Problem: The Qing dynasty (Chinese: ; pinyin: Qing Chao; WadeGiles: Ch'ing Ch'ao; IPA: [ti t]), officially the Great Qing (Chinese: ; pinyin: Da Qing), also called the Empire of the Great Qing, or the Manchu dynasty, was the last imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The Qing multi-cultural empire lasted almost three centuries and formed the territorial base for the modern Chinese state.

The dynasty was founded by the Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan in Manchuria. In the late sixteenth century, Nurhaci, originally a Ming vassal, began organizing Jurchen clans into "Banners", military-social units. Nurhaci formed these clans into a unified entity, the subjects of which became known collectively as the Manchu people. By 1636, his son Hong Taiji began driving Ming forces out of Liaodong and declared a new dynasty, the Qing. In 1644, peasant rebels led by Li Zicheng conquered the Ming capital Beijing. Rather than serve them, Ming general Wu Sangui made an alliance with the Manchus and opened the Shanhai Pass to the Banner Armies led by Prince Dorgon, who defeated the rebels and seized Beijing. The conquest of China proper was not completed until 1683 under the Kangxi Emperor (r. 16611722). The Ten Great Campaigns of the Qianlong Emperor from the 1750s to the 1790s extended Qing control into Central Asia. While the early rulers maintained their Manchu ways, and while their official title was Emperor they were known as khans to the Mongols and patronized Tibetan Buddhism, they governed using Confucian styles and institutions of bureaucratic government. They retained the imperial examinations to recruit Han Chinese to work under or in parallel with Manchus. They also adapted the ideals of the tributary system in international relations, and in places such as Taiwan, the Qing so-called internal foreign policy closely resembled colonial policy and control.
1. Which dynasty is the story about?
2. Which country is it in?
3. Is it referred to by any other names other than Qing?
4. Was it the first imperial dynasty of China?
5. Who founded it?
6. Where did that happen?
7. What year did Hong Taiji declare a new dynasty?
8. The conquest of China was done under what emperor?
9. What kind of style and institution of governing did the early rulers use?
10. In 1644 rebels were led by whom?
11. Where did he conquer?
12. Qing control was extended into where from the 1750's to the 1790's?
13. DId their internal foreign policy resemble colonial policy?
14. What religion was patronized?
15. How long did the empire last?
16. Who organized the clans into Banners?
17. Who forged a pact with the Manchu to open Shanhai Pass?
18. Was he happy about doing this?
19. What were the early rulers known as to the Mongols?
Answer: 1. Qing
2. China
3. Manchu dynasty
4. No
5. Jurchen Aisin Gioro clan
6. in Manchuria
7. By 1636
8. Kangxi Emperor
9. Confucian styles and institutions of bureaucratic government
10. Li Zicheng
11. Ming capital Beijing
12. Central Asia.
13. yes
14. Tibetan Buddhism
15. almost three centuries
16. Nurhaci
17. Ming general Wu Sangui
18. No
19. khans

Problem: Steve had a very long finger. It was the longest finger anyone in his town had. One day Steve shut the toilet seat, and his finger got caught in it. He couldn't get it out. It was very cold in the bathroom. This is why his sister brought him a coat. He was in the bathroom a long time. So, Steve started pasting a stone on the wall with glue on the end of his brush. Then he wrote the truth on this stone. He used a black pencil to write the truth on this stone, but the writing turned out blue. He did not know that his sister was watching him write the truth from the ceiling. He was upset because he always had a fear that he would have to share his secret power with his sister. It was too late, she saw that he wrote the truth on the stone. So he let her see his power. With a twirl of his long finger he magically made the toilet seat lift up. He could make things move with his mind.
1. what did steve have that was unusual?
2. Did anyone else have one too?
3. how did he trap it?
4. was it warm there?
5. what did steve stick tot he wall?
6. with what?
7. what did he do next?
8. What did it say?
9. did he write with a red pencil?
10. was the text pink?
11. what color was it?
12. did anyone see him?
13. did he know that?
14. was he happy?
15. how did he feel?
16. why?
17. what was his power
18. what gesture did he use?
19. what did he move?
Answer: 1. a long finger
2. no
3. caught it in the toilet seat
4. no
5. Steve started pasting a stone on the wal
6. glue
7. wrote on the stone
8. the truth
9. no
10. no
11. blue
12. his sister was watching him write the truth
13. no
14. no
15. upset
16. he didn't want his sister to know his secret power
17. he moved things with his mind
18. a twirl of his finger
19. the toilet seat

Problem: Years back in a kingdom far away there lived a family in the woods. This family had always lived in the woods. Their father each day would travel into the woods and chop wood to take to the town. The mother spent her day cleaning and taking care of their home and her three children. The dad and his family had a good life. They never wanted for much. The three kids went to school and had many friends in the town. One day there came a nasty storm to the woods. This storm brought a lot of rain and flooded many areas in the city. Many homes were under water. The leader came to the dad and asked him to go out and cut some very large logs to place in the city to keep the water back. The logs would be used to build a wall. The dad took his kids and his wife into the woods and cut down the largest trees they could find. In the end the town was saved because of the wall and for their work the dad and his family were paid and could build a bigger home and had more children.
1. When is it?
2. Where?
3. Specifically?
4. How was the living there?
5. What did the man do?
6. Where did he haul it?
7. What about the woman?
8. How many babies are there?
9. Did they need anything?
10. What did the three do?
Answer:
1. Years back
2. in a kingdom far away
3. in the woods
4. always
5. chop wood
6. to the town
7. she cleaned
8. three
9. no
10. went to school