China united: the Qin and Han dynasties

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   What the Qin and Han built

   Achievement	Dynasty	What it did
   one writing script	Qin	the same written characters everywhere in the empire
   standard weights and measures	Qin	the same units for trade across the empire
   the Great Wall	Qin	about 220 BCE, earlier walls were joined into one defense against invaders from the north
   exams for officials	Han	civil service entrance exams on the Confucian texts; the system lasted into the early 1900s
   paper	Han	the oldest surviving paper, made of hemp, dates from 140 to 87 BCE
   the Silk Road	Han	after Emperor Wu (ruled 141 to 87 BCE) defeated the Xiongnu, China controlled trade routes across Asia

   Below the chart: later dynasties kept building the Great Wall until the Ming (1368 to 1644); its total length is more than 20,000 kilometers.

2. 1.

   Which dynasty made one writing script for the empire, Noah asks?

   • The Han
   • The Zhou
   • The Ming
   • The Qin
3. 2.

   What did the Han exams test, Pia asks?

   • The Confucian texts
   • Building walls along the northern border
   • Legalist laws
   • Making paper
4. 3.

   How old is the oldest surviving paper, by the chart, Ren asks?

   • From 140 to 87 CE
   • From 221 to 206 BCE
   • From 140 to 87 BCE
   • From 1368 to 1644
5. 4.

   Why were earlier walls joined about 220 BCE, Tala asks?

   • To hold the exams
   • To defend against the north
   • To keep trade inside cities
   • To mark the Silk Road
6. 5.

   How did one writing script help the Qin rule, Ari asks?

   • Orders read alike everywhere
   • It ended trade
   • It tested officials on their reading
   • It built the wall
7. 6.

   How many years did Emperor Wu rule, from 141 to 87 BCE, Bo asks?

   • 44 years
   • 54 years
   • 64 years
   • 228 years
8. 7.

   Did the Ming finish the wall before or after the Qin joined the first sections, Esme asks?

   • After, in 1368 to 1644 CE
   • Before the Qin, in 221 BCE
   • Before, in 1368 BCE
   • In the same year
9. 8.

   Kira's friend says the Great Wall we see today was all built by the Qin. What is the best reply?

   • Agree: it was built in one year
   • Agree: the Qin built each part of it
   • Disagree: later dynasties built more
   • Disagree: the Han built it alone
10. 9.

    Which claim does the chart support best, Luz asks?

    • The Han invented the wall and paper
    • Paper came from Rome
    • The Qin left nothing
    • Both left lasting achievements
11. 10.

    Paper's oldest surviving piece is from 140 to 87 BCE. Does that mean no one wrote on paper before 140 BCE, Milo asks?

    • Yes; the chart shows the first
    • Not proven; older paper may be lost
    • No; the Qin made it
    • Yes; no older paper existed