Students encounter three of the most important philosophies that contributed to the shaping of ancient Chinese society: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, represented by Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi respectively. After immersing themselves in the philosophies through print and video sources, students work in small groups to report on comparisons and contrasts among the three. Then they analyze a tale about the childhood of the Confucian philosopher Mencius, illustrating Confucian attitudes toward women and parenting.
Objectives:
- Explain the teachings of Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi.
- Describe the impact of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.
Scene 1 — Engage
Student Activity
Students are introduced to how philosophers shaped rulers’ actions and individual behavior in ancient China and review the lesson objectives. They view an image of Confucius and respond to a word cloud prompt by listing two or more historical figures or authors they consider very wise.
Teacher Moves
Preview the experience and objectives. Select several names from the word cloud, ask who those individuals were and what made their ideas “wise,” then connect this to the upcoming study of Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi as thinkers who shaped an ancient civilization and still influence people today.
Scene 2 — Explore
Student Activity
Students view images of major Chinese philosophers and watch Who Was Confucius?, taking notes about Confucius in a two-column graphic organizer. They then read Taoism and Confucianism—Ancient Philosophies to learn more about Confucius and to investigate Laozi and Taoism, adding notes about both philosophers to the organizer. Next, they post on a discussion wall, explaining what they like about Confucius’s and Laozi’s philosophies and why. After reviewing classmates’ posts and replying to at least two, they read selected paragraphs from Legalism to learn about Han Fei Zi and the main ideas of Legalism.
Teacher Moves
Optionally offer students the video Confucius and the Hundred Schools of Thought, directing them to the most relevant clips on Confucius, Legalism, and Taoism. Monitor students as they take notes and contribute to the wall, prompting them to compare the values and goals of each philosophy. Before moving on, organize students into small groups for the next scene, assigning or allowing them to choose a philosophy to research.
Scene 3 — Explain
Student Activity
Students read The Philosophers of the Warring States to review Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. Working in small groups, they research one of the three philosophies online and create a report that identifies the key philosopher and associated texts, explains the philosophy’s main ideas, and compares and contrasts it with the other two philosophies. Groups post their report to a discussion wall or share it via a linked digital tool such as a presentation, timeline, or interactive poster.
Teacher Moves
Have groups share their reports, then, if time permits, lead a whole-class discussion comparing and contrasting the three philosophies, using questions such as which philosophy students most agree with and what a society based solely on each philosophy might be like. Draw on the boldface questions in The Philosophers of the Warring States to extend discussion before transitioning students to independent work in the next scenes.
Scene 4 — Elaborate
Student Activity
Students read the primary source box in Mencius and his Mother: A Lesson Drawn from Weaving, a folk tale about the childhood of Mencius, a follower of Confucius. They post to a discussion wall explaining the main idea or message of the tale and how it reflects Confucian beliefs, then read classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments.
Teacher Moves
Review the Annotation section of the resource for background, then use students’ wall responses to launch discussion about what the tale suggests about women’s roles and parenting in ancient China and how these ideas connect to Confucian values.
Scene 5 — Evaluate
Student Activity
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher Moves
Facilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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