China Part II: Han Dynasty

Based on your understanding of the reading and the video, take bulleted notes on the following:

• Similarities and/or differences between Qin and early Han government
• The role of Confucianism in Han politics and culture.
• How the Han Dynasty interacted with surrounding societies.
• Why the Han dynasty is considered a "golden age" in terms of culture and technology.
• Reasons for Han decline

China Part I: Qin Dynasty

Based on your understanding of the reading and the videos, take bulleted points on the following:

Evaluate Shi Huangdi's effectiveness as a ruler.  Is it justifiable to rule cruelly if it is efficient?

The Macedonians, Alexander, and the Hellenistic World

Based on your understanding of the reading and the videos, take bulleted notes on the following:

• How do Alexander's conquests spread Hellenistic culture throughout Eurasia?
• Describe the cause, course, and consequences of the Greek conflicts with Persia.
• What do the Peloponnesian Wars tell us about Greek unity (think about the difference between political and cultural unity)?

The Greeks

Based on your understanding of the reading and videos, take bulleted notes on the following:

• How does the imperial administration (government) of the Greeks compare to that of the Persians?
• Was ancient Greece more unified politically or culturally?  Provide examples.
• How does the status of Greek women relate to that of women from societies we have previously studied?

The Persians

Based on your reading and the videos, take bulleted notes on the following.  While you can provide some general ideas, be sure that your notes focus specifically on Persia.

• Is conquest the only method toward building an empire?
• What administrative methods did the Persians use to govern such a large and culturally diverse empire?
• How do the gender roles in Persia resemble (or differ from) the empires we have already studied?

Imperial Trajectories

Based on the reading, bullet point examples the authors give that constitute definitions of an empire.

Then list possible problems that arise when large regions are consolidated into an empire (cultural, religious, etc.).

Jainism and Buddhism

Upon completion of the reading (and re-watching of the video if necessary), take bulleted notes on the following.  Along with Jainism and Buddhism, use your previous knowledge on Chinese philosophy and Hinduism to develop your answers.  

• What are the personal, social, and political functions of religion?
• In what ways are the origins and tenets of the various Classical philosophies similar and different?