Silk Road Regional Guide Cards
SILKROADSIMULATION:REGIONAL GUIDECARDSSILKROADMERCHANTSREGIONALGUIDECARDSChinaCard#1Each of you is a merchant in China. Your goal is to ensure that all of your day-to-day needs are met. You’llalsotakeinventoryoftheresourcesyouhavein your home region. Each person in your group should take charge of one type of goods. Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease card and mix it in with your goods cards (later, you will try to secretly trade the disease card away). Then, take a few minutes to trade within your group and try to diversify the goods that you have. Focus on the things you need for survival.Onceyourteachersaystimeisupfortrading, discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsin your hand with others in your group?4.Do you have any goods that are not necessarytosustainlife?Whatarethey?ChinaCard#2The Chinese emperor has been observing the rising valueofsilkabroad.Hedemandsthatyounowpayyour taxes in silk. Because of this, most rural women now spend their days at home making silk. This means that you are devoting less time to farming, which feeds your family. Each merchant in your group must discard one food-orgoods-relateditem.Thisitemmustberemoved from play. Also, any gold that you can acquire will be worth double at the end of the simulation. Discuss the following questions with your group:1.Whymighttheemperordemandthattaxes be paid in silk?2.Whatpotentialproblemsmightthiscauseinthe future?3.Otherthanpayingyourtaxes,howusefulmight silk be in your day-to-day life?4.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyouacquired?5.Have you encountered any new beliefs or technologiesintradingwithothergroups?How might theseaffect your view of the world?ChinaCard#3Oh no! Your silk-making secrets have spread across Eurasia. That means you’llhaveto pay moretaxes to the government! Subtract one point from your total foranyremainingsilkyourgroupmayhavenow.Any disease cards also count as -1 from your total. Once you’redonetallyingyourscore,discussthefollowing questions with your group:1.Howdoesthisaffectyourabilitytotrade?2.Howdoesthisaffectyourfamily?3.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?4.What new technologies have you encounteredintradingwithothergroups? How might you use that technology to improve your lives?CentralAsiaCard#1EachofyouisamerchantinCentralAsia.Yourgoal is to ensure that all of your day-to-day needs are met.You’llalsotakeinventoryoftheresourcesyou have in your home region. Each person in your group should take charge of one type of goods.Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease cardandmixitinwithyourgoodscards(later,you will try to secretly trade the disease card away).Then,takeafewminutestotradewithinyourgroup and try to diversify the goods that you have. Focus on the things you need for survival. Once your teacher says time is up for trading, discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsin your hand with others in your group?4.Do you have any goods that are not necessarytosustainlife?Whatarethey?CentralAsiaCard#2Your population is growing, and the number of lands underyourcontrolisincreasing.Youneedmorefoodto feed your people, and China seems to haveplenty ofit! Trade whatever you can to get food and goods from China. Discuss the following questions with your group:1.HowmightyougetfoodfromChina?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyouacquired?3.Have you encountered any new beliefs or technologiesintradingwithothergroups?How might these affect your view of the world?CentralAsiaCard#3Your lands have now grown into a vast empire, stretchingacrossmostoftheSilkRoadtraderoutes.You still need to find food for your people. Any food-related cards are now worth double, regardless ofwhere they originated. You also need to enlist the aid of foreigners who can help you administeryourempire.Anydiseasecardscountas-1fromyourtotal.Onceyouaredonetallyingyour score, discuss the following questions with your group:1.Howmightyougetmorefoodforyourpeople?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyouacquired?3.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?4.What new technologies have you encounteredintradingwithothergroups? How might you use that technology to improve your lives?Unlessotherwisenoted,thisworkislicensedunderCCBY4.0.Credit:“SilkRoadSimulation”,OERProject, https://www.oerproject.com/
SILKROADMERCHANTSREGIONALGUIDECARDSIndiaCard#1Each of you is a merchant in India. Your goal is to ensurethatallofyourday-to-dayneedsaremet.You’ll alsotakeinventoryofwhatresourcesyouhaveinyour home region. Each person in your group should take charge of one type of goods. Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease card and mix it in with your goods cards (later, you will try to secretly trade the disease card away). Then, take a fewminutes to trade within your group and try to diversify the goods that you have. Focus on the things you need for survival.Onceyourteachersaystimeisupfortrading,discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsin your hand with others in your group?4.Do you have any goods that are not necessarytosustainlife?Whatarethey?IndiaCard#2Yourpopulationisincreasing,andtherearemorelands comingunderyourcontrol.Youmustgetmorefoodfor yourpeople.Discuss thefollowingquestions withyour group:1.Howmightyougetmorefoodforyourpeople?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyouacquired?3.Have you encountered any new beliefs or technologiesintradingwithothergroups? How might these affect your view of the world?IndiaCard#3Your people now live in a powerful empire that was created as a result of increased trade andpopulation growth. Your leaders have decided to build Buddhist monasteries across the trade routes toincreaseyourinfluenceabroad.Anyreligioncards your group holds are now worth double, as long as they came from outside your home region. Any disease cards also count as -1 from your total. Once you are done tallying your score, discuss the following questions with your group:1.Howmightthespreadofreligionaffect othercommunitiesacrosstheSilkRoad trade routes?2.