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Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Unit 2: Early American Civilizations

For Teachers 5th Standards
Fifth graders explore early American civilizations in a four-week ELA unit. Every lesson offers an opportunity to read and discuss a selected passage followed by word work that covers vocabulary, grammar, and morphology. Learners write...
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Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

For Teachers 5th Standards
A 10-lesson unit explores the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Over the course of two weeks, scholars read nonfiction excerpts, discuss their findings, and complete activities. An assessment equipped with multiple choice and matching...
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Unit Plan
Core Knowledge Foundation

Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations

For Teachers 5th
Here are a series of lessons on the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations. This incredible, 15-lesson unit would be perfect for any fifth grade study on these important civilizations. Learners focus on the complex nature of the cultures,...
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Unit Plan
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Core Knowledge Foundation

Early American Civilizations Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology

For Teachers 1st Standards
Bridge subjects ancient history and English language arts together with a unit all about the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Eleven lessons begin with a read-aloud followed by a whole-class discussion in preparation for practice by...
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Workbook
Smithsonian Institution

Ceramica de los Ancestros

For Students 3rd - 6th
Scholars join a field expedition team to unearth a plethora of treasures from Central America. Artifacts listed in alphabetical order come with an informational blurb and a picture designed for participants to color. Activity pages...
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Unit Plan
Virginia Department of Education

World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.

For Teachers 6th - 10th Standards
Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.
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Unit Plan
Partnership for Educating Colorado Students

Mayan Mathematics and Architecture

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Take young scholars on a trip through history with this unit on the mathematics and architecture of the Mayan civilization. Starting with a introduction to their base twenty number system and the symbols they used, this eight-lesson unit...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hanal Pixan

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the culture of Mexico. In this Mexican culture lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation about the culture of Mexico and the students take notes. Students write an essay about what they have learned.
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Aztec and Mayan Mythology

For Teachers 6th
Here's a fresh take on a mythology unit. Use the myths of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Mesoamerica instead of the more traditional Greek and Roman stories. This abstract suggests possible approaches and resources that can be used to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Come On Over To Maya Place

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders analyze the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture lesson, 5th graders study the Mayan culture noting similarities and differences between the Mayan culture and their own. Students examine hieroglyphic writing and the Mayan...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Classical Maya News Report

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the culture of the Mayans. For this early civilizations lesson, students research selected Maya city-states including Tikal, Clakmul, Piedras Niegras, and Uaxactun. Students use their research findings to present news...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Mayan Culture

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students study an ancient culture in Mexico whose people were called the Mayans. They compare certain aspects of Mayan culture with Ancient Egypt. They discuss why some other ancient cultures (Egypt and China) were able to survive for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Civilization

For Teachers 1st
First graders become familiar with Mayan culture, Aztec civilization and the Inca Empire.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mayan Culture

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the attributes of the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture instructional activity, students identify the structure of social classes in Mayan society and design posters that feature their findings.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mayan Culture

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Pupils use RAFT prompts to write about Mayan society. In this lesson on Mayan culture, students research and then explain the Mayan hierarchy and social structure. As a culminating activity each student will write a newspaper article...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cracking the Maya Code

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars analyze the meaning of Maya glyphs. For this Mayan communication lesson, students use Mayan symbols to calculate their birthdates according to Maya Long Count.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Me Oh Maya

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students compare basketball to Mayan ring-ball. They write a newspaper article that may have been published during Mayan times.
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Graphic
Science Museum of Minnesota

Science Museum of Mn: The Puuc Hills: Uxmal

For Students 9th - 10th
Numerous photographs of the ancient Mayan city of Uxmal.
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Graphic
Science Museum of Minnesota

The Temples of Tikal

For Students 9th - 10th
This site provides various pictures of the numerous temples in the Mayan city of Tikal.
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Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Art Works in Time

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This site is a curriculum unit on the Maya culture for elementary students. Provides a lot of background information, five lesson plans, a bibliography, and other resources.
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Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Enduring Culture Lesson Plans

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This unit on Mesoamerican and Mayan culture contains lesson plans, a list of materials, objectives, bibliographies, and much more. The lessons could also be adapted to various grades.
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Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Popol Vuh

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This unit is geared towards grades 4-8, but could be used with ESL high school students. Contains lesson plans integrating language arts and social studies, with a bibliography, a play, recipe, and a reading list for students.
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Website
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies

Famsi: Archaeological Research at Cotzumalhuapa, Guatemala

For Students 9th - 10th
Research at Cotzumalhuapa indicates that it was a major urban center that encompassed Bilbao El Baul, and El Castillo. Some discussion of colonial period use of site.
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Website
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies

Famsi: Salvage of Hieroglyphic Stairway in Dos Pilas (2002)

For Students 9th - 10th
Comprehensive discussion of what the discovery of stairway steps adds to history of the site and the culture. Writings on steps give new insights to Myan politics, trade, war, and the collapse of the civilization.