Name __________________________________________ Date___________________ Section__________

Ancient China-Inventions
Document Based Question

The question is based on the accompanying documents on the following pages. This question is
designed to test your ability to work with historical documents. Some of these have been edited
for the purpose of this task. As you analyze the documents, take into account both the source of
the document and any point of view that may be presented in the document.

Directions:
Analyze the documents and answer the questions that follow each document.
Read the essay question and plan your essay using the outline provided.
Write a well-organized essay that includes an introductory paragraph, a body with
several paragraphs explaining and supporting your answer, and a concluding paragraph.
Use evidence from the documents to support your essay.
Include specific related outside information in your essay.

Historical Context:
Some of the worlds greatest inventions came from China. Throughout its imperial
history, emperors encouraged the development of science and technology, and for
centuries China led other nations in these areas. The world is forever in debt to China
for its innovations. Ancient China was extremely advanced and its discoveries are still
in use today in cultures all over the world.

Task:

For Part A, read each document carefully and answer the question or questions after each
document. Then read the directions for Part B and write your essay.

For Part B, use your answers from Part A, information from the documents, and your
knowledge of social studies to write a well-organized essay. In the essay you will be asked to:

Describe three ancient Chinese inventions that have influenced the world today.
Explain the significant impact each of these inventions had on the world.
PART A

The documents that follow relate information about China. Examine each document carefully
and then answer the question(s) that follow it using complete sentences. These
answers will help you in Part B.

Document 1

*The dot represents the date of inventions and the bar represents the time it
took to be adopted in the West (Europe).

1. Which invention took the least amount of time to be adopted by the West? ________

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2. Why might it have taken hundreds of years for an invention to be adopted by the West?

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Document 2

Chinese legend tells that the new invention of

paper was presented to the Emperor in the
year 105 AD by Cai Lun. Archaeological
evidence, however, shows that paper was in
use two hundred years before then. Either
way, the Chinese were significantly ahead of
the rest of the world. The craft of
papermaking relied upon a lot of bamboo
fiber to produce a fine quality paper.

Chinese papermakers used paper molds like this one, which consists of a fine
bamboo screen set in a wooden frame. The mold was dipped into a vat of
mushy pulp and shaken gently to settle the fibers onto the screen. The screen
was then taken out and pressed to remove the excess water before being left
to dry.

1. What natural material did the Ancient Chinese use to make their paper? ___________

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2. What is one advantage of using paper for writing? ____________________________

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Document 3

Paper and printing were possibly the most

important Chinese inventions. The Chinese
invention of moveable type, credited to Bi
Sheng in the year 1045 AD, did not significantly
change Chinese society. Three hundred years
later in Europe, Gutenberg's development of
moveable type changed the Western world.
Why? The Chinese language uses 3000 to
5000 characters in an average newspaper. The
English language, in comparison, uses 26 characters in an average newspaper. Clearly,
moving 5,000 characters on a printing press took much longer than moving 26. Still,
the invention of moveable type furthered Chinese technology and its role in the
advancement of human civilization. Large-scale printing in the 10th century made
books readily available in China for the first time. The spread of books greatly
increased the spread of literacy (ability to read and write). When books could be
made faster, they became cheaper and even the average person could afford them.
This led to increased knowledge for human civilization overall and, therefore, more
technology and inventions.

1. What are possibly the most important Chinese inventions? _____________________

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2. Why did the invention of printing not have a significant impact on Chinese society like

the printing press invented in Europe did? __________________________________

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3. What is one way the spread of books and literacy changed human civilization forever?

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Document 4

By the third century AD, Chinese scientists had studied

and learned much about magnetism in nature. For
example, they knew that iron ore, called magnetite,
tended to align itself in a North/South position.
Scientists learned to "make magnets" by heating pieces
of ore to red-hot temperatures and then cooling the
pieces in a North/South position. The magnet was then
placed on a piece of reed and floated in a bowl of water
marked with directional bearings. These first
navigational compasses were widely used on Chinese ships by the eleventh century AD.
The invention of the compass largely helped the explorers during the Middle Ages
discover the Western Hemisphere of the world.

These 19th century compasses are from the port of Canton:

1. What is another name for iron ore? ________________________________________

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2. Based on your knowledge of the Earth, why did iron ore tend to align itself in a

North/South position? __________________________________________________

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3. Name one impact the invention of the compass had on the world. ________________

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Document 5
Chinese alchemists discovered gunpowder in
the 8th century A.D. while they were carrying
out experiments to find the elixir of life. They
discovered that an explosive mixture could be
produced by combining sulfur, charcoal, and
saltpeter (potassium nitrate). The military
applications were clear. New weapons were
rapidly developed, including rockets and
others that were launched from a bamboo
tube. By the 10th century, gunpowder was being used to make fireworks and
weapons. The Song army used guns against the invading Mongols in the early
13th century, but they were eventually overpowered by the greater might of the
Mongol empire. The idea of guns
spread to Europe and were
important weapons in Europes
conquest of the Western
Hemisphere.

