Visitors to Machu Picchu, especially those who hike the 1,600 feet and climb the over 3,000 steps, are forced to consider how the Incas constructed this engineering marvel without the benefit of iron tools or wheeled carts. Introduce...

What better way to celebrate eclipses than across cultures? Explore myths of solar and lunar eclipses from ancient cultures like the Chinese, Ancient Greek, Mesoamerican, Incan, Egyptian, Ancient Babylonian, and Middle Eastern. Learners...

Focus on the main idea of an informational reading article about the conflict between Aztec and European cultures, and the eventual collapse of the native Latin American cultures. After class members read the passage, they answer four...

Native peoples established civilizations all over Central and North America. Introduce native civilizations with a unit that promotes discussion, reinforces map skills, enhances reading comprehension, and exposes young historians to the...

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.

Who determines the Seven Wonders of the World, and what criteria is used to evaluate these locations? Discover the efforts to promote cultural diversity and preserve man-made monuments during the world's first-ever global vote in 2007 to...

Peru really is a place that has it all! This video details the customs, food, and interests of the modern people and tours both the historical sites as well as the modern towns. Let's travel to Peru!

Never heard of Alexander von Humboldt? Don't miss the opportunity to tell your class about "the most important forgotten man of science." The narrator describes an array of Humboldt's scientific accomplishments in his five-year journey...

Fifth graders get together with first graders in this collaborative series of lessons on Meso-American civilizations. In them, learners utilize a variety of reference resources and presentation tools. The highlight of the lessons is the...

A study of the Aztec, Inca, and Mayan cultures is par-for-the-course for most fifth grade classrooms. This set of lesson plans is worth looking into if you are a fifth grade teacher! In them, learners focus on the geography and culture...

Middle and high schoolers read and discuss an informative piece of writing on the Inca Nation and perform tasks in order to begin to form a deeper understanding of this fascinating culture from our past. This six-page plan has everything...

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,...

Even functional everyday objects can be highly ornate and thoughtfully designed. Art analysts look at the form and function of an Inca jug used to transport liquid. They consider this jug in relation to other jugs fashioned throughout...

Students research information about ruins of Machu Picchu in Peru, closely examine pictures of construction of Machu Picchu, and create paintings and write reports to demonstrate their knowledge of history, location, significance, and...

A Conquistador is a Spanish name derived from the Reconquista, a period of reclaiming land from the Muslims. However, it became a call of conquest! Here are 17 slides that depict key conflicts between the Spanish and Native Mexican...

Students compare and contrast various forms of artistic expression associated with specific groups of people, geographic regions, or time periods, specifically art of Andean cultures, and create art works using procedures borrowed from...

This lengthy, and very thorough collection of study guide worksheets should help learners who are studying the Inca culture to solidify their understanding of the culture. The worksheets are meant to be used as the class goes through the...

Young art historians use the provided web link to locate, identify, and describe each of the eight Inca art examples found on the learning exercise. This is a great way to guide Internet research while building an appreciation of ancient...

Introduce young scholars to the wonders of South America. Each slide contains images and text relating basic facts about South American people, history, animals, and environment. This would be a good introduction to a new or upcoming...

Explore the amazing empire of the Inca. Presented here is a very brief outline regarding the government, economy, and achievements of the Inca. Your class will enjoy the vivid photographs and appreciate the easy-to-follow text. Several...

Begin this lesson by grabbing learners with the story of an old king, ruling his kingdom after his death 35 years prior (included). A short period of direct instruction provides the context of the Inca split inheritance system, after...

Students examine how the Inca communicated over large distances. They locate the Inca Empire on a map, define key vocabulary terms, play the game, 'telephone,' and create a quipu to show the year they were born.

Middle schoolers can analyze primary source documents to answer the question, "Why did the Aztec and Inca civilizations disappear?" They will read the provided excerpts then answer 11 different questions to uncover the ultimate answer.

Provide an overview of the religion, life ways, wealth, decline, and economy of several early civilizations. culture groups covered are the Aztecs, Teotihuacan, Maya, Anasazi, Mississippian, Chokia, Moche, and Inca. The only thing this...