Activity The Emperor and Assassin

Grade

7

Show me what you know (Proof of learning) Exit Ticket

Read about the Terra-Cotta Warriors (skills sheet) that were buried with the First Emperor of Qin and discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. Look closely at the photographs of the artifacts and answer the questions.

You Try Read the Article The Emperor and the Assassin. List or mark key events as you read. What events helped China become a unified nation?

Answer these close reading questions Include evidence from the text that supports your response. a) How does the author create suspense (a feeling of excitement about what will happen next) as he tells the story? (Author’s Craft)

b) How did King Zheng and Jing Ke influence the history of China? (Central Ideas) c) How does the map at the end of the article help you understand the article? (Text Features)

Week May 26th to 29th

Self-Assessment

Check Your Understanding: Take the Know the News ten question multiple choice quiz.

Class

Social Studies

Teacher Sorensen, Van Buren, Walz

Key Content/Modeling

Introduction: Watch this 7-minute history of China. https://youtu.be/fFNzX3tYTXU Information about the emperor in our story starts at 2:09. What did Emperor Qin do to keep his land and people unified? Prepare to Read: Read each word and example sentence on the Words to know skills sheet. Choose a term that you are less familiar with and write it in the middle of a sheet of paper. Add an illustration about the word in the top left corner, your own example sentence in the top right, synonyms in the bottom left, and antonyms in the bottom right. This is called the Frayer model for building vocabulary.

Extra Learning Opportunities Learn about other amazing archaeological discoveries by watching https://youtu.be/HC9YMXrBQE0 or reading https://www.livescience.com/57690-amazing-archaeological-discoveries.html

Priority Standard(s):

RH 7.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary

sources.

RI7.7 Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium’s portrayal of

the subject

What am I learning?

How does the past influence the present? What is worth risking one’s life for? What different systems of government exist around the world? FEATURED SKILL: Analyze Artifacts

How do I know I learned? Learning Evidence in 1-3 Descriptors

Students will be able to describe

Differences in the Terra Cotta Warriors.

Students will be able to answer the Questions in the Know the News Section

The Emperor and the Assassin Lesson Plan

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: How does the past influence the present? What is worth risking one’s life for?

What different systems of government exist around the world?

FEATURED SKILL: Analyze Artifacts (item of cultural or historical interest showing human workmanship

or modification)

LEARNING TARGET: Students will read an epic true story and use it to reflect on ancient and present-day

China.

SUCCESS CRITERIA:

• Introduction: Watch this 7-minute history of China. https://youtu.be/fFNzX3tYTXU Information

about the emperor in our story starts at 2:09. What did Emperor Qin do to keep his land and

people unified?

• Prepare to Read: Read each word and example sentence on the Words to know skills sheet.

Choose a term that you are less familiar with and write it in the middle of a sheet of paper. Add

an illustration about the word in the top left corner, your own example sentence in the top

right, synonyms in the bottom left, and antonyms in the bottom right. This is called the Frayer

model for building vocabulary.

• Read the Article The Emperor and the Assassin. List or mark key events as you read. What

events helped China become a unified nation?

• Check Your Understanding: Take the Know the News ten question multiple choice quiz.

• Show Your Understanding: Answer these close reading questions with 3-5 sentences each.

Include evidence from the text that supports your response.

a) How does the author create suspense (a feeling of excitement about what will happen

next) as he tells the story? (Author’s Craft)

b) How did King Zheng and Jing Ke influence the history of China? (Central Ideas)

c) How does the map at the end of the article help you understand the article? (Text

Features)

• Practice Your Map Skills: Review the concepts of direction and distance by completing the map

activity. Study the map, China Then and Now, at the end of the article and answer the ten

questions.

• Analyzing Artifacts: Read about the Terra-Cotta Warriors (skills sheet) that were buried with the

First Emperor of Qin and discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. Look closely at the

photographs of the artifacts and answer the questions. For a closer look at the warriors watch

the video https://youtu.be/4c_ADqshdSA or read the article.

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/south-east-se-asia/china-

art/a/terracotta-warriors-from-the-mausoleum-of-the-first-qin-emperor-of-china

EXTENDED LEARNING: Learn about other amazing archaeological discoveries by watching

https://youtu.be/HC9YMXrBQE0 or reading https://www.livescience.com/57690-amazing-

archaeological-discoveries.html

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

1. censor (v): to examine news, books, or other works to remove any ideas considered offensive or harmful to society (p. 20)example: Prison officials usually censor books and letters that are sent to inmates.

