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.
Card B says the mold was pressed on in sections. Why not make the mold in one piece, Bo asks?
- Sections could be taken off the carved model and fitted back around the core
- Sections used less clay, which saved the workers a lot of time
- Each section was filled with bronze separately and then joined to the others
- Clay cannot be pressed onto a model in a single piece without cracking
A crew has finished the dry mold sections from card B. Which step does the crew do next, Esme asks?
- Take the sections off and shave the model into a core
- Fit the sections around the core and pour in the bronze
- 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 into the clay model and fired it
- Workers poured melted bronze after the mold had been broken away
- Workers poured melted bronze into the gap between the core and the mold
- Workers poured bronze into each section alone and joined the cast pieces later
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.
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?
- Many workers had to be organized to melt, carry and pour the bronze
- One skilled worker could pour the whole ding alone in a single moment
- Shang workers made the ding in a few days since bronze melts quickly
- The Shang rulers had no other use for bronze besides this ding
A practice sample of bronze (made up) is 20% tin and 3% lead, and the rest is copper. How many kg of copper are in 50 kg of it, Milo asks?
- 38.5 kg
- 3.85 kg
- 11.5 kg
- 77 kg
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?
- 1.6 kg more
- 20 kg more
- 64 kg more
- 16 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 1,046 years
- About 2,646 years
- About 5,540 years
- About 554 years
Treat the Shang end as exactly 1046 BCE. How many years passed before the ding was found in 1939 CE, Ren asks?
- 893 years
- 1,939 years
- 2,984 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?
- A, B, D, C
- C, D, A, B
- A, B, C, D
- B, A, C, D
Zee's note says, "The Houmuwu ding was made in 1939." Which fix is right, using card C?
- It was found when the Shang dynasty began, about 1600 BCE
- The note is right, because ancient bronze is dated by when it is found
- It was made in 1939 BCE, which is earlier than the Shang
- It was found in 1939 CE and made in the Shang period, long before