We have all read about "our debt to ancient Greece and Rome" and about "our heritage from Europe." We need to think also about our gifts from the cultures and peoples of Asia. Today we will examine some of the things given by China to the Western world.

The story of China's gifts to the West goes back hundreds and hundreds of years. When Columbus came to America, China had already been exchanging goods with Europe for centuries. Learning these discoveries allows us to better appreciate the importance of the Chinese to our ways of living in the United States.

Today we will focus on: Paper, printing, tea, gunpowder, & the compass