Using This Resource

This resource is aligned to Australian Curriculum: History for Year 9 students. It adopts an inquiry learning approach that develops students’ skills as historians. The resource engages students with a rich selection of historical sources and challenges them to draw their own conclusions about the Qing Dynasty. The resource highlights key aspects of Chinese life during the mid-to-late modern period including the territorial extent of Qing China, the role and influence of the Emperor, literature, art, architecture and contact and conflicts between the Qing and European powers.

The resource gives teachers flexibility. Activities are provided to focus students on key historical people and events that were significant during the Qing Dynasty. The highlight of the resource is the selection of sources from the exhibition Celestial Empire: Life in China 1644-1911 presented by the National Library of Australia and the National Library of China. Each of the five key sources introduces a theme. The student activities that support the sources cater for a variety of classroom contexts and learning styles. Teachers can explore all five themes, or choose specific themes to meet their teaching and learning objectives.