Central Asia Teachers' Guide
You might want to begin by pointing out that Central Asia is an area that has been very important to history and yet is often overlooked, just to get that out in the open. Many important ideas came from Central Asia: the wheel, the domestication of horses; better bows and arrows; felt. Central Asia is also the place of origin of the Indo-European language - the ancestor of English - and probably of many Greek myths.
Why did people want to punch Socrates?
Where did Egyptians bury your liver?
How old are the Rocky Mountains?
What does a half-timbered house look like?
How do you spin wool?
(a project)
Also, it was Central Asian empires like the Mongol Empire that made it possible for traders and travelers to go back and forth between China and West Asia, along the Silk Road. People exchanged many important inventions along the Silk Road. One of these inventions is silk, but others include paper, and possibly printing. Compasses and wheelbarrows came to Europe along the Silk Road. Glass came to China from Europe.
Central Asia projects:
- Archery
- Felt-making
- Yogurt-making
- Horse race (or bicycle race)
-Debate about the Mongols
For some good suggestions for teaching about Central Asia, check out these books from Amazon.com or from your library:
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