1. How did ancient Chinese discover gunpowder? ______________________________

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2. How did the invention of gunpowder impact the world? _______________________

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Document 6

The discovery of the kite that could fly in the air by the Chinese started
humans thinking about flying. Kites had many different purposes in China.
They were used in religious ceremonies. Of course, many colorful kites were
built for fun, also. More sophisticated kites were used to test weather
conditions or were used in wartime. As early as 1232 kites with messages were
flown over Mongol enemy lines. The strings were cut and the kites landed
among the Chinese prisoners, telling them to revolt and escape. Kites fitted
with hooks and bait were used for fishing, and kites were fitted with strings and
whistles to make musical sounds while flying. The kite was first mentioned in
Europe in a popular book of marvels and tricks in 1589. Kites have been
important to the invention of flight because they were the forerunner to
balloons and gliders.

1. What are two ways the kite was used in ancient China? ___________________________

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2. Why did the invention of the kite have an impact on the world hundreds of years after it

was first invented? __________________________________________________________

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Document 7
The Silk Road, a series of trade routes that ran from northern China
across Asia, took its name from Chinas most successful export. From the Shang
empire onward, the Chinese exported fine silk cloth to Asia and Europe. The
Romans knew China as Serica, which means Land of Silk. Silk was cultivated
perhaps as early as 5,000B.C. The secret of silk making was eventually smuggled
out of China, but the Chinese remained the major exporters of silk to the West
until the 19th century.
More than just silk was traded on the Silk Road. Chinese merchants
amassed large fortunes by exporting luxury goods such as tea, spices, porcelain,
and lacquerware. In addition, through travels across Europe, many ideas were
spread. Marco Polo (1254-1324) was an Italian merchant who traveled to China
by way of the Silk Road. After his return to Italy, he wrote his famous Travels of
Marco Polo. This book gave Europe its first glimpse of the fabulous wealth and
culture of the Chinese empire.

1. What invention was Chinas most successful export along the Silk Road? ____________

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2. Why did the Chinese want to keep the methods of making silk a secret? _____________

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3. What impact did the Silk Road have on Europe? ________________________________

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PART B

Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs, and a

conclusion. Use evidence from at least four documents in the body of the essay. Support your
response with relevant facts, examples, and details. Include relevant outside information.

Historical Context:
Some of the worlds greatest inventions came from China. Throughout its imperial
history, emperors encouraged the development of science and technology, and for
centuries China led other nations in these areas. The world is forever in debt to China
for its innovations. Ancient China was extremely advanced and its discoveries are still
in use today in cultures all over the world.

Task:
Using information from the documents and your knowledge of social studies, write an
essay in which you:

Describe three ancient Chinese inventions that have influenced the world today.
Explain the significant impact each of these inventions had on the world.

Guidelines:

In your essay, be sure to:

Address all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least four
documents
Incorporate information from the documents in the body of the essay
Incorporate relevant outside information
Support the theme with relevant facts, examples, and details
Use a logical and clear plan of organization
Introduce the theme and conclude with a summation of the theme

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 DBQ Essay Response Grading Rubric
Your DBQ essay response will be rated a 0-5 according to the scale below.

To earn a 5, the DBQ essay:

Thoroughly addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting
at least four of the documents
Includes information from the documents in the body of the essay, but does not copy document
Includes relevant outside information
Richly supports essay with relevant facts, examples, and details
Is a well-developed essay, consistently demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
Includes a strong introduction and conclusion

To earn a 4, the DBQ essay:

Addresses all aspects of the Task by accurately analyzing and interpreting at least four of the documents
Includes information from the documents in the body of the essay, but does not copy document
Includes some relevant outside information
Includes relevant facts, examples, and details, but discussion may be more descriptive than analytical
Is a well-developed essay, demonstrating a logical and clear plan of organization
Includes a good introduction and conclusion

To earn a 3, the DBQ essay:

Addresses most aspects of the Task or addresses all aspects in a limited way; using some of the documents
Includes some information from the documents in the body of the essay
Includes limited or no relevant outside information
Uses some facts, examples, and details, but discussion is more descriptive than analytical
Is a satisfactorily developed essay, demonstrating a general plan of organization
Restates the theme in the introduction and concludes with a simple restatement of the theme

To earn a 2, the DBQ essay:

Attempts to address some aspects of the Task, making limited use of the documents
Includes no relevant outside information
Includes few facts, examples, and details; simply restates contents of the documents
Is a poorly organized essay, lacking focus
Has vague or missing introduction and/or conclusion

To earn an 1, the DBQ essay:

Shows limited understanding of the Task with vague, unclear references to the documents
Includes no relevant outside information
Uses little or no accurate or relevant facts, details, or examples
Attempts to complete the Task, but essay demonstrates a major weakness in organization
Has vague or missing introduction and/or conclusion

To earn a 0, the DBQ essay:

Fails to address the question
Is illegible
Is missing; a blank paper is handed in
 Common Core State Standards Addressed

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 6-8

Key Ideas and Details
RH.6-8.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure
RH.6-8.4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary
specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.6-8.7.Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.
RH.6-8.8.Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9.Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RH.6-8.10.By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 68 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 9-10

Key Ideas and Details
RH.9-10.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending
to such features as the date and origin of the information.
RH.9-10.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
RH.9-10.4.Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary
describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social studies.
RH.9-10.5.Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or
analysis.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.9-10.8.Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the authors claims.
RH.9-10.9.Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RH.9-10.10.By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 910
text complexity band independently and proficiently.

English Language Arts Standards/History/Social Studies Grades 11-12

Key Ideas and Details
RH.11-12.1.Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources,
connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
RH.11-12.2.Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an
accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
Craft and Structure
RH.11-12.5.Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RH.11-12.9.Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent
understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.