The Silk Roads were overland and sea trade routes connecting China, India, Arabia and Europe from the Han Dynasty until over 1000 years later. Traders exchanged goods like silk, spices, fruits, jewels and even gunpowder between the regions. For an activity, students were each given a shopping list of products to complete by trading along the Silk Roads. They had to determine which items were most difficult to obtain and why, as well as which regions their final items came from. Beyond trade of consumer goods, the Silk Roads also facilitated the spread of religions and cultural exchange.