The Silk Roads
Teacher Resources
Lesson Guide
Want an easy reference for lesson vocabulary, pacing, and sample answers? Look no further than the guide.
Diverse Perspectives on the Silk Roads: The Sogdians
OER Project partnered with NYU to learn more about the Silk Roads. Check out this presentation.
Medieval Trade Routes Thematic Map
Revisit this map to show students how the Silk Roads connected trans-Saharan networks and Indian Ocean routes.
Driving Question: Why did trade networks expand in Afro-Eurasia during this period?
Covering over half of the Earth, the Afro-Eurasian landmass contained many different trade networks at the beginning of this period. The largest of these networks—the Silk Road—moved people, goods, ideas, and diseases back and forth across Afro-Eurasia, reshaping life in every region.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand how trade moved across different regions of Afro-Eurasia during this period.
- Identify the major trade routes linking Afro-Eurasia.
- Use claim-making skills to analyze how and why networks expanded during this era.
Vocab Terms:
What did Europeans think about Marco Polo and his discoveries? Use your critical thinking skills to find out.
Blog post: “Who Really Built the Silk Roads?” This blog post reveals the middlemen who helped keep the Silk Roads alive as the Roman and Han Empires died.
Merchants moved trade goods across vast stretches of overland and sea routes. These networks of exchange connected far-flung societies. Explore the articles and video below, and then create claims about these networks.
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
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Guiding Questions
Around 1250 to 1350 CE, an archipelago of trade stretched across Afro-Eurasia. Historians Nick Dennis and Trevor Getz explore the role of the wool trade in this system and its impact on England.
As with most simulation activities, this one requires a bit of prep work (but the payoff is worth it!). Make sure to check out the Lesson Guide ahead of time so you can get everything you need. In particular, don’t forget to download the Silk Roads Goods Cards and the Regional Guide Cards in advance!
How was the Silk Road responsible for connecting the diverse societies of Afro-Eurasia? Find out in this fun simulation.
Find out what your classmates (and you!) remember.
The hot and dusty trail of trans-Saharan routes stretched over 1,500 miles and brought together the wealthy players of West Africa and Eurasia.
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Guiding Questions
One of the best ways to understand how trade affected different communities is to examine sources written by the people involved in this trade.
