Penn Museum
Ancient History Math Mystery
Through several organized and attractive worksheets, your learners will make a deduction about tally marks and hieroglyphics to determine what they represent in the ancient numeral system. This is a well-designed, interdisciplinary...
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Natural Resources and Ancient Cities
Students explain how the availability of natural resources has affected human settlement patterns. They recognize the interactions of human populations on environments and compare the growth of two ancient cities in relation to natural...
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Be That As It Maya
Creative projects are a great way to engage your class and can be a fun way to assess mastery! Learners create brochures and postcards that might have been created by and for travelers to ancient Mayan cities. They read and discuss the...
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Mayan Math
Fifth graders investigate the Maya's as mathematicians. In this Mayan math lessons, 5th graders work with the ancient Mayan numbering system by comparing it to the American Number System. They tell the differences and similarities...
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Simulation: Urban Planning for An Ancient Mayan City
Students participate in the simulation of planning an ancient Mayan city. For this urban planning lesson, students role play as citizens of an Mayan city. They act out their roles in a classroom that has been rearranged to simulate the...
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Understanding Mayan Culture
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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Mystic Lands: Maya: Messages in Stone
Students explore an ancient Mayan city. In this world history lesson plan, students watch a video about the ancient Mayan civilization, discussing information prior to and after watching the video. Students then come to understand more...
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Ancient Egypt
Students discover details about ancient Egyptian funerals. In this ancient Egypt lesson, students compare and contrast modern funeral rites to those practiced by ancient Egyptians. Teachers may also access the suggested print and online...
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Poverty Point Earthworks: Louisiana's Ancient Inhabitants
Students research the prehistoric earthworks site at Poverty Point, Louisiana. They compare the Louisiana artifacts and structure to the remains and knowledge of other ancient cultures. They present their research to the class.
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The Ancient Maya
Students explore the culture of the Mayans through a variety of activities. In this lesson plan about Maya, students analyze pictures in books and on websites, produce scale models of Maya architecture, and create Maya mosaics. Students...
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Ancient Cities
Students discuss ways homes, buildings and cities are designed for a particular climate and geography. Students use a chart and conduct library and online research to explore ways the Mayans and Incas developed their land based on their...
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Ancient Artifacts
Students research the earliest Americans. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students investigate the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Students examine artifacts used in the cultures and then determine what the artifacts were used for and...
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The Mayan Empire
Young scholars study vocabulary associated with the Mayan Empire; its art, daily life, inventions, and religious beliefs. They examine why the Mayan culture is considered to be one of the most advanced of the ancient civilizations by...
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Lesson: Bringing Back the Sun: The Story of Jaguar Inspiring Student Stories
What on earth is that jar for? It was an ancient incense burner used by the Maya, that was inspired by the myth of the sun god. Young analysts hear the story of the Mayan sun god, analyze the story through the artistry in the jar, and...
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Lesson: The Gift of Giving
Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...
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Old Mayan Mural
Students read a story called Scientists Discover Oldest Mayan Mural and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events Mayan mural lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions,...
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Inside The Pyramids
Students research the use of pyramids in different cultures. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students watch "Inside the Pyramids." Students conduct further research on the topic and create magazine articles that feature their...
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Will America Fall Apart Like the Maya?
Young scholars work in teams to research ancient Mayan civilization as they simulate working for the President of the United States. He is concerned that if a civilization as technologically advanced as the Maya's could disappear, could...
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Mesoamerica: The History of Central America
Young scholars examine the role of women in Mesoamerica. They watch segments of the Discovery video "Mesoamerica: The History of Central America". After conducting further research pertaining to specific Mayan women, they write essays...
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Bags, Baskets, Bundles, Gourds, and Nets: Ancient and Imaginative Ways for Making, Storing, and Carrying Things
Students explore Mayan culture. In this Mayan world cultures lesson plan, students identify 5 methods by which the Mayan people carried things. Students view several drawings and photographs of these items, then describe how each item...
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El Misterio del los Mayas (The Mystery of the Mayas)
Students, working in groups, research different aspects of the Mayan society of the classical period. They study the rise and fall of the civilization and present the information in multimedia presentations.
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Primary Understanding and Use of Place Value
Explore place value and regrouping with your class. They develop awareness of several ancient number systems and how they differ from the base ten system commonly used today. They play "Chip Trading" with partners to practice addition...
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Come On Over To Maya Place
Fifth graders analyze the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture instructional activity, 5th graders study the Mayan culture noting similarities and differences between the Mayan culture and their own. Students examine hieroglyphic writing...
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Aztec and Mayan Mythology
Sixth graders write myths to show tolerance in creation. They read from both the Aztec and Mayan eras and develop an understanding of the similarities and differences of these two closely related cultures. They track the travels of...