History is full of great empires rising to power—and falling into dust. But what does religion and a society's belief system have to do with a civilization's fate? A thorough explanation of the impact of world religions on their...

Discover the kabuki form of Japanese classical theater performance and its reflection of the historical evolution of Japanese government and culture. As the first dramatic performance form catering to the common people, kabuki is shaped...

A perfect resource for encouraging an understanding of the world's religions and note taking skills. Text is broken into a classic note taking style, ideal for teaching good habits. Content includes a break down of major religions,...

Clear and well-organized presentations are hard to come by. Luckily, here you'll find excellent information of the location, diffusion, and cultural landscape of each of the world's seven major religions. A truly helpful resource for...

The Analects of Confucius have provided moral guidelines for generations of Chinese as well as others around the world. Introduce class members to some of the philosopher's ideas with a lesson that asks them to select five of his...

Scholars ponder the beliefs of Confucianism. After reading several sayings made by Confucius, participants complete a chart filling in what each saying means using their own words. Using the same quotes split in half, pairs match...

Writing poetry in ancient China was the modern equivalent of sending a greeting card. Scholars learn about the ancient Chinese poetic form called the lu shih. They read about the context of poetry during the T'ang Dynasty and complete a...

The Last Train Home, a 2009 documentary about China's migrant factory workers, provides viewers with an opportunity to explore how China's emergence as a global manufacturing force is challenging Chinese traditional values like filial...

Introduce young philosophers to the wisdom of China's most famous thinkers with a short bio. The reading comprehension passage includes an answer key.

Young historians consider the far-reaching effects of traditional teachings on the debates about the current attitudes toward women in society. The discussion begins with a list of New-Confucian sayings and expands to a global perspective.

How were the development of railroads critical to the rise of empires? Scholars delve into the relationship between the two using a documents-based question from College Board. Other prompts explore ideas such as nomadic and sedentary...

Medieval Chinese scientists were the masters of invention! Explore the wonders of the Far East through the eighth installment in a 15-part History of Science series. The resource covers contributions to science and technology by dynasty,...

Wisdom, self-knowledge, courage, and virtue. Introduce viewers to the ideas of Confucius with a short video analysis of his Analects, his guide for a moral society.

Dancing dragons, fireworks, red envelopes, and loud music are the familiar images of Chinese New Year celebrations. The holiday, also know as Lunar New Year and/or the Spring festival is also a religious holiday that combines aspects of...

Gong He Xin Xi! Happy New Year! Planning a Lunar New Year/Spring Festival Celebration? Check out the activities and resources in a packet that encourages pupils to research the cultural values and traditional practices associated with...

2500 years ago Confucius said, "Do not inflict upon others that which you yourself would not want." Bryan W. Van's video introduces viewers to this wise Chinese philosopher.

Chi, Yin-Yang, Tao. T'ai-Chi-Ch'uan. Key concepts and figures in Chinese philosophy and religion are introduced in a 17-slide, illustrated presentation.

Designed to interest viewers in learning more about this amazing philosopher, statesman, and religious figure, the mini-biography of Confucius includes images, re-enactments, and photos of paintings.

From China's physical geography and earliest beginnings of civilization to the Qin and Han dynasties, here is a nicely designed worksheet on ancient China, which includes a graphic organizer and timeline to summarize the reading material. 

Support your class members in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of cultures and perspectives around the globe with a project on world religions.

The guidelines and graphic organizer of this resource are great tools for beginning a comparative religions project with your class! After completing an information sheet comparing six major world religions (Judaism, Confucianism,...

John Green summarizes the ebb and flow of dynasties in 2000 years of ancient Chinese history up to the Chinese Revolution of 1911. He discusses the development and influence of the mandate of heaven, as well as an overview of...

The effect of cultural beliefs on the progress and industrialization of a society is an interesting idea to consider, and this is certainly true in this lesson on feudal Japan. Your young historians will read informational texts on...

Studetns comprehend that confucianism is an important underlying philosophy permeating East Asian cultures. They also explore who Confucius was and what he taught, which helps them gain insight into East Asian cultures. Students...