PDF - Common Core

PAGES 1–4
Earth Science
Ancient Army
Lexile Level 840; Guided Reading Level S
OBJECTIVE
between the two groups of slices.
Then they should write a hypothesis
explaining the difference.
Learn how a new technique is being used
to preserve the true colors of China’s
terra-cotta soldiers.
2.Prepare apples no more than five
hours before use. Cut each apple into
16 slices. In a bowl labeled A, coat 16
slices with ½ cup of lemon juice. Place
remaining slices of apple into second
bowl labeled B. Refrigerate if possible.
3. Share observations. Read the words in
Words to Know box on page 4. Ask:
• Which word best describes apple A?
(preserved)
• Which word best describes apple B?
(disintegrated)
•
4. Project the PDF of the article “Ancient
Army” on a whiteboard and/or hand
out to students copies of the article
(available on the next four pages) to
read individually or as a group .
BEFORE READING
AFTER READING
SET UP
1.Obtain two large apples, a bottle of
lemon juice, two bowls, a knife, and
blank pieces of paper.
1. Give each pair of students two pieces
of paper; have them label one “apple
A” and the other “apple B.” Each pair
should obtain two apple slices; one
from bowl A and one from bowl B.
Place slices on correct piece of paper.
2. Tell students all apple slices were
prepared at the same time and placed
in the same area. Have students write
observations about the differences
•Explain how archaeologists preserved
the soldiers’ paint color. (They sprayed
the soldiers with a chemical called PEG
and wrapped them in plastic.)
RESOURCE
To learn more about archaeology, visit:
www.nps.gov/archeology/public/kids
/index.htm.
Reading and literacy connection
Go to www.scholastic.com/superscience to download the skills sheet
“A Mighty Emperor” (also attached). Students integrate information from
two texts.
Common Core State Standard
Reading Informational Text: 9
SuperScience • To order SuperScience, call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC
1
N
early 40 years ago,
farmers digging
a well in central
China uncovered
a surprise.
Instead of water, they found
a head made out of terracotta, a type of hard clay.
More digging revealed that
the strange piece of pottery
was part of a life-size statue
TO O RD ER SUPERSCIENCE , C A L L 1- 8 0 0 -S C HO L A S TIC
of a soldier. Archaeologists
rushed to the scene and
began excavating the area.
The soldier wasn’t alone.
It was part of a massive army
that had been buried in a
tomb. Since 1974, roughly 2,000
terra-cotta soldiers have been
discovered. They were made
2,200 years ago to guard a
mighty emperor in the afterlife.
BRIAN GIBBS/AGE FOTOSTOCK
New techniques
show the
true colors of
China’s army of
2,200-year-old
statues
How He First Looked
This illustration shows what
one of the statues looked like after
it was painted long ago. Ancient
artists decorated each warrior with
paint made from minerals, metals,
or bone. Unless preserved, the paint
turns to dust when exposed to air.
Details in a warrior’s uniform,
weapon, and hairstyle indicate
his military rank. Each warrior
has unique facial features.
BLACK: Made from charcoal
SUBSCRIBERS
ONLY
WATCH
A VIDEO
ONLINE
www.scholastic.com
/superscience
BLUE: Made from
the mineral azurite
BONUS
SKILLS
SHEET
PURE RENDEREING GMBH/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK
(RENDERING); ROBERT CLARK/INSTITUTE (PIGMENTS)
www.scholastic.com
/superscience
The size of this ancient army
keeps growing. Archaeologists
recently uncovered more than
100 new soldiers in the area.
Armed with new preservation
methods, scientists can
now study flecks of bright
paint on these soldiers.
They look very different
from the dull, rust-colored
warriors dug up in the past.
PURPLE: A combination of
the metal ore cinnabar and a
human-made purple pigment
DARK RED: Produced
with a rust-like chemical
called iron oxide
WHITE: Made from bones
heated to a high temperature
W W W. SCHOL A STIC .COM/SUPER SCIENCE
2
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
MONGOLIA
Site of
terra-cotta
warriors
CHINA
Beijing
NORTH
KOREA
Xi’an
Shanghai
Hong Kong
INDIA
MYANMAR
(BURMA)
LAOS
Equator
CHINA
East JAPAN
China
Sea
TAIWAN
South
China
Sea
VIETNAM
U.S.
SOUTH
KOREA
Key
National
capital
City
Disappearing Colors
China’s first
emperor built
a sprawling
tomb filled with
thousands of
clay soldiers.
They were meant
to guard the ruler
in the afterlife.
to disintegrate,” explains
archaeologist Kristin Romey.
When the lacquer flaked off,
it took the paint with it.
