There are certain homeschool history lessons that have no great historical significance, but they’re fun and interesting. This Terracotta Warriors lesson is one of those lessons. There is no huge historical significance, but it reveals a lot of cultural for the time, and it’s a fascinating bit of history.
Terracotta Warriors lesson
We read the Terracotta Warrior lesson from the Mystery of History 1* and then took a few minutes to watch a few videos on youtube.
and then one more, there are dozens on youtube.
There’s a lot of great stuff on the Terracotta Warriors because they are so intriguing. After all these warriors have inspired:
The Mummy 3*- a mildly amusing movie, if for not other reason then to watch all those Terracotta warriors come to life.
The China exhibit at Disney World- My China obsessed son happily spent an extended period of time at Epcot.
A very cool traveling exhibit which my husband and I had lots of fun spending hours at. I took way too many pictures at that exhibit, which I ended up mostly deleting as I realized I don’t need detailed pictures of EVERY. SINGLE. STATUE. My poor hard drive.
And several cheesy direct to video or made for TV movies that I’ve seen over the years.
Now when we were at the exhibit, knowing we’d be covering the Terracotta Warriors lesson soon I picked up a Terracotta Warriors Excavation Kit
Terracotta Warriors Excavation Kit
I set the kids up with the kit on a big huge towel and let them go at the digging. They loved digging out their warrior, and they still talk about digging up the warrior. The one I picked up at the exhibit is one of the better ones I’ve seen (I’m not convinced the one on Amazon is the same).
After a while they were just turning their excavation into powder, so I sent them outside and the kids had fun turning their terracotta warrior excavation kit into powder, and painting the powder on the house.
That part I was a little less excited about.
But, it definitely shows they remembered the lesson because we visited Disney World a full year after we studied the Terracotta Warriors lesson and they still remembered it all. So, I’ll pretend their destructive tendencies were what they needed to remember the lesson.
More Terracotta Warrior lesson ideas
- Art in History Terracotta Warrior model (I’m getting this one next time)
- Terracotta Warriors art lesson
- Terracotta Warriors printable
This is really cool! I think that terracota warriors might rival Tut tomb as the greatest archaeological find of the 20th century…
I think you’re right. That and the scrolls for the Bible found in Israel (totally blanking on the caves they were found in).
I think you’re right. That and the scrolls for the Bible found in Israel (totally blanking on the caves they were found in).
That kit does look like a great one! I say the sensory play could have helped them remember.
You’re probably right, I hadn’t even thought about that.
China was my favourite time to study. This is a great lesson, and don’t worry, the more messier it is, the more involved they are and theoretically the more they learn 🙂
That certainly seems to be true with my kids too.
I had to laugh when I saw your kids’ handprints everywhere outside. My husband would totally freak out with the mess, but I’d say that’s obviously how kids get themselves involved in the learning process. 🙂 I love Chinese history, but I’m of course partial to it.
My husband wasn’t exactly thrilled with the big huge mess either, but thankfully it all washed off with the hose.