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?3.What new technologies have you encounteredintradingwithothergroups? How might you use that technology to improve your lives?PersiaCard#1Each of you is a merchant in Persia. Your goal is to ensurethatallofyourday-to-dayneedsaremet.You’ll also take inventory of the resources you have in your home region. Each person in your group should take charge of one type of goods. Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease card and mix it in with your goods cards (later, you will try tosecretly trade the disease card away). Then, take a few minutes to trade within your group and try to diversify the goods that you have. Focus on the things you need for survival.Onceyourteachersaystimeisupfortrading,discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsin your hand with others in your group?4.Do you have any goods that are not necessarytosustainlife?Whatarethey?PersiaCard#2You are positioned well on the trade routes. For this next round of trading, you should be able to act as a middleman between other regions. Try to get the best dealsyoucan,becauseotherregionswanttheproducts you are trading! Discuss the following questions with your group:1.Whatisthebestwaytogetbettertrade deals for yourself, as well as act as an intermediary between other regions?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyouacquired?3.Have you encountered any new beliefs or technologiesintradingwithothergroups? How might these affect your view of the world?PersiaCard#3The Byzantines and Arabians are relying on you moreandmoretoprovidethemwithluxurygoods from China. Any luxury goods you have (not technologies or beliefs) are now worth double, as long as they originated from outside your lands.Anydiseasecardsalsocountas-1fromyourtotal. Onceyouaredonetallyingyourscore,discussthe following questions as a group:1.Whymightregionsdesireluxurygoods from faraway lands?2.What are some benefits of being a middlemanalongthetraderoutes?3.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?4.What new technologies have you encounteredintradingwithothergroups? How might you use that technology to improve your lives?
SILKROADMERCHANTSREGIONALGUIDECARDSArabiaCard#1EachofyouisamerchantinArabia.Yourgoalistoensure that all ofyour day-to-day needs are met. You’ll also take inventoryoftheresourcesyouhaveinyourhomeregion. Eachpersoninyourgroupshouldtakechargeofonetype of goods. Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease card and mix it in with your goods cards (later, you will try to secretly trade the disease card away).Then, take a few minutes to trade within your group and try to diversify the goods that you have. Focus on the thingsyouneedforsurvival.Onceyourteachersaystime is up for trading, discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsinyour hand with others in your group?4.Doyouhaveanygoodsthatarenotnecessary to sustain life? What are they?ArabiaCard#2Your technologies and belief systems are startingtotakerootinotherregionsalong the trade routes. Discuss the following questions with your group:1.Whatmightbesomeofthebenefits ofhavingyourculturespreadacross Eurasia?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyou acquired?3.Have you encountered any new beliefsortechnologiesintradingwith othergroups?Howmighttheseaffect your view of the world?ArabiaCard#3Your cities are beginning to prosper, and followers of Islam abroad are making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Any beliefcardsyounowhaveareworthdouble,regardlessof where they originated. Any disease cards also count as -1 from your total. Once you are done tallying your score, discuss the following questions with your group:1.How might the spread of Islam benefit your growing empire?2.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?3.What new technologies have you encountered in tradingwithothergroups?Howmightyouusethat technology to improve your lives?ByzantiumCard#1Each of you is a merchant in Byzantium. Your goal is to ensure that all of your day-to-day needs are met. You’ll also take inventory of the resources you have in your home region. Each person in your group should take charge of one type of goods. Additionally, one of you needs to take the disease card and mix it in with your goods cards (later, you will try to secretly trade the disease card away). Then, take a few minutes to trade withinyourgroupandtrytodiversifythegoodsthatyou have. Focus on the things you need for survival. Once your teacher says time is up for trading, discuss the following questions with your fellow merchants:1.Whatgoodsdoyouhaveplentyof?2.Whatgoodsareyoulacking?3.Whymightyouwanttotradethegoodsinyour hand with others in your group?4.Doyouhaveanygoodsthatarenotnecessary to sustain life? What are they?ByzantiumCard#2Rumors of your glass-making techniques and wealth are beginning to circulate along the traderoutes.Chinaisparticularlyinterestedin acquiringyourgold,soanysilkyoucanacquire will be worth double at the end of the simulation. Discuss the following questions asa group:1.Howcanyouacquiremoresilkfrom Chinaifyoucan’ttradedirectlywith them?2.Whatotherluxurygoodshaveyou acquired?3.Have you encountered any new beliefsortechnologiesintradingwith othergroups?Howmighttheseaffect your view of the world?ByzantiumCard#3Your region has expanded its influence across the Mediterranean Sea, but your wealth has made your empire a target for foreign invasions. Any remaining goldnowcounts -1againstyourtotal.Theintroduction of silk into your region has changed the way upper-class members of your community dress, especially women. Remember that any silk you have now counts asdouble.Anydiseasecardsalsocount as-1fromyour total. Once you are done tallying your score, discuss the following questions with your group:1.Whatproblemsmightarisefrombeinga prosperous empire?2.Howmightamaterialsuchassilkchangetheway communities view modes of dress and behavior?3.What new beliefs have you encountered in trading with other groups? How might this affect your worldview?4.What new technologies have you encountered in tradingwithothergroups?Howmightyouusethat technology to improve your lives?