In the 1970s, scientists
didn’t know how to solve the
problem of the disappearing
paint. “Now we have
Terra-cotta warriors
the technology to
were originally brightly
preserve the paint
colored. Scientists
on the soldiers,” says
can now preserve any
Romey. Scientists
bits of paint on newly
uncovered statues.
use a chemical
preservative
called PEG.
As soon as
they uncover
part of a soldier,
they spray it with PEG.
Then they wrap the
soldier in plastic to lock in
3
TO O RD ER SUPERSCIENCE , C A L L 1- 8 0 0 -S C HO L A S TIC
the chemical. As a result, the
paint stays on the statues.
“We can see they had
eyelashes, bright-purple
robes, and flaming-red
scarves,” says Romey. Each
hue is a hint of what life was
like in another age (see How
He First Looked, page 2).
A Mighty Emperor
Long ago, China was divided
into seven states that were
constantly fighting. In 221
b.c., a warrior chief united
them all under his rule. He
gave himself the title Qin Shi
Huangdi (chin shuh whongdee), or “first emperor.”
The emperor built a vast army
to control and protect his empire.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: MAP: JIM MCMAHON; TAO IMAGES LIMITED/GETTY IMAGES;
STR/AFP/GETTY IMAGES; O. LOUIS MAZZATENTA/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STOCK
When archaeologists
unearthed the first statues
in 1974, their colors quickly
disappeared. Within minutes
of being excavated, the paint
peeled off and turned to dust.
Ancient artists had applied
the paint over two coats of
lacquer. Lacquer is a protective
coating made from the sap
of the Chinese lacquer tree.
Then the statues were sealed
up for thousands of years.
“The problem is that the
lacquer is exposed to sunlight
and oxygen when you reveal
the statues. This causes it
Soon after taking the throne,
he ordered the construction of
his tomb. It took about 700,000
workers more than 30 years to
build. The tomb’s centerpiece: a
terra-cotta army modeled after
the emperor’s fighting force!
Ancient Clues
By studying the terra-cotta
warriors, archaeologists have
learned about the emperor and
life in ancient China. Skilled
artists fashioned the statues to
look like the emperor’s real-life
Archaeologists work
on a headless warrior.
Some statues have been
damaged over time.
army, complete with horses
and chariots. The soldiers
wear suits of armor. They carry
weapons used at the time,
like crossbows and bronze
swords. They are lined up in
rows according to their rank.
Each stands about six feet tall
and weighs about 600 pounds.
No two statues are alike.
Artists carved unique features
for each soldier. Every one has
a different hairstyle and facial
expression. It is believed they
were modeled after real people.
Although 2,000 soldiers
have been found so far, Romey
estimates that about 7,000 to
8,000 were made. So far, only
a tiny fraction of the tomb
complex has been excavated.
Most of it remains underground—including the body
of the emperor himself.
Before digging into the
royal tomb, archaeologists
want to make sure they can
preserve its contents properly. Countless more treasures
could be waiting inside.
—Laura Modigliani
archaeologist—scientists who
study the past by digging up old
buildings and objects
excavate—to dig into the earth
to search for objects or remains
lacquer—a clear treatment
painted on the surface of
material such as clay or wood
that hardens into a clear coating
disintegrate—to break up or
fall apart
preserve—to maintain
something in its original form or
close to its original form
W W W. SCHOL A STIC .COM/SUPER SCIENCE
4
READING COMPREHENSION
Name: ________________________________ Date: ____________________
No-Sweat Bubble Test
Directions: Read each question below, then use the article “Ancient Army” to determine the best
answer. Completely fill in the bubble next to the best answer.
1. Which sentence describes how the terra-cotta
6. About how many years did it take for workers
warriors were discovered?
A
B
C
D
A mudslide uncovered the statues.
Farmers were digging for water.
Scientists found a map of the tomb site.
A hiker stumbled upon part of a statue.
to construct Qin Shi Huangdi’s tomb?
A 3 years
B 10 years
C 15 years
D 30 years
7. Which of the following items was NOT
2. What is another term for the word excavating?
A
B
C
D
exiting
unearthing
wrapping
disguising
discovered along with the warriors?
A paintbrushes
B chariots
C horse statues
Dswords
8. What was the purpose of placing warriors in
the emperor’s tomb?
3. Which of the following materials was used to
create paint for the warriors?
A
B
C
D
bone
clay
tree sap
chalk
A T
he large number of warriors was to show
off the emperor’s wealth.
B The warriors were to guard the emperor in
the afterlife.
C The emperor offered the warriors as gifts to
the gods.
D It is Chinese tradition to bury emperors
with warrior statues.
4. Which of the following items is NOT an
indicator of a warrior’s military rank?
A
B
C
D
uniform
weapon
hairstyle
hair color
9. Prior to using the PEG preservative, what
caused the warriors’ paint to disappear?
