Unit Plan – Ancient American Civilizations
Enduring Understandings:
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Students will analyze how archaeological discoveries are changing our knowledge of early peoples.
Students will describe the factors (geographical, social, technological) that cause the evolution of culture.
Students will define civilizations as complex cultures made up of social, political, economic, and belief systems.
Students will identify ways humans adapt to their environment, and ways that the environment affects culture.
Content
Work
Mini-Lesson
Unit Launch
Setting the context
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Watch the film Spirits of the Jaguar
Create a timeline in notebook of ancient civilizations
Complete a map (in notebook and on wall) of the geographic
location of ancient civilizations
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Divide the class into four research teams. Students synthesize
their research and work together to present what they have
learned to the class. Findings will be presented in a symposium
format with each team member becoming an expert on a specific
aspect of their civilization. Assign each team one of the following
ancient American cultures:
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Civilizations up
close: Maya,
Aztec, Inca,
Anasazi
Maya
Mayan Kids Interactive Adventure
www.mayankids.com/sitelite.htm
Emuseum's Maya Exhibit
emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/mesoamerica/maya.html
Pre-history Exhibit: Maya
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/cultures
/maya.html
Mayans: The Masters of Mystery
http://library.thinkquest.org/J001788/index.htm?tqskip1=1&tqtime=0
613
Aztec
Emuseum's Aztec Exhibit
emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/mesoamerica/aztec.html
Aztec Empire
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/cultures
/aztec_empire.html
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Creating a multi-strand timeline to
compare information about different
historical events.
Refresher on the components of a map
Using maps to illustrate demographic
information
What is a research team? What roles do
individual members have?
How do symposiums work?
How to write an abstract.
Are you a keynote speaker or part of a
panel?
Possible readaloud or other
component
work (shared
writing)
CCS
C&G 1 (7-8) –1
CCSS.RH.6-8.7
CCSS.WHST.68.7
C&G 1 (7-8) –1
C&G 5 (7-8) – 1
HP 1 (7-8) –1
E 1 (7-8) –3
CCSS.RH.6-8.5
CCSS.WHST.68.2
CCSS.WHST.68.6
CCSS.WHST.68.7
Inca
Emuseum's Inca (Quechua) Exhibit
emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/southamerica/inca.html
Inca
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/south/cultures
/inca.html
Machu Picchu: Ancient City
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/south/cul
Anasazi
Anasazi Emuseum's Anasazi Exhibit
emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/northamerica/anasazi.html
Prehistoric Desert People: The Anasazi
www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_ana.html
Sipapu: Anasazi Architecture
sipapu.gsu.edu/html/architecture.html
A Tale of Two
Cities:
Teotihuacán and
Chichén Itzá.
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Students will publish the Conference proceedings.
Students create a compare and contrast table in their notebooks
that explore the following questions:
o What were the main buildings and structures of the
ancient city?
o What was the purpose of each structure? (How did
people use each building or monument?)
o Describe the geography around the city.
o What important artifacts were found in this ancient city?
Students will draw a map of one of the cities and its surrounding
area paying close attention to its structures and how the city
provided for itself (water, food, materials)
Resources:
Mesoamerican Sites and Cultures
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/mesota
ble.html
Click on "Teotihuacán" and "Chichén Itzá."
Archaeology of Teotihuacán, Mexico
archaeology.la.asu.edu/teo/
Teotihuacán, A Photo Gallery
www.jqjacobs.net/mesoamerica/teotihuacan.html
Chichén Itzá (Latin American Prehistory)
www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/meso/sites/chi
chen_itza.html
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The role of architecture in a civilization
What can buildings tell us about a
civilization?
Using maps to tell a story
HP 1 (7-8) –1
HP 4 (7-8) –2
G 2 (7-8) –1
G 3 (7-8) –3
CCSS.RH.6-8.7
Mayan Kids: Chichén Itzá
www.mayankids.com/!itza.htm
Ancient
mythologies of the
Americas
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Students will write an informational essay that uses MLA format
to answer the following questions about one civilization:
o Name two or three of the gods and goddesses
worshipped. How did these gods influence the way the
world or nature works? How do we explain these same
natural occurrences today?
o Did these cultures believe one god was most important?
o How did they worship these gods?
o What do we learn about the civilization through the gods
they worshipped? Why do you think they put so much
importance on natural occurrences, such as rain and
sun?
o Did you find any moral lessons in the myths you read?
Sources:
World Mythology (Inca, Maya, Aztec)
www.windows.ucar.edu
Click on "Enter the Site," then click on "Myths."
Mayan Gods and Goddesses
www.mayankids.com/index.html
Click on "Gods and Goddesses."
Aztec Mythology
www.uwgb.edu/galta/mrr/aztecs/myth.htm
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Using citationmachine.net to create
citation pages.
Using heading to organize your paper
How to create a Table of Contents
Adding tables to your paper.
HP 1 (7-8) –1
HP 2 (7-8) –1
HP 5 (7-8) – 3
CCSSRH - 6-8.1
CCSS.WHST.68.1d
CCSS.WHST.68.2
CCSS.WHST.68.7