Exploros | East and West: History of the Silk Road

East and West: History of the Silk Road

Students learn about the Silk Road and how the connection between the East and the West contributed to civilization. They use an interactive map to explore how the Silk Road affected the development of the cities along the route. They learn about the Mongolian Empire and state an opinion about whether the Mongols should be remembered as barbarians or as contributors to civilization.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Overview

In this experience, students learn about the Silk Road and how the connection between the East and the West contributed to civilization. They use an interactive map to explore how the Silk Road affected the development of the cities along the route. Finally, they learn about the Mongolian Empire and state an opinion about whether the Mongols should be remembered as barbarians or as contributors to civilization.

Objectives:

Explain the impact of the Silk Road trade routes on Central Asia.
Describe the Mongol empire and its achievements.

The Silk Road was an ancient network of trade routes that ran across regions of the Asian continent, connecting the Mediterranean area in the West to China in the East. The Silk Road got its name from the Chinese silk that was traded along this route. In this experience, you will learn about the significance of the Silk Road and about the Mongolian Empire that for centuries ruled over much of the route.

Objectives:

Explain the impact of the Silk Road trade routes on Central Asia.
Describe the Mongol empire and its achievements.

You may be familiar with the popular swimming pool game, Marco Polo. Do you know that Marco Polo was a real person who lived long ago?

If you know something about the person Marco Polo, write it in the chart below. If someone has already posted what you know, try to think of something different.

When students have posted everything they know about Marco Polo, unlock this gate. Students do not need to post to the chart in order to advance.

painting o f a boat holding large animals on the shore near buildings

The Travels of Marco Polo

Marco Polo was a merchant from Venice (in modern Italy) who lived from 1254–1324. He spent over twenty years traveling through Central Asia and China along the Silk Road. He lived among the Mongols, who built a mighty empire in the region. Upon his return he wrote a book about his travels, which describes wonders unknown in Europe, such as paper money and burning coal for energy.

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