A
B
C
D
acid rain
rough use of digging equipment
exposure to sunlight and oxygen
use of cleaning chemicals
5. What evidence suggests the warriors were
modeled after real people?
A Excavators recognized ancestors.
B Statues resemble old photos of actual
warriors.
C Every statue has a different facial
expression.
D Every statue has a name painted on it.
PERMISSION GRANTED TO REPRODUCE FOR CLASSROOM USE ONLY.
©2013 BY SCHOLASTIC INC.
10. The BEST choice for an alternative title for
this story would be ______________?
A
B
C
D
Qin Shi Huangdi: An Evil Emperor
The Chemistry Behind Paint Color
The History of China’s Seven Fighting States
Colors of China’s Terra-cotta Soldiers
To order SuperScience, call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC • SuperScience
INTEGRATING INFORMATION
Name: ______________________________________
Date: _________________
A Mighty Emperor
DIRECTIONS: Read the story, “Ancient Army,” a nonfiction article about a major archaeological find.
Next read the passage below, which is a biographical article about China’s first emperor. Then write
a paragraph about what you learned from both texts.
He was called the Tiger of Qin (chin). He was also called a tyrant. The man who became the first
emperor of China created an empire from chaos. In doing so, he laid the basis for a society that has
lasted thousands of years. Zhao Zheng (jhow jung) was born into a world of violence. There was no China in 259 b.c., only
a collection of seven states that were constantly at war. By then, what historians call the Warring
States Period had lasted for more than 200 years.
Zheng’s father was the king of the state of Qin. He died when Zheng was 13. Even though Zheng was
still a boy, he became the new king. As a young man, he began a campaign to conquer his fellow kings.
Finally, in 221 b.c., all the warring states were united under one ruler—Zheng. To mark the
occasion, the victor called himself Qin Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor. “Our successors shall be
known as the Second Emperor, Third Emperor, and so on, for endless generations,” he proclaimed.
Although the Tiger of Qin was among the boldest of people, he was also terrified of death. The
Emperor forced thousands of scholars to search for “herbs of deathlessness.” He hoped to make a
potion that would allow him to live forever. Zheng himself made many trips throughout his empire
to seek out these herbs.
In 210 b.c. the Emperor died on one such trip, possibly by accidental poisoning. Before his death,
however, Zheng had a huge tomb built for himself. It covered an area of 22 square miles. The tomb
may be the largest in history. As many as 8,000 clay soldiers were buried there too. They were
created to accompany the emperor into the afterlife.
The dynasties that came after Qin’s built on the foundation of his empire. In a way, the First Emperor
achieved immortality after all. He remains the leader who united the place we know as China.
How does “Ancient Army” differ from “The Tiger of Qin” in focus? Using information from both
articles, explain the factors that led China’s first emperor to order the construction of a terra-cotta
army for his tomb.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Visit www.scholastic.com/superscience
To order SuperScience, call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC • SuperScience
PERMISSION GRANTED TO REPRODUCE FOR CLASSROOM USE ONLY. ©2013 BY SCHOLASTIC INC.
The Tiger of Qin
map skill
Name: ________________________________ Date: ____________________
Chinese Languages
China’s first emperor spoke an ancient version of Chinese that is no longer in use today. Modern
Chinese is actually a family of languages, often called dialects. There are more than seven dialects
of Chinese. The most common is Mandarin, which is spoken by nearly 1 billion people. The map
below shows where in China some common dialects are primarily spoken.
PLATEAU
OF TIBET
H uan
gH
Lhasa
e
Xi’an
Cha
ng
Jia
CHINA
(Y
el
l ow
Riv
er)
Beijing
ng
map: jim mcmahon
A Wu
B Mandarin
Mandarin
Wu
Yue
Other Southern Chinese dialects
(includes Gan, Hakka, Min, and Xiang)
Non-Chinese dialects
CHakka
DMin
2. Chinese dialects other than Mandarin are likely
to be spoken in which portion of the country?
A northwest
B southwest
Cnortheast
Dsoutheast
3. Wu is the major dialect spoken in Taiwan.
A true
Bfalse
SuperScience • To order SuperScience, call 1-800-SCHOLASTIC
TAIWAN
Hong Kong
Macao
Language Dialects
1. You’re planning a visit to Beijing, the capital of
China. Which dialect are you likely to hear?
Shanghai
e River)
ngtz
(Ya
HAINAN
4. According to the map, in which of these
Chinese cities will you find the main language
spoken to be something other than Chinese?
A Xi’an
B Macao
CLhasa
DShanghai
5. Which dialect is spoken in Shanghai and the
region south of this city?
A
B
C
D
Yue
Mandarin
Wu
non-Chinese
PERMISSION GRANTED TO REPRODUCE FOR CLASSROOM USE ONLY.
©2013 BY SCHOLASTIC INC.