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Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! , livre ebook

Nomad Press - Anita Yasuda

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65 pages

English

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Description

Who is the lady who floated to the moon? Did a monkey really hatch from an egg? Did tears bring down the Great Wall of China? Does the sky rest on the legs of a turtle?In Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! With 25 Projects, readers ages 7 to 10 soar on a journey through ancient China to learn about history, geography, science, and art through stories that have been told and retold for thousands of years. They learn the tales of past heroes and wise kings, brave goddesses and gods who brought riches, rain, and immortality. Then there are the gods who taught people how to live by sharing their knowledge of agriculture, writing, music, and math. The myths and legends told by the ancient Chinese that have survived into modern times showcase the ingenuity and passion that this culture has applied to problem solving and cultural expression. Through the 25 hands-on projects, kids will have fun and gain a deeper understanding of ancient Chinese myths. Projects include making mooncakes, writing in Chinese, designing a New Year's story board game, and observing the stars. Exploring myths and legends is also a way to discover how ancient China is still impacting the world today through inventions such as fireworks, silk, paper, and printing. In addition, kids will be invited to think about how Chinese culture is similar or different from their life today. By combining social studies and literature with activities, fun facts, jokes, and cartoons, Explore Ancient Chinese Myths offers the opportunity to discover Ancient China through myths and legends.

Sujets

Ancient World

Ancient history

Asia

China

Informations

Publié par	Nomad Press
Date de parution	01 novembre 2017
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781619306097
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	5 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0500€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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More ancient civilization titles in the Explore Your World! Series

Check out more titles at www.nomadpress.net
Nomad Press
A division of Nomad Communications
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Copyright 2017 by Nomad Press. All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review or for limited educational use .
The trademark Nomad Press and the Nomad Press logo are trademarks of Nomad Communications, Inc.
ISBN Softcover: 978-1-61930-611-0 ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-61930-607-3
Educational Consultant, Marla Conn
Questions regarding the ordering of this book should be addressed to
Nomad Press
2456 Christian St.
White River Junction, VT 05001
www.nomadpress.net
CONTENTS
Timeline
Introduction
Let s Explore Chinese Myths!
Chapter 1
The Land and People of China
Chapter 2
Teachers and Traditions
Chapter 3
Deities and Daily Life
Chapter 4
Arts, Music, and Festivals
Chapter 5
Inventions and Influence
Glossary * Resources Essential Questions * Index

Interested in primary sources? Look for this icon.
Use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR code and explore more! You can find a list of URLs on the Resources page.

If the QR code doesn t work, try searching the Internet with the Keyword Prompts to find other helpful sources.

KEYWORD PROMPTS
ancient Chinese myths
TIMELINE

Historians divide Chinese history into blocks. These blocks are called dynasties. A dynasty is named after the ruling family.

C. 2070 TO 1600 BCE XIA DYNASTY A man called Yu is said to have controlled a great flood.

1600 TO 1050 BCE SHANG DYNASTY Chinese writing develops.

1046 TO 256 BCE ZHOU DYNASTY The philosophies of Daoism and Confucianism begin.

475 TO 221 BCE WARRING STATES PERIOD Qin Shihuang starts the Chinese empire.

206 BCE TO 220 CE HAN DYNASTY Buddhism reaches China.

220 TO 265 THREE KINGDOMS Construction of long canals makes travel easier.

265 TO 618 PERIOD OF DISUNION The Chinese experience innovations in poetry, calligraphy, and other arts.

618 TO 907 TANG DYNASTY The golden age of art and learning begins.

907 TO 960 FIVE DYNASTIES PERIOD Printing is done with wooden blocks.

960 TO 1279 SONG DYNASTY Poetry, science, and mathematics flourish.

1279 TO 1368 YUAN DYNASTY Mongol ruler Kublai Khan founds the Yuan dynasty.

1368 TO 1644 MING DYNASTY The important novel, Journey to the West , is written.

1644 TO 1911 QING DYNASTY Under the last imperial dynasty in China, the empire of the Manchus grows to include areas of Central Asia, Tibet, and Siberia.

1912 The Republic of China replaces the last dynasty.

1949 The Republic of China is defeated by the communist People s Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War and retreats to Taiwan. The Communist Party establishes the People s Republic of China in Beijing.
Note that many early dates are approximate.

INTRODUCTION
LET S EXPLORE CHINESE MYTHS!

