Penn Museum
Maya Ball
Sure the ancient Mayan civilization had an advanced calendar and mathematical system, but did you know that they also played a great team sport like basketball? Invite your learners to discover the great ballcourt at Chichen Itza and...
Curated OER
Central American Immigrants to the United States: Refugees from Unrest
Students identify the major aspects of Olmec and Mayan civilzations, including economic, political, and religious. They list contributions of these civilizations. Students identify the Central American countries where the United States...
Curated OER
Ancient Artifacts
Students research the earliest Americans. In this ancient civilizations instructional activity, students investigate the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Students examine artifacts used in the cultures and then determine what the artifacts were...
Curated OER
Relative History
Students explore theories about how the Olmec civilization influenced other Mesoamerican societies. They research the Olmecs to create a museum exhibit of their findings and reflect on how an Olmec person might have understood the...
Curated OER
Pre-Colonial Native American Groups
Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. In this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the web...
Curated OER
Day of the Dead Lesson Plans
Day of the Dead lesson plans can provide a meaningful exploration of the holiday and its importance.
Curated OER
Fields of Candy Bars
Students research and write about the origins of the ingredients in candy bars. They taste them and describe what they are tasting. They use descriptive words to write a paragraph describing the candy bar. They research ingredients in...
Other
Maya, Olmec and Pre Columbian Ruins in Guatemala
Site opens with a map of Guatemala on which the most famous and interesting Maya Ruins are located. Following, each site is placed in a chronological period according to the dates that have been estimated.
Other
Tennessee Technological University: Civilization in Central America
An outline of important civilizations in Central America that includes the Olmecs, the Maya, the Toltecs, and the Aztecs. The Aztec civilization is the focal point of the outline, which gives the major points concerning their culture in...
ClassFlow
Class Flow: Ancient Meso America
[Free Registration/Login Required] This lesson is an overview of Ancient Meso-America. Students will learn about the geography, first civilizations including the Olmec and Maya and their political, economic and social structures.
Other
Life and Death in Ancient Mexico
This site describes the religious beliefs of the Olmecs and other ancient Mexicans, especially in regard to life and death, using artifacts and myths.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: John Pohl's Mesoamerica
Comprehensive overview of Mesoamerica includes an introduction of the term Mesoamerica, the human populations and the region covered, a chronology including the PreClassic, Classic and PostClassic periods, and art and writing in ancient...
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Americas
After reading this section, students will be able to locate on a map the major American civilizations before the arrival of the Spanish, discuss the cultural achievements of these civilizations and also the differences and similarities...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: The Early Americas Civilizations Power Point
This lesson is for cooperative learning groups. This lesson will take place in the classroom and the computer lab. Students will create PowerPoints on the early Americas civilizations of the Hohokam, Anasazi, Mississippians, Inuit,...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Mesoamerica
Civilization in Mesoamerica flourished and crashed repeatedly, giving rise to a distinctive worldview and some remaining mysteries. This article discusses the rise of early civilizations in this region.