Name ______________________________

Mariángel Villegas Class ________________________ Date _____________

Lesson 5, continued

As you read this lesson, fill out the chart below by describing key
features of ancient China under the Shang Dynasty.

1. Geographic features 2. Environmental 3. Settlements

Mountain ranges and challenges
deserts dominate about

two-thirds of China’s
landmass
To the southwest
are the Himalayas
. And to the north are
the desolate Gobi Desert
and the Mongolian Plateau.
faced the dangers of flood
China’s natural boundaries
did not completely protect
these settlers from outsiders.
Invasions from the west and north
occurred again and again in
Chinese history.
small settlements
along the Huang He grew into
China's first cities; flood control
and irrigation projects,
Shang came to power; first rulers
to leave written records, built elaborate
palaces and tombs

4. Social classes 5. Role of family 6. Religious beliefs

divided between nobles and
peasants, governed by a
ruling class of warrior-nobles
headed by a king, noble
families owned the land
family was central,
most important virtue was
respect for parents, elder men
controlled property and made
decisions
made sacrifices, consulted
the gods through ancestors
, used oracle bones to
consult gods; animal bones
and tortoise shells, cracks
showed answers of gods

7. Writing system 8. Technological advances 9. Artistry

developed from pictographs,
or simplified drawings of objects.
The writing system used in
China today is directly
related to the pictographic
writing found on Shang
oracle bones. The ancient
pictographs can still be
recognized in many modern
Chinese characters.
people skilled in special crafts
manufactured weapons, objects used
jewelry, religious items
for city's nobles, bronze in religious rituals, also symbols of power,
working was the leading
craft for Shang artisans

© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

27 Guided Reading Workbook