Public learning track
The Silk Road and Trans-Eurasian Trade Networks
11 lessons
Goal
Analyze overland and maritime Silk Road routes, trade commodities, geographic obstacles, and the diffusion of Buddhism across Eurasia.
Featured Diagrams
The Silk Road: Trade and Cultural Exchange Across Eurasia
11 lessons
0 of 11 done
- The Silk Road: Trade and Cultural Exchange Across EurasiaUp next
- Zhang Qian and the Opening of Trans-Eurasian RoutesNot started yet
- Topography and Geography: Navigating Deserts and Mountain PassesNot started yet
- Oasis City-States: Dunhuang, Samarkand, and KashgarNot started yet
- Commodities of the Silk Road: Silk, Spices, Horses, and GlasswareNot started yet
- Rome's Trade With India and East AsiaNot started yet
- Trade Connections Between Asia, Africa, and the MediterraneanNot started yet
- The Introduction of Buddhism to China Along Trade RoutesNot started yet
- The Spread of Buddhism: From India to East AsiaNot started yet
- How Trade Carried Buddhism to Southeast AsiaNot started yet
- Assessing the Relationship Between Trade and Religious SpreadNot started yet
Standards Covered
- 7.T1.2.gMassachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5the role topography and geography played in making trade along the several routes of the Silk Road viable and lucrative; connections through trade routes to Africa, Europe, and China
- 7.T2b.2.fMassachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5China’s role in trade across Asia and to and from Africa and Europe along the Silk Roads and the introduction of Buddhism in China starting c. 1st century CE.
- 7.T1.2Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Describe important economic, political, and religious developments in Indian and Central Asian history and evaluate the ways in which they conform to or differ from developments in societies in other regions of the world.
- 7.T2c.1Massachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5Trace the spread of Buddhism from India in the 4th century BCE to China, Korea, and Japan, and its development in Japan from the 6th through the 13th century CE; explain significant cultural contributions of ancient Japan (e.g., Buddhist philosophy, art, calligraphy, and temple and landscape architecture).
- 7.T1.2.cMassachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5the teachings of Gautama Buddha in India in the 6th to 4th centuries BCE
- 7.T1.2.dMassachusetts Social Studies Standards · Social Studies · Grade 5 (target) · Grade 5the Mauryan Empire in the 4th to 2nd centuries BCE and the role of the Emperor Ashoka adopting Buddhism’s moral teachings and the philosophy of non-violence and supporting Buddhist missionaries in North Africa, Central and Southeast Asia, and Mediterranean Europe; the Gupta Empire in the 3rd to 6th centuries CE, sometimes referred to as the “Golden Age of India,” and its Sanskrit classic literature and art
Curriculum Framework
6th Grade · Social Studies · US-MA-SS
1
11 lessons
Physical and Political Geography of East and South Asia
Use geographic tools, coordinates, and thematic maps to analyze how landforms, river systems, and climates shaped human settlements and economies across Asia.
2
11 lessons
Ancient South Asia: The Indus Valley and Vedic Society
Analyze the urban planning, technological innovations, social structures, and economic networks of the Indus Valley civilization and early Vedic society.
3
11 lessons
Religions of Ancient India: Hinduism and Buddhism
Examine the philosophical foundations, core teachings, sacred texts, and social impacts of Hinduism and Buddhism in ancient South Asia.
4
11 lessons
Classical Indian Empires: Mauryan and Gupta
Analyze imperial unification, Ashoka's moral governance, Buddhist diplomacy, and the golden age cultural achievements of the Gupta Empire.
5
11 lessons
Ancient China: Shang and Zhou Dynasties and Early Culture
Analyze early Chinese dynastic continuity, oracle bone writing, the Mandate of Heaven, bronze metallurgy, and agricultural innovations.
6
11 lessons
Classical Chinese Thought: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism
Analyze the core principles, ethical frameworks, views on governance, and lasting impacts of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.
7
11 lessons
Unification and Empire: The Qin and Han Dynasties
Examine Qin Shi Huang's unification of China, massive state infrastructure, the Terracotta Army, and the Han golden age of civil service and trade.
8
11 lessons
The Silk Road and Trans-Eurasian Trade Networks
Analyze overland and maritime Silk Road routes, trade commodities, geographic obstacles, and the diffusion of Buddhism across Eurasia.
9
11 lessons
Ancient and Medieval Korea and Japan: Culture, Exchange, and Buddhism
Analyze cultural exchange between China, Korea, and Japan, the development of Japanese Buddhism, Shinto traditions, and classical architecture.
10
6 lessons
Ancient Greece: The Rise of the Polis and Athenian Democracy
Examine how Greek geography fostered independent city-states and how Athens developed core democratic institutions such as the Ecclesia and Boule.
11
6 lessons
Classical Athens: Civic Life, Philosophy, and Democratic Legacy
Analyze Athenian civic institutions, social exclusions, comparisons with Sparta, and the enduring philosophical and practical legacy of Greek democracy.
12
7 lessons
Ancient Greece: Society, Politics, and Warfare
Examine the political structures, social hierarchies, and major military conflicts that shaped ancient Greek city-states and the Hellenistic world.
13
6 lessons
Ancient Greek Culture, Science, and the Arts
Explore the foundational intellectual, scientific, literary, and artistic achievements of classical Greece and their enduring legacy.
14
11 lessons
The Roman Republic: Geography, Institutions, and Society
Explain how Rome's Mediterranean location, Republican governance, and social structure supported its rise and regional power.
15
11 lessons
The Roman Empire: Expansion, Pax Romana, and Disintegration
Trace the transition from Republic to Empire, the mechanisms of imperial governance and prosperity, and the internal and external causes of Rome's eventual decline.
16
10 lessons
Roman Engineering, Language, and Cultural Diffusion
Evaluate Roman achievements in architecture, engineering, and infrastructure, the global legacy of Latin and Greek, and the diffusion of ideas across Afro-Eurasia.
17
8 lessons
Analyzing Sources, Perspectives, and Historical Evidence
Evaluate the purpose, point of view, credibility, accuracy, and relevance of historical sources to investigate social science questions.
18
8 lessons
Evidence-Based Historical Argumentation and Civic Action
Construct logical, evidence-supported arguments about historical questions and apply historical insights to informed civic action.