I have a free 4-week China unit study for kids. Look at these other Best Homeschool Unit Studies for more ideas and topics for hands-on learning.
China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations.
So, this unit study for multiple ages is geared toward Ancient China.
In addition, we are focusing on China’s rich history, culture, food, animals, inventions, and landmarks.
However, because this is a multiple age study topics like the Opium Wars and the philosophical views of Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism I feel are for older students.
Too, I will list famous people in history which will give your children a feel for the period.
ANCIENT CHINA BOOKS FOR KIDS
First, living books and picture books bring this period to life.
When possible, I try to always include reading of living books. Then I add reference books to our list.
12 Ancient China Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add some of these books to your home library about Ancient China. Also, use them for a homeschool unit study.
In the West, legendary explorers like Christopher Columbus, Ernest Shackleton and Sir Edmund Hillary are a recognized part of our history. But in China, that legend belongs to the great explorer Zheng He (1371–1433), who lived during China's renowned Ming Dynasty. Zheng He, the Great Chinese Explorer is a bilingual (English and Chinese) tale of his adventures.
When he was a child, Zheng He dreamed of foreign lands, his imagination was inspired by the travels of his father and grandfather and the wonderful items they brought back from trading trips to the West. A simple but exotic porcelain vase in cobalt, a color not found in China at the time, drove Zheng He to discover the origins of this unique color—and become one of the most famous explorers in China's history.
Eighty years before Columbus, China sent ships to explore the world.The Chinese discovered many marvelous things, but one discovery stood out above the others: the chee-lin.This chee-lin was just a giraffe, but to the Chinese it was an omen of good fortune so rare that it had appeared only once before—at the birth of Confucius.
A Time Magazine 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time selection!A Reader’s Digest Best Children’s Book of All Time!This stunning fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore is a companion novel to Starry River of the Sky and the New York Times bestselling and National Book Award finalist When the Sea Turned to SilverIn the valley of Fruitless mountain, a young girl named Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father regales her with old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon, who knows the answers to all of life's questions. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on an extraordinary journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune. She encounters an assorted cast of characters and magical creatures along the way, including a dragon who accompanies her on her quest for the ultimate answer.Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.
Ancient China has a long history of scientific excellence. Learn more about some of China’s greatest scientific wonders and the scientists who studied them. Features stories about astronomy, seismology, mathematics, calendar-making, and geography.
Clever Chuan devises a simple way for his father to quickly and accurately count all the warlord's treasure.
The classic picture book about five clever brothers, each with a different extraordinary ability, has been in print for almost 80 years."An original nonsense tale told with...spirit and gusto." -- The Horn Book
Angela FIsher's The Great Wall is an "awe-inspiring, impressive, black and gray illustrations set the tone for this history of the building of the Great Wall of China." (School Library Journal)
No one can deny the appeal of the book's hero, Ping, the spirited little duck who lives on a boat on the Yangtze River. Ping's misadventures one night while exploring the world around his home form the basis of this timeless classic, which is brought to life by Kurt Wiese's warm and poignant illustrations.
Serving as the seat of imperial power for six centuries, the Forbidden City is one of China's most famous and enigmatic landmarks. Accompanied by a mischievous cat, readers will tour this colossal architectural structure, discovering the secrets hidden inside the palace walls. They will encounter the people who have walked through its halls and gardens, including emperors, empresses, and rebel leaders, and hear exciting tales about the power struggles and intrigues of everyday life.This large format book conveys the grandeur of the Forbidden City through highly detailed line drawings of its buildings, gardens, and courtyards with numerous fold-out spreads. Each page is populated by a large variety of characters and peppered with entertaining anecdotes. Every book includes a plastic magnifying glass for looking at the drawings more closely."Readers receive a lavish tour of the Forbidden City, once home to Chinese emperors and now a museum, courtesy of Chiu and the Design and Cultural Studies Workshop, which he founded. Delicate line drawings highlight the architectural intricacies of the nearly 178-acre complex (several foldout spreads emphasize its size) while Chiu examines the Ming and Qing dynasties in thorough detail, along with major events in the palace's history. (In one foldout scene, 24 emperors offer pithy, even brusque notes on their reigns — "I was entirely unaccomplished," says Emperor Longqing.) A magnifying glass is wisely included to help readers appreciate the wealth of visual detail." — Publishers Weekly
DID YOU KNOW that China was named after its first emperor – the brilliant, all-powerful emperor who built The Great Wall? In this book, discover why he started building the Wall, how he made China the biggest country on earth, and what treasures he hid in his secret tomb. Find out how he became one of the most important people in the history of China. Read all about the first emperor’s fascinating life in The Emperor Who Built The Great Wall.The simple language and beautiful illustrations make this book a wonderful reader or bedtime story. It is suitable for all ages, but children aged six to twelve years will especially enjoy reading this book.~ About the ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA… Series ~China has a long history, but its many stories are often too complex for children. In this series, Jillian Lin retells China’s best historical tales so they are easy and fun to read. Children will embark on a journey through time where they will get a glimpse inside the colorful lives of famous Chinese figures. Beautiful illustrations, gripping stories, and fascinating facts make these books wonderful readers or bedtime stories for ages six and above. Other titles in this series include:The King Without A Throne (Confucius)The Mountain Man Of Music (Zhu Zaiyu)The Miracle Doctor (Hua Tuo)The Girl Who Became Emperor (Wu Zetian)The Dreamer Of Stars (Zhang Heng)The Greatest Explorer In The World (Zheng He)The Pirate King (Koxinga/Zheng Chenggong)
More than two thousand years ago, with his land under constant attack from nomads, the First Emperor of China came up with a simple solution: build a wall to keep out enemies. It was a wall that kept growing and growing. But its construction came at a huge cost: it is believed that more than a million Chinese died building it, earning the wall its nickname--the longest cemetery on earth. Through the story of the wall, Patricia Brennan Demuth is able to tell the story of China itself, the rise and fall of dynasties, the greatness of its culture, and its present-day status as a Communist world power.