2. civilization (n): the society, culture, and way of life of a particular area (p. 18)example: Around 3000 b.c., the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia became one of the first to develop a system of writing.

3. Communist (adj): related to a political system in which the government controls most aspects of life and severely limits personal freedoms (p. 20)example: Regular citizens have few rights under North Korea’s Communist government.

4. court (n): the chief advisers and other trusted people who live and work with a king, queen, or other royal ruler (p. 19)example: The legendary Knights of the Round Table were highly honored members of King Arthur’s court who offered their opinions.

5. democracy (n): a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting (p. 20)example: Because the United States is a democracy, citizens cast ballots to choose their local, state, and federal leaders.

6. dynasty (n): a family of rulers who lead a country for a long period of time (p. 19)example: Ancient Egypt’s 18th dynasty lasted nearly 250 years, but its most famous ruler, King Tut, reigned for only nine.

7. economy (n): a system for making, buying, and selling products and services within a country, region, or industry (p. 20)example: When the economy is strong, most people who want a job can find one.

8. empire (n): a widespread group of countries or regions that are controlled by a single ruler or government (p. 19)example: At its height in the late 19th century, the British Empire controlled nearly one-fourth of the world’s land area.

9. exporter (n): a person, country, or business that sends products to other countries to be sold (p. 20)example: The U.S. is the world’s leading exporter of corn, with sales of the crop accounting for nearly 40 percent of all international corn sales.

10. liberty (n): the right or power to act, speak, and live freely; political freedom (p. 20)example: In many countries, people do not enjoy the liberty of voting for their leaders.

11. state (n): an organized political area under one government; often a synonym for country when talking about world matters (p. 18)example: After years of bitter fighting between Indonesia’s government and rebel groups, Timor-Leste became an independent state in 2002.

12. tyrant (n): a ruler who has absolute power and uses it in a cruel and oppressive way (p. 18)example: Many people in the Soviet Union were terrified of Joseph Stalin, a tyrant who sent millions of people to their deaths.

Words to Know: The Emperor and the Assassin

Junior Scholastic®

SKILL BUILDER Name: Date:

Building Vocabulary KEY STANDARD

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On the back, list any other challenging words from the article. Examine context clues and look up the words in at least two dictionaries. Then write a definition and example sentence for each word.

JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 17

Learn about the terra-cotta warriors,

stunning artifacts from ancient China. Go to

junior.scholastic.com for images and

more.

PRIMARY SOURCE

FLASHBACK

THE EMPEROR AND THE ASSASSINThe epic true story of a ruler hungry for power, the young swordsman sent to stop him, and the rise of an empire BY BRYAN BROWN

ANCIENT CHINA

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©2019 by Scholastic Inc. All rights reserved. Permission granted to teachers and subscribers to make copies of these pages to distribute to their students.

18 SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

THE QIN DYNASTY The first ruling family to unite China as an empire. The dynasty lasted only about 15 years (221 b.c.-207 b.c.). But its First Emperor established a strict set of laws and a strong central government that Chinese rulers would roughly follow for thousands of years.

THE GREAT WALL Built over many centuries to prevent invaders from entering China, the Great Wall is about 5,500 miles long (nearly twice the distance from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.). Constructing it required millions of workers, many of whom died from hunger or exhaustion.

The Great Wall of China is the largest structure ever built by humans.

COME, SAID THE KING’S assistant. His Majesty would see

him now. At that moment, Jing

Ke must have wondered whether he

could really go through with it. After

all, he had arrived with a terrible task.

He was to kill the ruler. Jing knew the

king was not the only one who might

die. Guards were protecting the king.

So Jing, a scholar and swordsman,

had almost no chance of getting out

alive. Was he prepared to die?

Yes, he told himself. He was. He

had already come this far. And he

had come for this exact purpose.

Time must have slowed to a crawl

for Jing as he was brought before

King Zheng. The king was the leader

of the ancient state of Qin (chin).

Qin was located in what is now

China (see map, p. 21). The ruler was

rumored to be a ruthless tyrant. Jing

watched as King Zheng slowly

stepped down from his throne. The

palace guards stood at a distance.

They were unarmed. They were not

As You Read, Think About: Whatevents helped China become aunified nation?

allowed to carry weapons in the

king’s presence. That was Jing’s only

hope for carrying out his mission.

The year was 227 b.c. Jing had

been sent as a messenger by Prince

Dan of the state of Yan. Yan was

nearly 500 miles away. At the time,

King Zheng’s kingdom of Qin was

preparing to conquer Yan. It was

Jing’s job to stop that.

The king was naturally suspicious

of the messenger. So Jing had come

carrying two very special gifts to try

to earn his trust.

