Curriculum Guides
& Lesson Plans
Resources For Educators
China Institute in America offers a variety of print and online resources that educators can use to enhance their teaching of China in the classroom, including the award-winning We All Live in the Forbidden City books, our award-winning curriculum guide From Silk to Oil: Cross Cultural Connections Along the Silk Roads, and additional lesson plans and classrooms resources available on our website.
Please stay tuned as we transfer more resources for educators to our new site.
Curriculum Guide: From Silk To Oil
Travel the deserts and mountain passes of Central Asia with From Silk to Oil: Cross-Cultural Connections Along the Silk Road. This book of global studies curriculum, funded by the U.S. Department of Education and produced by China Institute, begins in the second century BCE and ends in the contemporary period.
The twenty-three curriculum units consist of a lesson plan, written and visual documents, maps, tables, and even a Silk Roads board game. There is also a glossary; lists of additional resources; and a CD with the entire text and color images-including hotlinks to relevant websites-in PDF format.
On December 29, 2022, the New Dasheng Bells were gifted to China Institute in America by Valparaiso University, a generous donation to enable China Institute in America, New York City’s go-to resource on China, to continue and advance its mission to deepen the understanding of Chinese culture through music and beyond.
From Silk to Oil is directed at teachers of high school world history, global studies, social studies, geography, literature, and art. Some units will also be suitable for advanced middle school, community college, and lower level university survey courses.
- Cover, prefatory material, and five introductory essays
- Maps
- Geography Along The Silk Road (Units A-C)
- Ethnic Relations And Political History Along The Silk Roads (Units D-I)
- Exchange Of Goods And Ideas Along The Silk Roads (Units J-M)
- Religions Along The Silk Roads (Units N-R)
- Art Along The Silk Road (Units S-W)
- Supplementary Materials
We All Live in the Forbidden City
We All Live in the Forbidden City is an award-winning educational program about the history, culture, architecture, and life of imperial China as seen through the lens of Beijing’s Forbidden City, one of the world’s most fascinating landmarks. There are books, games, e-book apps, workshops, and a website – all designed to be fun and engaging for children of all ages.
This global program is produced by China Institute in America in conjunction with Design and Cultural Studies Workshop (CnC) in Hong Kong, the Palace Museum in Beijing, and academics in North America.