The Dual Nature of Genghis Khan

History lives in the
stories of the present.
- Kimberly Scher
Hiking on the Great Wall: It was built
to keep Genghis Khan out of China
The Dual Nature of Genghis Khan
Kimberly Scher, Melissa Glantz & Susan Shiney / Expeditionary Learning
Our school’s expedition on Invaders propelled our team to explore leaders that
exemplified strength, vision, and conquest. Focusing on non-western empires, we
created a case study on the Mongolian Empire, a civilization outside the realm of
western influence and often misrepresented in history classrooms.
Visiting with the reindeer people in
northern Mongolia
In our case study, we encourage students to question their preconceived notions
about invasions, develop their understanding of what is “good” and/or “bad” about
invasions, and expand their understanding of invasions to include impacts on
religion, government, social structure, the arts, and economy.
To deepen our knowledge of Mongolian culture in preparation for this case study, our
team started in the Khentii region of Mongolia and spent ten days traveling from
village to village on foot and on horseback. We slept in the gers of families we met
along our journey, sharing meals and stories. We visited several schools, went to see
the Nadaam festival, and experienced the joys (and pain) of galloping across the
steppes on Mongolian saddles! We also met with the local shaman, hiked with
herdsmen through the mountains surrounding Lake Khuvsgul, and met with the
reindeer people. During our last week we explored the Gobi Desert, the desert
Genghis Khan crossed with his army during his invasion of Samarkand.
Traditional Mongolian outfits during
the Nadaam festival
Riding camels in the Gobi Desert
FUND FOR TEACHERS PROJECT SUMMARY
Professional and Personal Growth
While in Mongolia, we had time to collect information about
Genghis Khan in several different formats. We created video
mysteries; took many photos; gathered artifacts in the form of
clothing, games and maps; and collected primary source
documents from museums and libraries. We will use these items
to create a curriculum that will help students develop skills to
analyze the multiple facets of invasions.
We want students to be excited about history and feel empowered
to question traditional interpretations of the past. The materials we
collected will be used to help all students become successful
historians and critical thinkers.
Hiking in Mongolia - saying "hi" to our friends at
our school, MELS
Benefits to Students and School Community
• We conducted interviews with people we met throughout our
travels. These primary source documents will be used as evidence
when students put Genghis Khan on trial for our final project.
• We made films that will enhance student understanding of
literacy skills such as making inferences and finding the main idea.
• We went to an archaeological dig site and were able to
investigate Deer Stones, ancient stone tributes honoring warrior
accomplishments and bravery. We will be introducing Deer
Stones to our students and they will be writing about their own
accomplishments and acts of bravery as a goal-setting and
community-building activity.
Staying in gers on the steppes of Mongolia
Works in Progress
During our case study, The Dual Nature of Genghis Khan,
students will put Genghis Khan on trial to determine if he is a
leader who should be honored or discredited. Students will use
photos, primary source documents, and videos we collected as
evidence during the trial. We are in the process of designing the
trial simulation and organizing the resources we gathered.
In addition, we are developing a workshop for teachers to help
them develop interactive literacy-based videos. These "minute
movies" are meant to engage students in literacy skills such as
making inferences.
Tribute to Genghis Khan in the Khentii region of
Mongolia