The first gift was the cut-off head

of Fan Wuji. One of King Zheng’s

former generals, he had fled to

Yan. The king, who considered him

a traitor, was delighted to receive

this present.

The second gift was a rolled-up

map. It showed a valuable piece of

territory that Prince Dan was offering

King Zheng. He was offering it in

exchange for Yan’s independence.

But this gift was a trick. Hidden

inside the map was a third item. It

was Jing’s secret weapon, a

poisoned dagger.

Jing began to unroll the map.

That set into motion a fight to the

death between the two men. Their

battle would become the source of

an ancient legend. It was a

moment of truth that led to the

founding of present-day China.

A DESPERATE PLANBy the time of that historic clash,

Chinese civilization was already

centuries old. But China was not yet

a nation. Much of the area it now

occupies was divided into seven

kingdoms. For more than two

centuries, they had been fighting

one another for control. Today, this

time is known as the Warring States

Period (475 b.c.-221 b.c.).

Under King Zheng, the kingdom

of Qin was steadily conquering the

other states. Prince Dan knew that

his state could be next. So he came

up with a desperate plan to

assassinate the king. If the attempt

was successful, he believed, it

could throw the kingdom of Qin

into chaos. It could allow the other

states to fight back.

JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 19

But who could possibly perform

such a heroic act? One of the

prince’s advisers recommended a

man named Jing Ke.

JING RECEIVES HIS MISSIONExperts know very little about Jing.

Ancient China’s first historian wrote

that Jing was a scholar and skilled

swordsman. He had been seeking a

position in Prince Dan’s court. He

was given this difficult mission by

the prince himself. So Jing could not

possibly say no. Accepting the

challenge was a matter of honor.

Could Jing pull off the plan? It

would not be easy. First, he needed

to convince King Zheng’s former

general Fan Wuji to make the

ultimate sacrifice and take his own

life. That would allow Jing to win

the king’s favor with the gift of a

traitor’s head. It was a difficult

thing to ask. But after the general

deserted Qin’s army, his relatives

had been killed on King Zheng’s

orders. The general was willing to

die for a chance at revenge.

And so, with the map, dagger,

and head in hand, Jing prepared to

face King Zheng. On the banks of

the River Yi, Prince Dan and the

people of his court gathered to bid

Jing farewell. Everyone wore white

as a sign of mourning, as if for

someone who had already died.

“Brave men, once gone, never

come back!” Jing sang. With that,

he set off to meet his fate.

A FIGHT TO THE DEATHAlmost as soon as Jing approached

his foe, his plan started to unravel.

As he unrolled the map, King

Zheng saw the dagger. The king

backed away. He reached for the

sword at his side. But it was so long

it got caught in his robes. So he

ran. Jing grabbed the dagger and

chased after him.

In a panic, the king ducked

behind a pillar. His doctor was

standing nearby. The doctor took

the medicine bag he was carrying

and threw it at Jing. This briefly

stunned the attacker. That gave the

king enough time to draw his sword.

He struck Jing in the leg, wounding

him. Jing threw the dagger, but

missed. The knife knocked uselessly

against the pillar. King Zheng closed

in for the kill, stabbing Jing to death.

The plan had failed. Prince Dan’s

last hope had died with Jing.

THE FIRST EMPERORWithin a year, King Zheng

conquered Yan. By 221 b.c., he had

seized all of the warring states. That

united a massive area that would

later become known as China. He

was triumphant. So he gave

himself the title Qin Shi Huangdi

(First Emperor of Qin).

The new emperor declared

that his dynasty would last

10,000 generations. He quickly

strengthened control over his

empire. He stripped the old royal

families of power. And he

appointed loyal supporters to

oversee distant regions. To protect

his kingdom from invaders, he

ordered that some sections of wall

at the empire’s northern border be

joined together. That was the

origin of the Great Wall of China.

At the same time, the First

Emperor laid the foundations of a

unified society. He did that from

his capital near the present-day

city of Xi’an. He established a code

of law. He built a vast network of

roads. He also ordered his scholars

to develop a standardized method

of writing. That became a model

for modern Chinese characters.

But the emperor remained a

tyrant. He trusted no one. Over

time, he grew more and more

The fight to the death between

the two men became an

ancient legend.

Millions of people were forced to build the Great Wall of China

during the Qin Dynasty.

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other dynasties that followed, it

based its strong central government

on the First Emperor’s.

Indeed, for thousands of years,

“the power in China was controlled

by just one or a few rulers. Common

people had no rights,” says Jinmei

Yuan. She is a professor of

philosophy and Chinese literature.

