you. They are designed to be used just as created in Connect History. However, they are also a great jumping-off point for a larger set of assignments and discussions. The strength of the Critical Missions is their flexibility and it is up to you to determine how they best fit into your classroom and curriculum.

OPTIONAL GRADING RUBRIC FOR CRITICAL MISSION WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Standard Not Done Poor Average Good ExcellentArgumentation(20 points)

No attempt at creating an argument(0 points)

Argument is little more than a restating of the question.(10 points)

Makes a basic argument that shows some effort to evaluate the question.(14 points)

Makes an argument that is clear, and an effort is made to integrate the argument into the entire essay.(17 points)

Makes a clear and effective argument that runs through the entire essay.(20 points)

Correct answer(20 points)

An incorrect answer or one that does not answer the question asked(0 points)

More than one part of the question is not answered and/or there is consistently incorrect information.(10 points)

A good answer to most parts of the question and/or an answer to all parts of the question that presents some incorrect information(14 points)

A mostly complete and good answer to all parts of the question(17 points)

An excellent and complete answer to all parts of the question(20 points)

Use of evidence(20 points)

No use of evidence to prove the argument(0 points)

Presents relevant historical facts without tying them to the argument.(10 points)

Uses basic historical facts to enhance the argument.(14 points)

Uses relevant historical facts to provide proof for the argument.(17 points)

Uses relevant historical facts to prove the argument; points out problems /disagreements with the argument.(20 points)

Sources(20 points)

No reference to class resources(0 points)

Uses a single class source but does not present the relevant information from that source.(20 points)

Uses relevant information from a single part of the class (lectures, readings, textbook, etc.)(14 points)

Uses information from several class sources but leaves out one or more relevant sources.(17 points)

Uses relevant information from all class sources.(20 points)

Writing style(20 points)

No evidence of preparation or thought on the topic(0 points)

Minimal planning and organization in the essay; numerous errors in writing style(10 points)

A general, readable essay that answers all parts of the question with no serious errors in writing style.(14 points)

A well-written essay with some evidence of preparation and few errors in writing style.(17 points)

A planned-out, thought-out essay with few errors in writing style; evidence of outline and coherence of writing necessary(20 points)