Mayan, Incas, & Aztecs
Government Unit
The goal of this unit is to compare and contrast the 3 governments. The students will
learn about each government structure and then complete a venn diagram. The
students will present their work in different ways.
Essential Questions
 What is the historical importance of the first
three Indian government?
 How were the three civilization’s
government different?
 How were the three civilization’s
government the same?
Vocabulary:
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Civilization
Empire
Government
Sacrifice
Lesson 1-Introduction
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Grouping: students will be in small groups.
Materials: Social Studies notebook, paper, & pencils
Ask the students these questions:
How would you choose a class president?
What qualifications would they have?
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The students will talk for 2 minutes & then share information.
Ask the students another question:
What if the president was chosen because he had the most money. How
would you feel and why?
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The students would talk for 2 minutes & record the information on a
worksheet.
Finally, show the students the next slide & discuss the hierarchy of the
Mayan Empire.
What do you notice about this
image?
Mayan King vs. Slaves
Mayan Government
King
Family
Craft People
Leaders
Judges
Merchants
Farmers
Slaves
Inca Emipre
What do you notice about this
image?
Geography: Incas
 Interactive Map:
National Geographic Website
Discussion Questions:
 How does the government affects the way we
live?
 How does the government affect NYC?
 As a class, discuss the reasons why the
government may not be as influential today
as it was in ancient times.
Lesson 2
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Materials: Social Studies notebook, paper, & pencils
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Ask the students to respond in a small group to this question:
You are having a birthday party. You invite a few friends to attend.
Suddenly, the doorbell rings. There are uninvited guests at your
door. What do you do?
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Students will have time to discuss & share this question.
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Ask the students another question:
The guests refuse to leave. You explain to them that this is a
birthday party and the guests need to leave. How do you think the
uninvited guests will react?
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Students will have time to discuss & share answers.
Inca Government
Sapa Inca
Supreme Council
Supreme Council
Supreme Council
Supreme Council
Provincial Governors
Provincial Governors
Provincial Governors
Provincial Governors
Army Officers
Priests
Judges
Nobles
Tax Collectors
Tax Collectors
Tax Collectors
Tax Collectors
Workers
Workers
Workers
Workers
Lesson 3
 Inca-Government Reader’s Theater
Reader’s Theater:
Characters: Sapa Inca, Tax Collectors, Farmer & family members
Setting: King’s structure
Description: The king is passing a new law to collect more taxes.
Sapa Inca: I am going to make a new law!
Tax Collectors: What will it be?
Sapa Inca: The Inca people will pay more in taxes!
Tax Collector goes to the farmer: You will have to pay more taxes.
Go tell the others.
Farmer to his family: We will now have to pay more in taxes.
Family: We can’t voice our opinions. If we don’t follow what the
king says, then we will be sacrificed! We can’t break the law. The
punishment will be very harsh!
Lesson 3
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Materials: Social Studies notebook, paper, & pencils
 Ask the students to respond in a small group to this
question:
You play the same video games with your sibling (brother
or sister) at home. One day, your parents come home and
give your older sibling another video game and not you.
You aren’t allowed to play the game. How do you feel? Is it
fair?
 Students will discuss this question for 2 minutes & then
asked to share.
 Ask the students an extension question:
In addition to the video game, now your parents gave
permission to your sibling to tell you what to do. You must
do what your sibling says or you will be in trouble. How do
you feel now? Is it fair?
Social Status of the Aztecs
1) Emperor
2) Priests
3) Nobility
4) Soldiers
5) Artisans
6) Merchants
7) Women
8) Fishers
9) Farmers
10) Slaves
Aztecs
 Conquered neighboring tribes
 The Aztec population had grown
 They needed many things in order to
run their empire
Aztecs Cont’d
 The Emperor & Palace: The Aztecs had
an emperor, a king who ruled over all
the people. The emperor lived in the
imperial palace in the capital city of
Tenochtitlan. The palace was huge. It
even had its own zoo. The ground floor
of the palace housed government
offices and the shops of the most
talented craftsman in the Aztec empire.
Additional Lessons
 Shared readings
 Reader’s Theater
http://www.rosalindflynn.com/pdf%20files/Meso.pdf
 DVD films
 Use of pictures
Books
 The Ancient Aztecs by Liz Sonneborn
 The Ancient Maya by Jackie Maloy
 DVD: National Geographic
Culminating Activity
 The students will compare and contrast the
Mayan, Inca, and Aztec governments in a
Venn Diagram.
 What is the same?
 What is different?
Students can present information in songs,
poems, posters, reader’s theater, etc.
Rubric for Culminating Activity
( __/16)
*Aligned with the Common Core Standards
Government: Mayan,
Incas, Aztecs
4
3
2
1
Activity
Student produced
clear, organized text
that explores the
government of the
Mayan, Inca, and
Aztec civilizations.
Student produced an
organized text that
explores the
government of the
Mayan, Inca, and
Aztec civilizations.
Student produced
clear, organized text
that explores only two
of the governments of
the Mayan, Inca, and
Aztec civilizations.
Student piece was not
clear and organized.
The piece didn’t
include a
compare/contrast of
the governments.
Punctuation &
Grammar
Student developed and
strengthened writing
by revising and editing
their presentation by
using correct
punctuation &
grammar. (100%).
Student developed and
strengthened writing
by revising and editing
their presentation by
using correct
punctuation. There are
a few grammatical
errors.
Student developed and
strengthened writing
by revising and editing
their presentation by
minimally using
punctuation and
grammar. There are
many grammatical
errors.
Student didn’t
developed and
strengthened writing
by revising and editing
their presentation.
There are many
grammatical errors
and lacks a great
amount of punctuation.
Teamwork or
individual activity
Student created an
original piece of work
about the 3
governments.
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Student created an
original piece of work
about the 2
governments.
Student didn’t include
the a compare/contrast
the governments.
Compare and contrast
of the Mayan, Inca, &
Aztec government
Activity compared and
contrasted the
government of the 3
civilizations.
-------------
Activity included
compare/contrast of
the government of 2
civilizations
Activity didn’t
include a
compare/contrast of
the governments.
Can include: poem,
play, written response,
etc.