Storytelling is an important part of Chinese culture . People have been telling and listening to stories for thousands of years. The ancient Chinese told stories for the same reasons people do today. Stories are a way for people to learn about their history, and telling stories is fun!
Originally, stories were spoken out loud. Each time a story was told, it changed slightly, because the storyteller was telling it from memory.
WORDS TO KNOW

culture: the way of life, including beliefs and customs, of a group of people.
BCE: put after a date, BCE stands for Before Common Era and counts years down to zero. CE stands for Common Era and counts years up from zero. This book was published in 2017 CE.
myth: a story about make-believe creatures that ancient people believed were true.
legend: a story set in the past that may or may not have really happened.
fable: a short story that often contains a moral, or lesson.
supernatural: beings, objects, or events that cannot be explained by science.
ancestor: someone from your family or culture who lived before you.
epic: a long poem that tells of the deeds of a legendary hero.
Around the fifth century BCE , the Chinese began to write their stories down. These stories included myths , legends , and fables .
MYTHS, LEGENDS, AND FABLES
Myths are stories about supernatural beings. These stories tell of gods and goddesses, ghosts, and ancestors .
One Chinese myth tells about the Monkey King, who was born from a stone egg. The Monkey King became the greatest warrior on Earth.
Once, he turned every hair on his body into a mini fighting monkey! After jumping into heaven, he went on more amazing adventures with his friends Pigsy, Water Monster, and the boy monk.
Monkey and his friends are characters from a book called Journey to the West . The story was published by the writer Wu Cheng en (1500-1580). Cheng en s work describes the epic adventures of the Monkey King and his friends.

WORDS TO KNOW

sacrifice: the killing of a person or animal as an offering to a god.
offering: something that is given to worship a god.
Myths also try to explain the natural world. The natural world is all around you. It is the air you breathe and the water you drink. Myths often answer questions about the weather, seasons, and how the world was made. One famous Chinese myth, called Tang the Conqueror, tells of a time when it did not rain for five years.
Legends are stories from the past. Some legends are about acts of strength and bravery. They tell of heroes who accomplish difficult tasks. Supernatural creatures, such as ghosts, demons, and dragons, often appear in legends.

DID YOU KNOW?
Professional storytelling was popular in ancient Chinese cities. Storytellers performed at festivals, in teahouses, and for royalty.

KNOW YOUR MYTHS!

TANG THE CONQUEROR
Tang the Conqueror looked out over his lands. It had been years since the rains had come. Where once there had been grass, there was now dry earth. And his people had no food to eat and no water to drink.
The king was greatly worried. He asked his priests what should be done. A great sacrifice is needed, the priests said. The king, who was a kind ruler, would not sacrifice one of his people. He could not make that kind of offering . The king decided to offer himself to the gods. The priests placed the king on a woodpile and lit it. As the fire burned, the rain began to fall.
WORDS TO KNOW

ballad: a piece of writing that tells a story in rhyme.
novel: a made-up story that is the length of a book.
Legends can also be based on real events or people. It is often difficult to tell which parts of a legend are real and which are made up. Think about when someone reads a story to you. Would you tell the story the same way as you heard it?
Your retelling might not be the same. This is because characters and story events appeal to people in different ways. People often remember a story in a different way when it s time to retell it.
Have you seen the movie Mulan? Long before the Disney version, Mulan s story was told in a folksong written during the fourth century CE. It tells of a brave girl.
In the sixth century, Mulan s story was recorded in a poem called The Ballad of Mulan . A ballad is a piece of writing that tells a story in rhyme. Much later, events from Mulan s life were turned into a novel .

Many of the names in this book are hard to say, but you can hear them spoken online . Go to Merriam-Webster.com , search for the word, and press the symbol next to your word to hear it spoken.

KEYWORD PROMPTS
Merriam-Webster
WORDS TO KNOW

moral: a valuable lesson to help people know how to behave.
enlist: to voluntarily join the military.
Another type of story is called a fable. Many fables have animal characters, such as rabbits, eagles, or fish, that talk and act like people. Fables teach the listener morals , or lessons, such as why a person should try to be kind or honest.
One classic Chinese fable tells of a fisherman who made a promise. Called The Peach Blossom Spring , or Tao Hua Yuan , the fable was written by poet Tao Qian in the fourth century BCE.

KNOW YOUR MYTHS!

THE STORY OF MULAN
Mulan lived in a small village with her mother and father. One night, she saw soldiers putting up posters in town. All men must enlist , the soldiers told her. The emperor needs troops.
Mulan loved her father dearly. She knew that he was much too old to be a soldier and her brother was too young. I will serve in my father s place, thought Mulan. Secretly, she bought herself a saddle and a horse.
Before dawn, Mulan put on her soldier s disguise and set off. Mulan rode and rode until she found the emperor s army. Many years later, the victorious army returned home. The emperor wanted to reward Mulan for her fine service. He offered Mulan a job, but she shook her head. My only wish is to go home, she said.
When Mulan dressed as a girl to leave the army, her fellow soldiers were astonished. They had never known that she was a girl. Mulan rode home, where her family was waiting. The family was happy to be together again.
WORDS TO KNOW

Age of Philosophers: a period in China from 600 to 200 BCE when there were many different schools of thinking.
mythology: the collected myths of a group of people.
scholar: a person who studies a subject for a long time and knows a lot about it.
landscape: a large area of land with specific features such as rivers and mountains.
immortal: someone who never dies.
spirit: a supernatural being.
RECORDING STORIES
More than 2,000 years ago, myths were first written down in China. That time is called the Age of Philosophers .
Many of the myths written down during the Age of Philosophers are not complete stories. They do not have a beginning, middle, and end. They might just mention a god, event, or place by name. Think of them as pieces of a puzzle. Every piece is part of a picture