Whether people lived comfortably

or suffered depended greatly on the

emperor at the time, she explains.

Although the First Emperor was

cruel, he “created order out of

chaos,” says historian Yuri Pines,

an expert on ancient China. That

so many dynasties modeled their

governments on his makes him

“one of the most powerful

individuals in Chinese, and perhaps

in all human history,” Pines writes.

A LASTING LEGENDEven so, the people of China have

not forgotten about Jing Ke’s

attempt to stop the future emperor.

It is more than 2,200 years after

Jing’s death. His legend has

inspired countless poems, movies,

comics, and even video games. In

recent years, young Chinese

activists speaking out against their

country’s government have cited

Jing as a hero.

Experts say Jing continues to be

admired because he was willing to

die in the name of freedom. To

many Chinese people, he remains a

symbol of hope for “a good life in

the future,” says Yuan. King Zheng

may have won the battle with the

swordsman. But the influence of

Jing Ke’s quest lives on. ◆

Write About It! Do you think history should celebrate King Zheng, Jing Ke, or both men? Explain yourreasoning and include evidencefrom the text to support it.

isolated and paranoid. He ordered

the burning of all books by scholars

and historians, hoping to erase the

memory of past rulers. He was also

superstitious. He traveled to distant

parts of his kingdom looking for the

secret to everlasting life.

Yet the First Emperor did not live

long as a ruler. He died in 210 b.c.

Historians believe he may have

unintentionally poisoned himself

by taking pills that he hoped would

help him live forever. He was buried

in a huge tomb, guarded by

thousands of clay statues known

today as the terra-cotta warriors.

A NEW KIND OF EMPIREWithout the ruthless control of its

former leader, the empire was

quickly torn apart by warring

groups. But in 202 b.c., it was

reunited by the Han Dynasty, which

would rule for 400 years. Like the

20 SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

Modern China is a global power. Its population of 1.4 billion people is the largest in the world. It is the world’s leading exporter of goods, producing everything from electronics and steel to clothing. Experts predict that China will surpass the United States as the world’s top economy by 2030.

Much of China’s growth has taken place since 1978, when its Communist government loosened strict control of its economy. According to the World Bank, more than 850 million people have been lifted out of extreme poverty as a result.

In recent years, China has become a global leader in finding a solution for climate change. It is a top investor in renewable resources, such as solar power. It is also a leading developer of new technology, including robotics and self-driving cars.

Despite China’s prosperity, its people lack the basic liberties of those living in a democracy. Its government imprisons its critics and censors the internet. American leaders have frequently criticized how China restricts its citizens’ freedoms.

China’s wealth has led to a building boom in

Beijing, the capital.

Country Close-Up: CHINA

JUNIOR.SCHOLASTIC.COM 21

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National capitalCityNational borderDisputed borderGreat WallExtent ofQin Dynasty

0

0 400 KM

200 MI

MYANMAR(BURMA)

BANGLADESH

INDIA

MONGOLIANORTHKOREA

SOUTHKOREA

JAPAN

RUSSIA

NEPAL BHUTAN

LAOS

PHILIPPINESVIETNAM

TAIWAN

GO

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Macao

Hong Kong

Shanghai

Harbin

Yumen

Ürümqi

PAKISTAN

KYRGYZSTAN

CHINALhasa

TAKLAMAKANDESERT

TIBETANPLATEAU

H I M A L A Y A S

QILIAN SHAN(MOUNTAINS)

Chan

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(Yan

gtze River)

Brahmaputra River

Huang He

(Yellow River)

Great Wall

SouthChina Sea

Yalu

Rive

r

Amur River

PACIFICOCEAN

Sea ofJapan

(East Sea)

YellowSea

Bo Hai

20°N

30°N

40°N

50°N

TROPIC OF CANCER

130°E

120°E

110°E

70°E

80°E

90°E

140°E

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HAINANISLAND(CHINA)

Mekong River

PACIFICOCEAN

QIN CHU

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QIZHAOBeijing

Xi'an

H I M A L A Y A S

Yi River

Huang He(Yellow River)

AFGHANISTANAFGHANISTAN

KAZAKHSTAN

Sea ofJapan

(East Sea)

EastChina Sea

EastChina SeaHAN

PACIFICOCEAN

ASIA

CHINA U.S.

Area of map

1. What is the national capital of China?

2. In which direction would you travel to get from that city to Xi’an?

3. Which Chinese city on the map is located in China’s northeastern-most area?

4. The present-day city of Xi’an is located in which ancient Chinese state?

5. What structure formed much of the northern border of the Qin Dynasty?

6. The Qin Dynasty had coastline along which bodies of water?

7. The Yi River flows into which much larger river? In which direction would you travel on that larger river to the Bo Hai?

