Sourcing: Rome and Han Dynasty China
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS/ LESSON 4.5ACTIVITYSOURCING: ROME AND HAN DYNASTY CHINAUnless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Sourcing: Rome and Han Dynasty China”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/1PurposeExtend your sourcing skills by reading and analyzing two primary source documentsabout the governments of the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty.In your analysis, focus on the Historical Contextand Purpose rows of the Sourcing Tool. Process1.Open and analyze Sourcing Excerpts: Rome and Han Dynasty China.Asyou readthe documents, focus on completing the Historical Context and Purpose sections of the Sourcing Tool on the next page. Do your best with the Historical Contextand Purposesections; you’ll come back to Importance section of the tool in step 3.Note: Make sure you complete steps 2 and 3, which follow the Sourcing Tool.
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS/ LESSON 4.5ACTIVITYSOURCING: ROME AND HAN DYNASTY CHINA2Sourcing ToolProcess:Answer each of the questions below. If you are sourcing more than one document, provide responses for each.Name of document and/or source:Author’s name:Loca5on and date source was wri8en:Historical ContextWhat about the author’s loca3on may have influenced the source’s crea3on(for example, the loca3on’s geography, demography, or the region’s poli3cal situa3on, religious influences, or industry)?What events might have influenced the source’s crea3on?What other informa3on helps you understand this source?AudienceWho was the source created for (that is, was this wriAen for anyone to read or was it private, for one specific person or group)?What were the readers of this source supposed to do or think once they read it?
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS/ LESSON 4.5ACTIVITYSOURCING: ROME AND HAN DYNASTY CHINA3PurposeWhat was the author’s goal, and what evidence supports your answer?POV(Point of View)Can you iden3fy anything about the author that might explain why they wrote this? For example, does their economic class, occupa3on, religion, na3onality, poli3cal group, ethnic group, or gender help explain why they wrote this?WhY(Importance)What is the main idea of the source?What parts of this document are most valuable and why?What are the limita3ons of this document? In other words, where does it fall short?
WORLD HISTORY PROJECTORIGINS/ LESSON 4.5ACTIVITYSOURCING: ROME AND HAN DYNASTY CHINA42.Once you’ve completed Historical Context and Purpose, respond to the following question: •How were Rome and Han Dynasty’s governments similar and different?3.Finally, complete the Importance section of the tool, working with a partner or group if you can.