Seal script

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/seal-script

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. What is the geographic origin?Ancient China, evolving from bronze inscriptions
2. What is the dynastic standardization?Adopted as the formal script of the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC)
3. Why did China use seal script during the Qin Dynasty?After China was united by Qin Shi Huang, the rulers needed one common way to write so everyone could understand laws and orders. They chose the small seal script and made it the official script for all of China.
4. How did seal script change during the Han Dynasty?In the Han Dynasty, people began to write faster with simpler styles like clerical script. Seal script was then mostly used for special things like ceremonial inscriptions, decorative carvings, and official seals.

Logography: A writing system where each symbol represents a word or morpheme.
Bronze Script: An ancient Chinese script primarily found on bronze vessels from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
Small Seal Script (小篆): The standardized form of seal script adopted during the Qin Dynasty for imperial use.
Clerical Script (lìshū): A more simplified and cursive script that emerged during the Han Dynasty, influencing later calligraphic styles.