Building the Great Wall: Engineering and History
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Building the Great Wall: Engineering and History

Grade 6GeographySocial StudiesHistory4 days
In this project, sixth-grade students explore the historical, geographical, and cultural significance of the Great Wall of China by engaging with primary and secondary sources. Through activities like creating multimedia presentations and visual representations of the Wall’s construction, students learn about the engineering and architectural techniques that accommodated the natural landscape and understand how historical interpretations of the Wall have evolved. The project emphasizes inquiry-based learning and aligns with Common Core and NGSS standards, encouraging students to consider the impact of geography on construction and the Wall's influence on ancient Chinese society.
Great Wall of ChinaHistorical SignificanceGeographical InfluenceEngineering TechniquesInquiry-Based LearningCultural ContextPrimary Sources
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we apply our understanding of the geographical, historical, and cultural contexts of ancient China to design and model the Great Wall in a way that highlights its original purpose and the challenges faced by its builders?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • What were the primary reasons for the construction of the Great Wall of China?
  • How did the geographical features of China influence the construction and design of the Great Wall?
  • In what ways did the Great Wall impact the people and cultures of ancient China?
  • How have historical interpretations of the Great Wall of China changed over time?
  • What engineering and architectural techniques were used in the construction of the Great Wall and how did they adapt to the geographical landscape?
  • How did the natural environment present challenges to the builders of the Great Wall, and how were these challenges overcome?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Understand the historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall of China.
  • Analyze how geographical features influenced the construction of the Great Wall.
  • Apply geospatial skills to map and model the Great Wall's design relative to geographical features.
  • Identify and explain engineering techniques used in ancient architecture and their adaptive strategies to the geographical landscape.
  • Engage with primary and secondary sources to research historical contexts.

NGSS

6.MS-ESS3-1
Primary
Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how the uneven distributions of Earth’s mineral, energy, and groundwater resources are the result of past and current geoscience processes.Reason: Understanding the geographical features for building the Great Wall is aligned with studying geoscience processes.

Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
Primary
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.Reason: Students researching historical and cultural contexts will engage with primary and secondary sources.

C3 Framework

C3.D2.Geo.2.6-8.
Primary
Use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to analyze the spatial patterns of human and physical phenomena.Reason: Analyzing geographical features for the Great Wall relates to using maps and spatial analysis.
C3.D2.His.1.6-8.
Secondary
Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts.Reason: Studying the Great Wall's historical context necessitates understanding its broader implications in Chinese history.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

Mysterious Message from the Past

Students receive a fictional message in a bottle purportedly from the builders of the Great Wall, asking for assistance in completing its design using natural geographical features. The message includes cryptic clues that lead them to consider how geography influenced historical construction.
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

Getting to Know the Wall

Students explore the historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall of China by engaging with primary and secondary sources and analyzing the reasons and impact of its construction.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce students to the Great Wall with a brief overview, including its purpose and significance in Chinese history. Use videos and articles to supplement learning.
2. Divide students into small groups and assign each group a different aspect of the Wall to research (i.e., its purpose, cultural impact, or historical significance).
3. Provide access to primary and secondary online resources (articles, documentaries, interviews) for students to gather information about their assigned topic.
4. Guide students in using digital tools to create a multimedia presentation that cites evidence from their research, ensuring each point is aligned with textual evidence from their sources.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA multimedia presentation analyzing a specific aspect of the Great Wall's historical and cultural significance.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 (Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources).
Activity 2

Engineering the Ancient Way

Students explore engineering and architectural techniques used in the construction of the Great Wall, focusing on how these methods were adapted to the natural terrain.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Introduce students to historical architectural and engineering techniques, discussing how they accommodated the natural landscape.
2. Provide students with case studies or examples of sections of the Great Wall that highlight unique engineering solutions.
3. In pairs, students choose a particular section of the Wall and create a visual representation of how it was constructed, focusing on engineering adaptations to geographical challenges.
4. Students share their visual projects with the class, reflecting on the influence of the natural environment on the Wall's construction methods.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityVisual representation project of a Great Wall section demonstrating engineering adaptations to the geographical landscape.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsAligns with C3.D2.His.1.6-8. (Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts) and NGSS 6.MS-ESS3-1 (Understanding geoscience processes in construction).
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

Great Wall of China Portfolio Activities Rubric

Category 1

Research and Evidence

Assessment of the students' ability to find, cite, and integrate primary and secondary sources into their analysis.
Criterion 1

Source Analysis

Evaluation of students' ability to analyze and interpret multiple types of sources to support understanding.

Exemplary
4 Points

Identifies and critically analyzes a wide range of primary and secondary sources, integrating them thoroughly into the presentation with insightful connections to the Wall's significance.

Proficient
3 Points

Utilizes a variety of primary and secondary sources, making clear connections to the Wall's significance, with accurate citations.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some primary or secondary sources but connects them inconsistently to the Wall's significance. Some citations are incomplete or inaccurate.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to find relevant primary or secondary sources and fails to connect them meaningfully to the Wall's significance. Citations are largely missing or incorrect.

Criterion 2

Evidence Integration

Measurement of how effectively the students integrate evidence into their explanations and presentations.

Exemplary
4 Points

Seamlessly integrates evidence to support all claims, making strong connections between source material and historical context.

Proficient
3 Points

Integrates evidence effectively, supporting most claims with logical connections between source material and historical context.

Developing
2 Points

Presents evidence unevenly, supporting some claims with weak connections between source material and historical context.

Beginning
1 Points

Provides little to no evidence to support claims, with minimal connection to source material or historical context.

Category 2

Geographical Understanding

Assessment of students' comprehension of how geographical features influenced the Great Wall's construction.
Criterion 1

Geographical Influence

Evaluation of students' understanding of how geographical features guided the construction methods of the Wall.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of diverse geographical influences and explains how these informed the Wall's construction strategies in detail.

Proficient
3 Points

Describes significant geographical influences on the Wall's construction with clear examples, though not as detailed.

Developing
2 Points

Identifies some geographical features impacting construction but lacks depth or clarity in explanation.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows limited awareness of geographical features or fails to connect them to construction methods meaningfully.

Category 3

Creativity and Presentation

Assessment of students' creative application in designing and presenting historical models and theories.
Criterion 1

Presentation Skills

Measure of students' ability to communicate their ideas effectively through visual and oral means.

Exemplary
4 Points

Presents ideas with exceptional clarity, creativity, and engagement, fully utilizing multimedia to enhance the learning experience.

Proficient
3 Points

Communicates ideas clearly and creatively, using multimedia effectively to support the presentation.

Developing
2 Points

Provides a basic presentation with some creativity but lacks depth or full engagement with the audience.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles to communicate ideas clearly; presentation is unstructured and minimally creative.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

Reflect on your understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the Great Wall of China. What new insights did you gain from this project?

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Question 2

How effectively do you think your group applied geographical understanding to create a model of the Great Wall?

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Question 3

Which aspects of engineering techniques used in the construction of the Great Wall did you find most interesting and why?

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Question 4

What challenges did you face while engaging with primary and secondary sources, and how did you overcome them?

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Question 5

In what ways has your perspective on historical architecture changed after completing this project?

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Question 6

Rate your overall experience with the collaborative aspect of this project.

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