Law and Order: Cathay

Did Marco Polo really travel to China in the late 1200s? The people of his own time had trouble believing his incredible stories of gigantic palaces and black rocks that burned like wood. Some historians today struggle with his descriptions of strange beasts and men with heads like large dogs. Plus, how could one live in China for 20 years and not even mention The Great Wall? Find out by examining pages from Polo's original text, learning more about Mongol rule of China and investigating just who exactly Rusticello da Pisa was.

Your task is to fill in the Investigation Journal as you examine the exhibits.

Time: 45 Minutes

Materials: video player, printed exhibits, posterboard (optional)

Investigation Journal [PDF]

Exhibits [PDF1] [PDF2]

(The remaining 2 parts of exhibit B are only in PDF2)

Slides 3-6: Exhibit A

Slides 8-9: Exhibit E

Slide 10: Exhibit F

Slide 11: Exhibit D (along with the video)

Slides 12-14: Exhibit B

Slide 15-16: Exhibit C

Slides 17-18: Exhibit G

Slide 19: Exhibit H

Want to know the background info on the case? Watch the introduction video below.

Exhibit D: The Beijing Bridge

Read the description of the bridge in the "Exhibits' file above then view the following video.