Discover Asia

Things to Learn and Do
Choose some aspect of Asia to research and report about. (You may use any sources of interest to you. You may also click on the added links for some great helps.)

Things to submerse your thinking and learning about Asia may include:

-Siberia
-Russia
-learn to count or say new words in Chinese or Japanese or Arabic
-The Caste system in India
-The Great Wall of China
The Wall stretches about 2400 km (about 1500 mi) along China's northern border. In the 15th and 16th centuries the Ming dynasty constructed the fortifications to protect China against the Mongols. Parts of the Ming walls, including this section near Beijing, have been restored in the 20th century.
-Mt. Fuji
-Oil fields of Saudi Arabia, the production of petroleum and oil
-Ghandi
- Mt. Everest, located in Asia, is the highest mountain in the world. It reaches 8848 m (29,028 ft), high and is part of the Himalayas on the frontier of Nepal and Tibet. Numerous groups tried to reach the summit before the successful attempt by two members of a
British expedition on May 29, 1953.
- The Taj Mahal and the elaborate formal gardens surrounding it were created in honor of the
wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who died in 1631. Both he and his wife are buried in this white marble mausoleum in Agra, India.
-Kites, (very popular in China)
-Tigers
-Learn the history of and write your own haiku
-Pandas
-Dali Lama
-Origami, Chinese papercutting
-Spices, identification, uses and history (See Below for Study idea)
-Rivers: Learn names and locations of major rivers in Asia
-Flags: The different flags of Asian countries
-Dragons, legends and lore (See Below for Study idea)
-Learn to eat with chopsticks
-Silk Road
-Arab Israeli conflict
-hanging gardens of Babylon (Hanging Gardens of Semiramis,)





Here is a study idea on spice and spices:

Spice is Nice

What spices do you like? Imagine for a moment what life would be like without being able to add such flavors to your food. Where do the spices you like come from? How much do they cost today? What was their value to people long ago?

Some notable spices are: cloves, cinnamon, saffron, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, and
turmeric. Which have you tried? Choose a spice on the list and learn about it.

1. Find out the country of origin for your spice. Find this country on your map.

2. How is the taste of this spice described?

3.How valuable is this spice today? What was it’s value to people over 500 years ago?

4. What is the difference between an herb and a spice?

5. Try to find two different brands of your spice at the store and compare prices.
Spices are usually sold by the ounce. Figure out the cost of your spices by the pound.

6. What part of the plant does your spice come from?

7. What does the plant look like? Draw the plant the spice is derived from.
8. You may choose to do the same for several spices.

Here is a study idea on Dragons:

Dragon Speak

Ancient peoples all over the world have told of unusual, reptile-like creatures that once roamed the earth. There were many different names for them. The ancient people of Europe called them "dragons." Asian peoples have legends of dragons too.

"Dragons" have been drawn, written about and told about since the beginning of recorded history and legends and pictures telling stories about them can be found in every part of the world, Africa, India, Europe, the Middle East, and the Orient.

RESEARCH
1. Look up “dragon” in a dictionary. Where does the word come from? What does the word mean?

2. Look up and read about dragons in the encyclopedia. At the end of the article you will find several additional references. Read any that are of interest to you.

3. Can you name any famous names in legends who were known as dragon slayers?
What stories do you know that have dragons as characters?
Look for and read some stories that have a dragon in them

4. What special characteristics do dragons have?

5. Draw and name your favorite dragon.

FAMILY DISCUSSION

Think about these questions and answer them with your family.:
a. Do dragons exist today?
Explain.

b Are dragons real or make-believe?
Were dragons real and alive or did people imagine them and make them up?
Are dinosaurs dragons?
Support your answers with facts as you talk about dragons.

c. Think about the special characteristics of dragons. (You named some in question 4
above.) Are there any animals you know about that make you think about dragons?
Explain how and why.

d. Some dragons we said top be fire breathing, is it possible for a real, living creature to
breathe fire? Why or why not?

e Imagine: If you were a scientist on a quest to find out about the existence of dragons, what evidences would you look for?

f. If a live fire-breathing or flying “dragon” were found today what do you think public response would be? What would happen to the dragon?