Philosophy and Its Influence: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism


Social Studies Middle School Philosophy and Its Influence: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism
Students encounter three of the most important philosophies that contributed to the shaping of ancient Chinese society: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, represented by Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi respectively. After immersing themselves in the philosophies through print and video sources, students work in small groups to report on comparisons and contrasts among the three. Then they analyze a tale about the childhood of the Confucian philosopher Mencius, illustrating Confucian attitudes toward women and parenting.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Here are the teacher pack items for Philosophy and Its Influence: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism:

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Overview

In this experience, students encounter three of the most important philosophies that contributed to the shaping of ancient Chinese society: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism, represented by Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi respectively. After immersing themselves in the philosophies through print and video sources, students work in small groups to report on comparisons and contrasts among the three. Then they analyze a tale about the childhood of the Confucian philosopher Mencius, illustrating Confucian attitudes toward women and parenting.

Students will work together in small groups in scene 3. 

Objectives

  • Explain the teachings of Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi.
  • Describe the impact of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.


In ancient China, the actions of rulers and the behavior and character of individuals were strongly affected by the writings of philosophers. In this experience, you will learn about three of the most important philosophies and their authors.

Objectives

  • Explain the teachings of Confucius, Laozi, and Han Fei Zi.
  • Describe the impact of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.


painting of man sitting on a chair

Confucius


Who are the wisest people that you have ever heard of throughout human history?


Write the names of two or more historical figures or authors whom you consider very wise (or whom you have heard were very wise). Separate the names with a comma, like this: George, Martha

Post your answer

Select three or more names from the cloud that you agree belong on the list. Ask students who those individuals were and what they did or wrote that was wise. Then tell students that in this experience, they will learn about wise men who not only shaped an ancient civilization, but who are still followed by millions of people today. 


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The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Ancient China Unit.
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