Grade 2 - Early Asian Civilizations

Early Asian Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 11A | The Silk Roads 211

5. Evaluative Why do you think silk was such a desirable and popular
   item to trade?
   
   
   • Answers may vary, but should hint that silk is desirable material that, at
     the time, only the ancient Chinese knew how to make.
   
   
   
   


6. Literal Where does silk come from?
   
   
   • Silk comes from the cocoons of silkworms.
     [Please continue to model the Think Pair Share process for students,
     as necessary, and scaffold students in their use of the process.]
     I am going to ask two questions. I will give you a minute to think
     about the questions, and then I will ask you to turn to your partner
     and discuss the questions. Finally, I will call on several of you to share
     what you discussed with your partner.
   
   
   
   

Sentence Frames:
Are the steps to make silk still a
secret? (Yes/No)

I think the Chinese kept the steps
to make silk a secret because...

I think others found out about
the steps to make silk by...

7. Evaluative Think Pair Share: Why do you think the Chinese kept the
   steps to make silk a secret for so many years? How do you think
   others found out about the steps to make silk?


8. After hearing today’s read-aloud and questions and answers, do
   you have any remaining questions? [If time permits, you may wish to
   allow for individual, group, or class research of the text and/or other
   resources to answer these questions.]

Word Work: Emerge/Plunged

1. In the read-aloud you heard, “If these [cocoons] were left alone, what
   do you suppose would emerge—or come out?
   You also heard, “Then the cocoons were plunged into hot water to
   loosen the thread.”


2. Say the word emerge with me three times. [Have students raise their
   hands upward.]
   Say the word plunged with me three times. [Have students push their
   hands downward.]


3. Emerge means to come out or rise into view. Plunged means
   forcefully pushed into a liquid like water.
   Emerge and plunged are antonyms, or opposites.


4. Dolphins emerge from below the water for air.
   After they performed their flips, the dolphins plunged back into the
   water.