This is a collection of resources that could be used to support a lesson on the discovery of silk and the impact of the silk road(s). Artifacts include images of silkworms and the silk-making process, websites with information about the luxuries traded on the Silk Road, and video summary. Possible guiding questions include: -Why did silk become such an important commodity in China? -How did the development of the silk trade routes impact both Europe and Asia? -In what ways do artifacts from Europe and Asia reveal the cultural connections created by the Silk Road?
Some possible teaching uses for the collection are: -Have students create a travelogue or diary from the perspective of a traveler on the Silk Road. What do they see/smell/hear/touch/taste? Why are they on the Silk Road? What route are they taking? -Have students upload a map to Thinglink or other site where they can add hotspots with additional information about areas touched by the Silk Road. -Create a chart of the items and ideas that traveled East to West and back. Assign pairs of students one of the items to research. They should present an argument to the class about why their item had the greatest impact. Your class could even create a March Madness style bracket to determine the most influential item that traveled the Silk Road. -Have students research the silk-making process and create an infographic about the invention of silk. Why was it so prized in Europe? -Compare the Silk Road's impact on trade with the global economy of today. In what ways are they different and similar? What innovations played a role in development of global trade?
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