History of paper

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/history-of-paper

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who invented History of paper?China
2. What is the precursor writing material (egypt)?Papyrus
3. What is the traditional inventor?Cai Lun
4. What is paper made from?Paper is made from plant fibers. People mix things like mulberry bark, hemp, old rags, and fishing nets, boil them, beat them into a pulp, and then dry the pulp into thin sheets.
5. How did paper spread to other parts of the world?Paper spread along the Silk Road. By the 8th century it reached the Islamic world, and by the 11th century it came to Europe, where it grew in use.

Papyrus: An early Egyptian writing material made from the pith of the papyrus plant, processed into sheets.
Parchment: A durable writing surface made from animal skins, prepared through scraping and stretching.
Maceration: The process of softening and breaking down materials, such as plant fibers, in water to create pulp.
Diffusion: The spread of technology, ideas, or practices from one culture or region to another.