Wednesday & Friday, 3/01-03/06 - China & the Opium Wars (China's war on drugs)

Bell-Work:

• What is a foreigner?
• What is exploration?
• What question do you ask yourself when you want to find the cause of something?
• What do you ask when you want to find the effect?

Objective:
SWBAT explain the events leading up to and after the Opium Wars in China.

Homework:
Continue working on any assignment in this lesson.

Directions:
Today we will begin a lesson that should take us about two days to complete. We will learn about the fall of the Qing dynasty, the Opium Wars and European imperialism in China.

Though dynasties had ruled China for thousands of years, by the beginning of the 1900s (the 20th century), China's dynasties would fall. Today, China has a communist government: no emperors, no dynasties.

You will be working on the same lesson, same objective for the next 2 days. There are 2 Think Questions and 3 Assignments in this lesson. You and your group can work at your own pace! You get to decide how quickly you go. If there is something you don't understand, ask Mr. Locke.

Take your time reading, researching and answering the questions. By the end of the day on Friday, most of you should be finished with Assignment #2. Many of you will get to finish Assignment #3. Do as many assignments as you can.

Don't be lazy! You are in charge of your own learning for these lessons. If you are able to show that you can handle working independently, then you will get even more freedom in the future. If you can't handle this, however, you will not be able to use computers as often.
Remember: Do your best, CHOOSE SUCCESS!

<- The Ming fell...

the Qing took over ->

The Qing dynasty came from Manchuria (it is also called the Manchu dynasty). They ruled China well for many years, beginning in 1644.

Think Question #1 - How many years ago did the Qing dynasty begin ruling China?

People were still coming from around the world to buy Chinese goods, especially silk, porcelain and tea. But China refused to open up its country to foreigners. China was the center of the world, they thought, why should they tolerate these people from other, smaller countries? European traders, who wanted Chinese goods most of all, were not allowed out of the port of Guangzhou. This made the Europeans mad, but they had to deal with it because they wanted to get rich from trading wth China.

Assignment #1:

• As a group, read pages 509-510 in your green textbook.
• Answer these questions about what you've read in complete sentences.
1. What is opium
2. Did the Chinese emperors trust the European traders? Do you think they were right?
3. Why were the British able to beat the Chinese?
4. What happened to the Qing dynasty as a result of the fight with the British?
5. One official in China said:

• "The country will become poorer and poorer and its people weaker and weaker. Eventually not only will there be no adequate funds to support an army, there will be no useful soldiers at all!"
• What was he talking about?
• Do you agree with what he says? Why or why not?

The Qing Rulers did not trust the Europeans. The Europeans wanted the valuable silks, porcelain and other products from China, but had nothing besides silver and gold that the Chinese wanted.

The British discovered a way to avoid paying the gold and silver for Chinese goods: they could deal opium. Click here to find out about opium.

Think question #2:

• What is opium?
• In what countries is it mostly grown? Which continent are these countries in?

China’s emperor did not like the new British drug trade. It was hurting the people and the economy of China. An official was sent by the emperor to stop the drug trade. This official, Lin Zexu, got all the opium that the traders had and burned it.

The British did not like this. So…

THE OPIUM WARS BEGAN!!!

Great Britain beat China in the Opium Wars. China had invented many military technologies in the past, but the West (Europe and the USA) had developed new technologies that the Chinese could not match.

*EXTRA READING*: Click here, if you would like to find out more about the Opium Wars.

The European (Great Britain, France, Germany and Russia) along with Japan who had gained the same technologies as the West, began dividing China’s riches among themselves. Great Britain even made China give them the whole city of Hong Kong! China would never be the same again.

Assignment #2 - Look at this political cartoon:

• This is a French political cartoon. Written on the pie is the word "Chine," which means "China" in French. Each person represents a country in the cartoon: Great Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Japan and, in the back, China.
• Using the pictures and the words in this cartoon, as well as what you've learned about the Opium Wars in China, write 2 paragraphs to explain what this cartoon means.

Chinese warriors at the time of the Opium Wars

Assignment #3:

• Look up the word "imperialism" in the dictionary.
• Discuss with your group: Were the Opium Wars an example of imperialism? Why or why not?
• When your group has decided whether or not the Opium Wars were an example of imperialism, write a letter to Mr. Locke explaining what your group came up with.
• Make sure you explain why you think the way you do.