Worksheets and No Prep Teaching Resources Reading Comprehension Worksheets Ancient China

Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing Ancient China

---

Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing
Print Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing Reading Comprehension with Fifth Grade Work

Print Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing Reading Comprehension with Sixth Grade Work

Print Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing Reading Comprehension

Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	7.6

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		facedown, papermaking, re-assembled, breakthrough, dynasty, presented, time-consuming, movable, bearing, civilization, carving, invention, repeated, writing, text, unknown
	content words:		Western Han, Tsai Lun, Cai Lun, Eastern Han, Bi Sheng, Pi Sheng, Northern Song, Central Asia, Johannes Gutenberg, Latin Bible

---

Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing By Vickie

---

¹     Invention is an interesting thing. Sometimes, an invention was developed to fulfill a specific need. Other times, it was simply a chance discovery. Looking back in history, there are two Chinese inventions that fell into the first category. They are paper and movable type printing.
 
²     Long before paper was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters to record their thoughts on tortoise shells, animal bones, and stones. Since those "writing boards" were heavy and not easy to carry around, they switched to writing on bamboo, wooden strips, and silk. The new alternatives were clearly better, but they were either still heavy or very costly. Then, during the Western Han dynasty (202 B.C. - 8 A.D.), paper made its debut. Its inventor is unknown.
 
³     When paper first came out, it was not easy to produce in large quantities. And its quality was poor. Several decades later, a palace official named Tsai Lun (also spelled as Cai Lun) had a breakthrough in the papermaking process. He experimented with different materials and eventually settled on using tree bark, rags, and bits of rope to produce paper. He presented his first batch of paper to the emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty in 105 A.D. Tsai Lun's technique of making paper became an instant hit! It was quickly introduced to Korea and other countries nearby. In 751 A.D., Arabs learned the technique from the Chinese soldiers they captured in a war. They passed it on to Europe and, eventually, other parts of the world.

Paragraphs 4 to 8:
For the complete story with questions: click here for printable

---

Weekly Reading Books

Create Weekly Reading Books Prepare for an entire week at once!

---

Feedback on Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing

Leave your feedback on Chinese Inventions - Paper & Movable Type Printing   (use this link if you found an error in the story)

---

Ancient China

Ancient China

---

Social Studies

Social Studies

United States History and Theme Units         American Government         Ancient America         Ancient China         Ancient Egypt         Ancient Greece         Ancient India         Ancient Mesopotamia         Ancient Rome         Biographies         Canadian Theme Unit         Country Theme Units         Crime and Terrorism         Economics         European History: 1600s-1800s

Explorers         Famous Educators         Geography         Grades 2-3 Social Studies Wendy's World Series         History of Books and Writing         History of Mathematics         How Can I Help?         Inventors and Inventions         Middle Ages         Renaissance         World Religion         World War I         World War II         World Wonders

Copyright © 2025 edHelper