Warring States, China · 475-221 BC

The Warring States: seven kingdoms, one winner

For about 250 years seven kingdoms fought for control of China, with iron weapons, crossbows and huge armies of farmers. Students map the rivals and work out why the western state of Qin came out on top.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
45 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, 300 BC to 221 BC
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

For about 250 years seven kingdoms fought for control of China, with iron weapons, crossbows and huge armies of farmers. Students map the rivals and work out why the western state of Qin came out on top.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Name at least four of the seven Warring States and locate Qin on the map.
  • Explain two reasons why Qin defeated its rivals, such as reforms, geography or farming.
  • Describe how war changed farming, weapons and government in this period.
2

Explore the map

12 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

300 BC

Seven rivals

Open the map in 300 BC. Find Qin in the west and the Zhou states (spelled "Zhow") to the east, where the other six kingdoms lay. Which mountains and rivers protect Qin?

Open this view on the map
b

256 BC

Water for an army

Set the year to 256 BC and fly to Dujiangyan, northwest of Chengdu. Around this time Qin engineers split the Min River here to water the plain. Why would a farming boom help Qin win wars?

Open this view on the map
c

221 BC

The winner

Open Stories (top left) and play Rise of Imperial China. Pause on the first step. What did the winner make the same across all the conquered states?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

14 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Seven states fought for about 250 years. Why could none of them win quickly?
  2. Iron weapons and crossbows changed war. Who gained most from them: kings, nobles or ordinary farmers?
  3. Qin gave land and rank to soldiers who fought well. Why would this make its army strong?
  4. Qin sat behind mountains in the far west. How did this position help it?
  5. This age of war also brought new canals, coins and ideas. Can a terrible time also be a time of progress?
4

Game round

9 min

Play Qin Shi Huang in Rule History. Before he was First Emperor, he was King Zheng of Qin, the last Warring States king. Let students take turns making his rulings. Discuss: which choices would have helped Qin beat six rival kingdoms?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.