8. Which city is located at 31°N, 122°E?

9. About how many miles separate Xi’an and Beijing?

10. About how many miles separate Ürümqi and Lhasa?

Map Skills

China Then and Now This map shows modern-day China. The red shaded area shows the seven kingdoms of the Warring States Period (475 b.c.-221 b.c.) and marks the extent of the Qin Dynasty (221 b.c.-207 b.c.), the first unified China.

Check outMAP SKILLSBOOT CAMP

at junior.scholastic.com for more geography practice

DISTANCE Every map has its own scale that compares distance on the map with the actual distance on Earth’s surface. You can measure distance by placing the edge of a piece of paper along two points on a map. Mark the center of each point on the paper. Then compare those points with the map’s scale of miles or kilometers.

DIRECTION Find the compass rose on the map. It shows the cardinal directions: north, east, south, and west. Halfway between any two of them is an intermediate direction: northeast, southeast, southwest, or northwest.

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Know the News: The Emperor and the Assassin

1. Why did Prince Dan and Jing Ke want to kill King Zheng?

A to prevent Zheng from finding the secret to everlasting life

B to keep Zheng from conquering the state of Yan

C to help Yan’s leader conquer other states during the Warring States Period

D to get revenge for the murder of Fan Wuji’s family

2. Which word best describes Jing’s state of mind as he faced Zheng?

A desperate B determined C relaxed D suspicious

3. Which of these happened first? A The Han Dynasty began. B Zheng gave himself the title First Emperor

of Qin. C Prince Dan came up with a plan to kill Zheng. D The Warring States Period ended.

4. What saved Zheng in his fight with Jing? A Jing dropped his poisoned dagger. B Zheng’s doctor stunned Jing by throwing a

medicine bag at him. C Zheng drew his sword immediately. D Zheng’s guards stopped Jing.

5. Why were Zheng’s victories in the Warring States Period important to history?

A They created the first unified China. B They started a dynasty that would last 10,000

generations. C They reunited the territory of the Han Dynasty. D They ended fighting in China for the next

400 years.

6. In the first sentence on page 20, what does paranoid mean?

A extremely forgetful B aggressively mean C unreasonably distrustful D very sad

7. When Yuri Pines says that the First Emperor “created order out of chaos,” what does chaos mean?

A complete confusion and disorder B a general sense of happiness C a slight disagreement D a state of harsh government control

8. Which statement is an opinion? A The First Emperor laid the foundations of a

unified society. B Activists in China have claimed Jing as a hero. C Jing is more worthy of being called a hero

than Zheng. D People disagree about whether Zheng or Jing

should be more celebrated.

9. Which detail would be most important to include in a summary of the article?

A Fan Wuji was a general who deserted Qin’s army.

B The First Emperor may have accidentally poisoned himself.

C After killing Jing, Zheng took over Yan and all the warring states.

D Today, 1.4 billion people live in China.

10. According to the sidebar on page 20, experts think China will ____ by 2030.

A become a democracy B no longer have the largest population C solve climate change D have the world’s top economy

Read the article on pages 17-21, then answer the questions.

Comprehension

Questions

JUNIOR SCHOLASTIC • SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

1. What do you notice about the first photograph? What do you wonder about it?

2. What figures other than warriors are included in the pit? Why do you think they might have been included?

3. Look at the photos that show three warriors up close. How are the three statues similar? How are the three statues different?

4. What do you notice about the hands of the statue at the bottom left of the page? What can you infer about them?

5. What does the terra-cotta army help you understand about the First Emperor?

SKILL BUILDER Name: Date:

Junior Scholastic®

In “The Emperor and the Assassin” (pp. 17-21), you read about how the First Emperor of Qin was buried in a tomb guarded by thousands of clay statues, known as the terra-cotta warriors. During his reign, he ordered an estimated 700,000 people to build the underground palace and statues to protect

him in the afterlife. Many workers died during the construction, and some were reportedly killed to keep the location secret. The ancient army wasn’t discovered until 1974, when farmers were digging a well. Look closely at the photographs of these artifacts and answer the questions.

Terra-Cotta WarriorsAnalyzing a Primary Source KEY STANDARD

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PAUL J MARTIN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM (LEFT WARRIOR); SHAUN HIGSON/SOLD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (MIDDLE WARRIOR); DON EMMERT/AFP/GETTY IMAGES (RIGHT WARRIOR)

TOM TILL/GETTY IMAGES