Points
Possible
5 Mayan Quiz: All students will complete this quiz online http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/08/maya-rise-fall/maya-quiz-interactive
Mayan Civilization Super Tic-Tac-Toe http://www.coedu.usf.edu/culture/Activities/TTT_Mayan/index.htm
Watch the Mayan Creation Video http://www.mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/myths/english/2_maya_full.htm
Answer
1. What is another name for Tepeu and for Gucumatz?
2. What was the reason that Tepeu and Gucumatz tried to put beings on earth?
3. Why did the first group of men fail?
4. Why did the gods destroy the second group of men?
5. What was the next group of men made from?
6. Why did the Makers remove some of the men’s vision?
5
5
Points
Possible
20 Timeline: Students will create a Timeline of the Mayan history. Students will refer to the
History Handout for information and dates.
Travel Brochure: Students will create a travel brochure for the ruins of the ancient Mayan
Empire. Students will pick 5 ruins from the 18 choices, label where the ruin is on a Mayan
Map handout (should be included in the actual brochure) and include a brief paragraph as to why that ruin was picked and several interesting facts about each ruin. Students should include images that can be drawn or printed out. Be creative! Remember you are trying to persuade someone to visit! http://locogringo.com/research/ruins.html
Project Board: Students will create a project board with a tab for each of the following
Mayan gods: Chac, Itzamna, Yum Kaax, and Ixchel. Students will color in a picture handout (or draw their own) of each god to paste onto the inside of each flap. On the inside, students will include a brief bio, interesting facts, what they are the god of, etc. *pictures available on handout
Diary Entry: Students will write a 3-paragraph diary entry in the day of the life of a woman potter of Amatenango. Students must demonstrate knowledge of the culture and what everyday life would have been like for a woman potter during that time. http://mayadiscovery.com/pages/handicrafts/amatenango.asp
Who’s in Charge Here?: Students will complete 2 triangle graphic organizers. One for the
Mayan social structure and the other to compare it with the social structure of a school social system. On the back of the triangles, write a sentence or two about how each level is similar
/different to your modern day school social structure. *Use with Mayan Social Structure
Handout
Mayan Number System: Read about the Mayan counting system and complete a worksheet putting the method to test!
Jade : Use the link to help you organize information about jade and its importance to the mayans. http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/tictack.pdf
(organizer) http://mayadiscovery.com/pages/mayanNotes/jade.asp
(information)
Mayan Myths!: Read one of the five short mythological story about the mayan culture.
Recreate the story, but with only visuals and pictures to represent each line! http://mayadiscovery.com/pages/legends/
Mayan Calendar- What’s so Different?: Read about the Mayan Calendar. Compare and contrast the Mayan calendar with today’s modern day calendar. Include similarities and differences between the two. * or Mayan Calendar Activity
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
Points
Earned
Points
Earned

Where in the World are the Maya? : Read about the history of Mayan migration. Then, explore an interactive map of the Maya World! Your task will be to fill in your own map of the ancient Mayan world. Pick at least 5 of the major cities to label on your map. Be sure to include a brief description of each city. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/map-of-the-maya-world.html
What do I look like?: Read an informational sheet about the Mayan appearance. Draw a picture from context clues and other resources (internet, pictures, books, etc) to create you own drawing of a particular person from that social system. * Use with Mayan appearance handout.
Mysteries of the Unexplained:
You are a reporter from the Mayan Times. You recently went on a trip to a port on the Pacific
Ocean to acquire information about the new technology for baiting fish. You return to find that not a single soul remains in the once Mayan Empire! Everyone is itching for information and you are the only one who can provide it!
*Create your very own newscast to the world about your theory of what happened to the
Mayan Empire. Make sure to create a defendable case and to provide information for your reasoning’s.
Corn and the Maya:
Use the Corn Graphic Organizer provided and the following website to create you own graphic organizer highlighting main aspects and importance of corn to the Maya civilization. http://mayadiscovery.com/pages/history/corn.asp
Marriage Mayan Style:
Create your own visual/drawing of what an ancient Mayan wedding would have looked like.
Include a brief 1-2 paragraph summary of what you have included in the picture and any other important facts that you were not able to draw. http://mayadiscovery.com/pages/mayanNotes/marriage.asp
( Must choose at least 1)
Self- Portrait: Students will design a symmetrical facemask based on symbolic animal images found in the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame. http://www.ballgame.org/class_1.htm#
Take Me Out!
Visit the following website to explore and experience the ancient ballgame. Take notes on areas including the ball, the uniform, the court, and the rules of the game. You can watch and play the game here as well! http://www.ballgame.org/main.asp?section=2
Extra Websites http://www.jaguarstones.com/LinksMaya.html http://mayankids.com
http://maya.nmai.si.edu http://www.nga.gov/kids/mayakids.pdf
http://www.mesoweb.com
http://www.ballgame.org/main.asp?section=5 http://mayaruins.com/yucmap.html
http://mayas.mrdonn.org/index.html http://mayadiscovery.com
20
20
20
20
20
Points
Possible
10
10
Points
Earned