Giant Panda Teacher Packet - Memphis Zoo

Explorer Talk ShowGoal: Students will become more familiar with the men and women who explored China when it was still amystery to people that lived in other countries.Behavioral objectives:1) Students will be able to recall the names of some of the men and women that exploredChina.2) Students will be able to identify the explorers that brought world- wide attention to the giantpanda.Curriculum Standard Correlations:Grade 3• 5.01 Identify major events, people, and patterns in Tennessee, United States, and worldhistory.• 5.02 Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.• 6.01 Recognize the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens and communities.Grade 4• 5.02 Understand the place of historical events in the context of past, present and future.• 6.01 Recognize the impact of individual and group decisions.Grade 5• 2.04 Understand the patterns and results of international trade.• 6.01 Recognize the impact of individual and group decisions on citizens and communitiesin a democratic republic.Time:45 minutesBackground Information:China is home to the oldest recorded civilization on earth. But for thousand of years, China was amystery to the rest of the world. Its secrets of silk and gunpowder were closely guarded. By the 13 thcentury, curiosity about China was growing. Trade routes had expanded: merchants from Europewere eager to purchase tea, spices, silk and fine porcelain. European explorers wanted to know moreabout China’s culture, plants and animals.Marco Polo was an Italian merchant who lived nearly 700 years ago. At that time, Chinesecivilization was already more than four thousand years old, but few outsiders had visited China. TheMongolian emperors, called Khans, ruled China. The great Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan, invitedMarco Polo’s father and uncle to China. At the age of 17, Marco Polo went with them. It took themthree years to travel from Italy to the emperor’s palace in northeastern China. Kublai Khan noticedthe abilities and enthusiasm of Marco Polo and began sending him on important missions. It was onthese missions that Marco Polo had the opportunity to explore the mysteries of China. He wroteabout the people, languages, customs and strange animals that he encountered on these missions.These writings helped increase the spirit of exploration in future generations. He paved the way forother men and women to come and explore the wonders of China.37