A spectacular and informative guide to the history of the great Chinese empire and the customs and traditions of its people. Stunning real-life photographs and lifelike models offer a unique "eyewitness" view of life in imperial China, from its earliest beginnings in the Bronze Age to its final years in the early 20th century. See the stunning bronze work of the ancient Chinese and the beautiful techniques used for Chinese calligraphy. Learn why the First Emperor created the Terracotta Army, what kinds of goods were carried along the Silk Route, who invented paper, and much, much more.
Let’s dive into some of the history and geography.
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 1
First, here are a few of the major dynasties:
- Xia Dynasty
- Shang Dynasty
- Zhou Dynasty
- Qin Dynasty
- Han Dynasty
Besides the many fascinating dynasties that have existed in China, there are many beautiful geographical landmarks.
- Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History
- How To Make The Great Wall Of China Out Of Paper
- If your kids want to create their own scrolls, look at my post How To Make Paper Look Old Craft With Kids.
- Investigate the Silk Road with Marco Polo and make Terracotta Army with my unit study and free lapbook Free Marco Polo Unit Study, Lapbook, and Hands-on Ideas
- Make a timeline and grab these free Chinese Timeline Figures.
- The History Unboxed -Ancient China Unboxed is affordable and includes some really neat information as well as hands on activities like -Coloring the Great Wall, excavate your own ancient Chinese replica artifact, taste an ancient preparation of tea, decorate and fly an ancient style of kite, and making a magnetic compass.
- Also, for younger kids look at this fun printable All About China book. Scroll to the bottom for the free pdf link.
GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF CHINA
- Yellow River (Huang He). The second-longest river in China.
- Yangtze River. The longest river in China and Asia.
- Great Wall of China. It wasn’t just a wall but a fortification to protect them from invasions.
- Himalayas. The highest mountain range in the world.
- Gobi Desert. A large desert in northern China and southern Mongolia.
And here are some historical people to research.
Confucius, Qin Shi Huang, Laozi, Zheng He and although not really ancient, Qiu Jin is celebrated as a heroine.
Marco Polo traveled along the Silk Road in the 13th century and wrote about his adventures in China. We did a whole unit study about him.
NATURE & SCIENCE CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 2
Another fun topic to discuss about their contributions to inventions.
For example, there is paper, a compass, gunpowder, and silk.
Also, learn about some of the animals and plants and trees in China.
- DIY Easy Compass Activity
- Learn about silkworms. Look at this cool Dissect a Silkworm Cocoon.
- Learn about Chinese medicine. Discuss what is Yin and Yang and what it means to take a holistic approach. Explain what is cupping and the benefits of ginseng, ginger, and goji berry.
- Th red-crowned crane is found in wetlands and is known for its impressive courtship dances.
- The cinnamon tree is native to China. Look at this fun page to learn about growing a cinnamon tree at home.
- Research about the giant panda.Read about pandas here.
- Design and create a Chinese Garden
- Make kites like they did back then.
- China is known for various types of tea, including green, black, and oolong.
- The snow leopard big cats live in the mountainous areas of Tibet.
- The lotus is a beautiful flower that grows in a pond in China.
- Look at the science of how tea is made.
MATH & LANGUAGE ARTS CHINA UNIT STUDY IDEAS WEEK 3
Also, look at these hands-on math and language arts ideas.
- Introduce students to the Chinese abacus (suanpan), an ancient tool used for arithmetic. Look at my post 8 Ancient China Activities For Kids | How To Make An Abacus.
- The Tangram is China’s most famous puzzle game. Use 7 geometric pieces and other shapes to assemble a puzzle. We made our own tangram puzzle pieces here where we played a similar game.
- Practice writing Chinese characters. Look at this post Chinese Character Printmaking Project.
- Create a list of Chinese Proverbs and learn their meaning. For example, A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness and He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
- Build the Wall of China. We did ours with paper. Look at my post How To Make The Great Wall Of China Out Of Paper. But measure the length and width and calculate how long it will need to stretch across your dining room table.
- Investigate Ancient Chinese currency like the bronze coin and cowry shells.
- Research about the Chinese calendar which is a lunar calendar and compare with the Gregorian calendar.
- Read ancient Chinese folktales like The Monkey King and The Legend of Mulan. Look at this Paper Doll Mulan Craft for Kids.
- Comparing Ancient Chinese and Western Literary works.
ARTS & CRAFTS CHINA UNIT STUDY WEEK 4
Finally, look at some of these fun arts and crafts to do along your unit study.
- Kids Ancient China Activity | How To Make a Simple Ming Dynasty Craft
- Another fun activity to do together is to cook traditional Chinese foods like dumplings or rice.
- Craft tea cups and have a traditional tea ceremony.
- Learn how to make noodles.
- Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids
- Make a fan.
- Make paper Chinese dragons.
- Chinese paper cutting is one of the most popular folk arts in China. Look at this fun Chinese Paper Cutting of a Horse.
A lot of Ancient China then like now is rural.
However, China was home to some of the most advanced cities on earth.
Not only did they excel in architect like the monasteries but their people learned poetry, how to play a musical instrument and performed beautiful dances.
What part of Ancient China are you focusing on?
