Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 8, Lesson 3: China and the Larger World (pp. 209-215)

The Big Idea
Framework Concepts: Interconnectedness and Change Over a 700-year period, China opened and closed to outside contacts. The Mongols ruled China at the beginning of this period, opening the country up to the "worldwide" exchange of goods and ideas. When the Chinese overthrew these foreigners, the Ming Dynasty (after a brief period of exploration), forbade outside contact. This may have been an effort to restore and strengthen Chinese traditions and identity. European traders and missionaries gradually started to filter into China after the 1550s. Even after a successful rebellion against centuries of Ming despotism, however, the new, Manchu Qing Dynasty also discouraged outside contact, though allowing a limited amount of trade.

• There is a lot of fascinating detail in this lesson, but the big question is internationalism versus isolationism. Under the Mongols, China was relatively open to the world, but this changed under the Ming and Qing dynasties. To begin the lesson, write the words "internationalism" and "isolationism" on the board. Have students consult dictionaries and come up with working definitions. Then create a chart with two columns, "Internationalists" and "Isolationists," and three rows: "Mongols," "Ming Dynasty," and "Qing Dynasty." You can add dates, too, to help students get a sense of the tremendous time span here. Work with students to check off what kind of "foreign policy" each of these governments had. Now have the students create word webs on the pros and cons of open and closed borders.