The Maya - History 1&2 - 2/4/14
Mayan civilization existed long before the birth of Jesus. In the Classic Period, from AD 250 - 900, the Maya created a remarkable civilization full of enormous architecture built entirely without metal tools. They were an incredible people, skilled in math and astronomy. Religion affected every area of their lives. It was the priests who created a complicated system of glyphs to write down their history, and these same priests who studied the stars and created an extraordinarily accurate calendar. For unknown reasons, beginning in AD 800-950 they abandoned their large cities. The surviving people moved into the jungle where they formed small villages. Then, suddenly the Maya began building cities again. By the time that the Spanish arrived, the Maya were again living in the jungles.
In class activities 2/4/14:
- Learned about the history, religion, and architecture of the Mayan people
- Built our own pyramids out of sugar cubes and glue
- Discussed the difficulty of building large structures without metal tools
- played the Mayan ball game Pok-a-tok
- Added true/false cards to our history notebooks
Optional lesson extension activities:
Assignment:
- Write one or two sentences describing the religion of the Mayan people. (Parents: feel free to use this site for more information) Don't forget to include your name and bring your paper to class next week.
- Review your timeline
