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6th grade · Social Studies · Unit 4 of 15

Ancient India & China

Dynasties, beliefs and inventions

What your child practices

The Indus Valley and Yellow River, Chinese dynasties and the Mandate of Heaven, Confucius, Hinduism and Buddhism, and inventions such as paper and zero.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 6.3b; 6.3c; 6.5a · the Indus and Yellow River valleys, Chinese dynasties and the Mandate of Heaven, and inventions of ancient India and China

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The Harappan civilization grew along the Indus River; early Chinese dynasties along the Yellow River (Huang He).
  2. The Mandate of Heaven said Heaven gave a ruler the right to rule and could take it from a bad ruler.
  3. Emperor Ashoka turned to Buddhism and nonviolence after a bloody war.

Example: Along which river did the Harappan civilization grow? It is also called the Indus Valley civilization. The name gives away the river. Answer: the Indus

Ancient India & China in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 4 of 15 in 6th grade Social Studies, after Mesopotamia & Egypt and before World Beliefs.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which wall was built over many centuries to protect northern China?

    • Hadrian's Wall
    • The Berlin Wall
    • The Western Wall
    • The Great Wall

  2. Question 2

    Which other invention came from China?

    • The compass
    • The pyramid
    • The alphabet
    • The aqueduct

  3. Question 3

    The Harappan (Indus Valley) civilization grew along which river?

    • The Indus
    • The Yangtze
    • The Nile
    • The Euphrates

  4. Question 4

    Silk was made in China from…

    • The cocoons of silkworms
    • Tree bark
    • Cotton plants
    • Sheep's wool

  5. Question 5

    Which river in India do many Hindus consider holy?

    • The Ganges
    • The Amazon
    • The Tiber
    • The Nile

  6. Question 6

    Sanskrit is…

    • An ancient language of India
    • An Egyptian tomb
    • A Greek temple
    • A Chinese dynasty

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