SOCRATIC SEMINAR: Meso-Andean Civilizations – Ch. 23 to 27, ‘History Alive’
1. Where did the Maya and Inca rulers get their absolute
power? Why were they so feared and revered (holy or sacred)?
What was their “leverage” (advantage)?
2. Were the Meso-Andean achievements and feats of technology
a “random spill of genius” or the reflection of “pure, sheer
necessity”? If YES - Why? How? Explain. If NO, who, then, is
responsible for pioneering this LEGACY before the Maya, Aztec,
and Inca assumed it?
3. Which of the three civilizations made a better use of the
‘Geography’ and ‘Land’? Why? How? Explain with pertinent
arguments. What challenges did these societies face in
agriculture and farming? How did they deal with these
problems?
4. Which MATH procedures and operations strike you as most
complex: the ancient Maya one or our modern one? Why? How?
What’s the evidence? Explain.
5. Which of the three civilizations was more productive in
leaving behind a rich legacy of achievements? Explain with
evidence from resources.
6. Are there any specific social classes/ranks that these
civilizations could have done without? Why? Bring arguments for
each civilization.
7. On the other hand, which social class was the most creative?
Why? How?
8. Why was the Mayan calendar so sacred and indispensable?
What purpose did it serve? Explain with pertinent arguments.
9. There are many theories in regard to the downfall of the
Maya society. Among these are:
a. Civil Warfare and Invasions
b. Excessive sacrifices and people behaving aberrantly
c. Nature and weather turning rogue and unpredictable
d. Spanish Conquest.
Provide details to explain each cause. Which one produced more
damage? Why? How?
10. Which civilization created the ‘Chinampas’? What realm of
their society did this achievement support? How? Why is it
considered a feat of technology?
11. What was ‘Trephination’? What purpose did it serve? Which
civilization practiced it? What category of achievement does it
belong to? Explain.
12. What was a ‘Quipus’? What was it used for? How did it
work? What category of achievement does it belong to? Which
civilization used it? Explain.
13. What is the ‘Corbel Vault’? What category of achievement
does it belong to? What purpose did it serve? Which civilization
created it?
14. The Maya created hundreds of glyphs. Some were recorded
in a ‘codex’ type of book; but many more were carved in large
upright stone slabs called ‘Stele’. Why did they go through the
trouble to do all that painstaking work? Was there an end
purpose? Explain.
15. Give example of an achievement that is an example of
‘vertical economy’. Name the achievement. What category does
it belong to? Why was it used? What purpose did it serve?
What problem did it solve? What is the civilization that
practiced it?
16. How did the Inca access their 3,000 thousand miles stretch
of empire, besides gouging tunnels through steep mountains and
carving staircases into them? Explain.
17. Why was astronomy so important to the Maya people?
Explain. Give examples. Elaborate.
18. The Maya & Inca societies were based on a strictly
organized social structure (also called social pyramid of power).
Why? What was the purpose of this social ladder? Explain with
evidence.
19. Trade & Markets were important, vital features of the
economy in the Meso-Andean societies. What purpose did they
serve? How was trade conducted?
20. How did religious beliefs and practices influence daily life for
all three civilizations? What purpose did the religious ‘sacrifices’
serve? Were they necessary? Were they necessary? What was
proactive or destructive about them?
Socratic Seminar Starters:
How Affirm an Idea, Opinion or Present a Different Angle
Directions: During any Socratic seminar or discussion that we have in class, you are
expected to use academic language when you speak. In turn, you also expected to apply
good listening skills during the activity. Please utilize the following sentence frames while
you speak in order to incorporate strong academic language structures into your natural
vocabulary and deepen the level of intellectual discussion in an academic setting.
I see your point, however …
I agree with … because …
I disagree with … because …
I strongly agree …
I strongly disagree …
I must confess that …
Let’s not ignore the fact that …
The evidence suggests that …
In my opinion …
As I was saying…
If I could finish my thought…
What I was trying to say was…
As … said …
I believe that …
My idea is related to … ’s idea …
I really liked …’s idea about …
Also, …
I understand where you are coming from, but from my perspective …
That’s a valid point, but I feel ...
On the other hand, …
I do agree with the part about … but ...
To me, it seems obvious that …
I feel that …
Achievements of the Maya, Aztec and Inca – Primary Source:
https://classes.svvsd.org/pluginfile.php/135878/mod_resource/content/1/Ac
hievements%20of%20Maya%2C%20Aztec%2C%20And%20Inca%20text.
pdf