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Presentation Guide

Lesson:Achievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas

Teachers' Curriculum Institute. All rights reserved.

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Share preview responsesWhen students are finished, have them sharetheir responses with another student, orchoose a few volunteers to share theirresponses with the class.

Achievements ofthe Mayas, Aztecs,and Incas

What were the significant achievementsof the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas?

Preview

Think of important achievements or advances of the last50 years. Consider achievements in such areas asscience, technology, the arts, and communication. On thePreview section of your Notebook Guide, do the following:

Achievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas

Draw a symbol for at least two of these achievements.

Label each symbol with the name of the achievement itrepresents.

Near each symbol, write a sentence that answers thisquestion:

Do you think this achievement will still be in use 500 to1,000 years from now? Why or why not?

Share your responses.

PREVIEW



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Share ResponsesHave several volunteers share the connectionsthey found with the rest of the class.

In the Preview activity, you considered some of theimportant achievements of the past 50 years, and thoughtabout whether or not these things would be used bypeople in the future.


Now, you will learn about some of the lastingachievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Duringthis activity, you will become museum curators who willcategorize historic artifacts pertaining to these threecivilizations.

PREVIEW

Locate the Key Content Terms for the lesson in yourNotebook Guide.


solar year

stele

glyph

dialect

pictograph

suspension bridge

trephination

These important terms will help you understand the mainideas of this lesson.

VOCABULARY

What is the Essential Question for this lesson?


What were the significant achievements of the Mayas,Aztecs, and Incas?

Now read Section 1.

Carefully analyze the image you see here. Then findwords, phrases, or sentences in the text of Section 1 andconnect them to visual details in the image.

Let’s share the connections you found.

READING



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Prepare for activityTo prepare for this activity, print out two copiesof Placards A-D. Print out one copy of StudentHandout: Achievement Cards, and cut outthe cards.

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Create museum atmosphereTo create a more authentic "museumbasement" atmosphere, consider using thesecreative touches:

place placards on the floor beneath eachstation;

use a spray can of artificial spider web todrape each station in cobwebs;

turn off the lights and illuminate theclassroom with a small desk lamp.

Activity:Social Studies

Skill Builder

During this activity, you will all take on the role ofmuseum curators. You have recently discovered that oneroom in the basement of your museum is full ofMesoamerican artifacts. These artifacts, however, areunlabeled and in disarray.


You will need to work diligently to categorize the artifactsin the basement so that they can be moved to theappropriate wing of your museum.

ACTIVITY Social Studies Skill Builder

Before we get started, let’s set up the classroom.

Achievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and IncasACTIVITY Social Studies Skill Builder



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Place two or three desks together to form each station, as shown here.


Place the appropriate placard at each station.


Follow these steps to categorize the artifacts you find inthe museum basement:


Step 1: Get an achievement card and read the sectionlisted on the card.

Step 2: Complete Part 1 of the corresponding section ofthe Reading Notes.


Step 3: Visit the four artifact stations and identify oneartifact at each station that corresponds to the civilizationyou just read about. Complete Part 2 of your ReadingNotes.

At Station 4, click here to listen to two audio artifacts.

Artifact K, Placard D

Artifact L, Placard D

Step 4: Get a new achievement card and repeat thesesteps for the other civilizations.

Achievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and IncasACTIVITY Social Studies Skill Builder



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Now, let’s review your Reading Notes to see how youcategorized the artifacts.


Let’s start with Section 2, Part 1. Name some examplesof Mayan achievements in each of the following areas:

Science and technology:

astronomical observatories, accurate calendar,understanding of mathematics, use of zero

Arts and architecture:

murals, steles, weaving, corbel vault

Language and writing:

hieroglyphics, around 30 dialects of Mayan language


Let’s share our answers for Section 2, Part 2.

Artifact A on Placard A is:


glyphs



Artifact F on Placard B is:


numbers




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Artifact I on Placard C is:


mural



Artifact J on Placard D is:


corbel vault


Let’s review our answers for Section 3, Part 1. Namesome examples of Aztec achievements in each of thefollowing areas:



chinampas, causeways, solar calendar


poetry, dance, sculpture, stone temples


Nahuatl language, pictographs




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Artifact C on Placard A is:


calendar



Artifact D on Placard B is:


pictograph



Artifact H on Placard C is:


sculpture




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Artifact K on Placard D is:


poetry

Who would like to share his or her symbol for thisartifact?


Let’s review our answers for Section 4, Part 1. Namesome examples of Aztec achievements in each of thefollowing areas:



system of roads, suspension bridges, terraces, irrigationcanals, trephination


textiles, goldsmithing, music, stone buildings


Quechua language, quipus



Artifact B on Placard A is:


surgery




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Artifact E on Placard B is:


quipu



Artifact G on Placard C is:


feather poncho



Artifact L on Placard D is:


music

Who would like to share his or her symbol for thisartifact?




DebriefCall on several students who are not standingat the front to justify their partner's position.

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Debrief 2Assign each pair an achievement from theactivity. Call on several students who are notstanding at the front to justify their partner'sposition.

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Debrief 3Call on several students who are not standingat the front to justify their partner's position.

Now, let’s debrief this activity with a series of critical thinking challenges. Get into pairs for this part of the activity.


Critical Thinking Challenge 1In your opinion, which civilization of Mesoamerica—the Mayas, Aztecs, or Incas—had the most impressive or importantachievements? Why?

1. Discuss the question with your partner.

2. Then send one person to stand by the silhouette that represents your answer.

3. The other student must be prepared to give evidence to support his or her partner’s position.


Critical Thinking Challenge 2Is your assigned achievement still commonly used in that part of Mesoamerica today?


1. Discuss the question with your partner.

2. Write the name of your achievement on a sheet of paper in large letters.

3. Send one person to stand by the silhouette that represents your answer.



Critical Thinking Challenge 3How much of an impact does your assigned achievement have on your life today? Why?


1. Switch achievements with another pair, then discuss the question with your partner.

2. Send one person to stand by the silhouette that represents your answer.





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Processing

What interesting details do you see?


What materials do you think were used to create this artwork? tiles

PROCESSING

What do you call artwork that is made from small fragments of shells, glass, or colored tiles?


a mosaic

Do you see any clues about when this work of art was created and by whom?

PROCESSING



Complete the Processing activity in your NotebookGuide.

Achievements of the Mayas, Aztecs, and IncasPROCESSING



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