Lesson Plan - An Ancient Army

Watch a Video
Watch the video “The Story of the Terra-Cotta Warriors” and discuss: Why did Qin Shi Huangdi want to protect himself from his enemies in the afterlife? What steps did he take?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• legacy
• painstaking

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about why the discovery of the terra-cotta warriors was considered important.

1. Why did Qin Shi Huangdi build a large army of real soldiers?
Qin Shi Huangdi built a large army of real soldiers because he had conquered six rival kingdoms and created a big empire. The article states, “He created a massive army to control and protect his empire.”
^{(RI.4.1 Text Evidence)}

2. What details about the terra-cotta army help archaeologists understand what Qin’s real army probably looked like?
The article states that the terra-cotta warriors appear to be preparing for battle, some on horses or chariots. The sidebar explains that the soldiers are wearing suits of armor and that many are holding bronze weapons. These details help archaeologists understand what Qin’s real army probably looked like.
^{(RI.4.2 Key Details)}

3. What makes archaeologists’ work on the terra-cotta army painstaking?
The word painstaking means “requiring great care and effort.” The archaeologists’ work on the statues is painstaking because many of the statues have been found in pieces. Archaeologists have to put them back together without a guide.
^{(RI.4.4 Vocabulary)}

FEATURED SKILL: Text Features
Distribute the skill builder “Use Text Features” and have students work in pairs to explore how the article’s nonfiction text features help them understand the text. Challenge students to find another text feature in the article (e.g., the title, sidebar, or photo of the model of the clay warrior) and explain how it helps readers.
^{(RI.4.7 Text Features)}