Early China on the Yellow River: dynasties, bronze and writing
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet
Circle the best answer.
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Casting a Shang bronze vessel (piece-mold method)
Step What the workers did 1 shaped a model of the vessel in clay and carved the pattern onto it 2 pressed soft clay onto the model in sections, so the pattern printed into the clay, and let the sections dry hard 3 took the sections off and shaved a layer from the model, leaving a smaller core 4 fitted the sections back around the core, with a gap between them the width of the vessel's wall 5 poured melted bronze into the gap, let it cool, and broke the mold away Bronze is a mixture of copper with tin, and sometimes lead.
In step 3 of card B, workers shaved a layer from the clay model to leave a core. What was the shaved layer for, Ari asks?
- It removed the carved pattern so the finished vessel would have a smooth surface
- It made the vessel's wall thicker by leaving more clay inside it
- It dried the model out, so the mold sections could be pressed on a second time
- It left a gap, the width of the vessel's wall, for the melted bronze to fill
Card B says the mold was pressed on in sections. Why not make the mold in one piece, Bo asks?
- Sections used less clay, which saved the workers a lot of time
- Clay cannot be pressed onto a model in a single piece without cracking
- Sections could be taken off the carved model and fitted back around the core
- Each section was filled with bronze separately and then joined to the others
A crew has finished the dry mold sections from card B. Which step does the crew do next, Esme asks?
- Fit the sections around the core and pour in the bronze
- Take the sections off and shave the model into a core
- Break the mold away to show the finished vessel
- Press soft clay onto the model again to start the mold
Jun's note says, "Workers poured bronze into the clay model." Which fix is correct, using card B?
- Workers poured melted bronze after the mold had been broken away
- Workers poured bronze into each section alone and joined the cast pieces later
- Workers poured melted bronze into the gap between the core and the mold
- Workers poured melted bronze into the clay model and fired it
The Shang dynasty and one famous bronze
Topic What the card says Shang dynasty about 1600 BCE to about 1046 BCE Houmuwu ding a bronze vessel, 133 cm high and 832.84 kg, found at Anyang in 1939 CE Dates BCE years count down toward 1 BCE; 1 CE comes next, with no year 0 The word about is used because dates this old come from digs and are estimates.
The Houmuwu ding weighs 832.84 kg. Suppose a crucible holds about 25 kg of melted bronze (a made-up number). About how many loads would the ding need, Kira asks?
- About 8 loads
- About 33 loads
- About 333 loads
- About 0.03 loads
Using card C and your answer to the crucible problem, what does casting a vessel of 832.84 kg suggest about Shang workers, Luz asks?
- One skilled worker could pour the whole ding alone in a single moment
- The Shang rulers had no other use for bronze besides this ding
- Many workers had to be organized to melt, carry and pour the bronze
- Shang workers made the ding in a few days since bronze melts quickly
Two practice samples (made up), each 80 kg: A is 5% tin and B is 25% tin. How many more kg of tin does B hold than A, Noah asks?
- 16 kg more
- 20 kg more
- 1.6 kg more
- 64 kg more
Card C gives the Shang dynasty as about 1600 to about 1046 BCE. About how many years did it last, Pia asks?
- About 554 years
- About 2,646 years
- About 1,046 years
- About 5,540 years
Treat the Shang end as exactly 1046 BCE. How many years passed before the ding was found in 1939 CE, Ren asks?
- 2,984 years
- 1,939 years
- 893 years
- 298 years
Tala lists events from card C: A, Shang begins (about 1600 BCE); B, Shang ends (about 1046 BCE); C, year 1 CE; D, ding found (1939 CE). Which order is earliest to latest?
- C, D, A, B
- B, A, C, D
- A, B, D, C
- A, B, C, D