Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Maya
Seat work Students will quietly enter the room, find your seats and discuss your three sticky notes on pages 582-589 with your row group.

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Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Maya
The first people came to the Americas from what continent? Asia The Maya developed an advanced writing system using what? hieroglyphs Farming method in which trees and other plants on a plot of land are cut down and burned and ash is used for fertilizer. slash-and-burn agriculture
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Mesoamerican Civilizations Introduction

Chapter Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to Mesoamerican Civilizations. You will learn all about the cultures that developed there, as well as the way those cultures affected the environment and used their urban space. Section 1: The Maya Section 2: The Aztecs

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Lets set some Student Experts

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Key Ideas
After people in Mesoamerica learned to farm, civilizations developed in this region of tropical forest and highlands. In the Maya civilization, religion and government were closely related. The Maya developed a complex writing system and made advances in mathematics, science, and architecture.

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Key Terms
obsidiannatural volcanic glass used to make very sharp blades and heads for spears and arrows
slash-and-burn agriculturefarming method in which trees and other plants on a plot of land are cut down and burned and ash is used for fertilizer droughtlong period of extremely dry weather hieroglyphicsymbol that stands for a word, idea, or sound
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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Migration to the Americas

The first people came to the Americas from Asia.

Some people believe these people came by foot on a land bridge to Alaska.
Other people believe they came by boat and then traveled south along the American coasts. These people arrived between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago.

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

The Olmecs and the Zapotecs

Describe slash-and-burn agriculture.

Why do you think populations grew in areas

with better farming methods?

What was the capital city of the Zapotecs?

Which group may have been the first in

Mesoamerica to develop writing?

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Mesoamerican Civilizations

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Which part of modern Mexico did the Maya civilization cover? What were the names of some large Maya cities

Maya Civilization

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Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Maya
Seat work Students will quietly enter the room, find your seats and discuss your three sticky notes, on the website pages, with your row group.
Mr. Huff , the line is so quit when you are on lunchroom duty because you are the emperor of the mighty Huffistany empire.
- Paraphrased from a student

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Mesoamerican Civilizations

The Maya
What did the Maya sometimes use captured enemies for at their temples? Human Sacrifice What did the Maya prize the quetzal for? Its beautiful feathers What was the length of the calendar that the Maya used for historical dates. A 394-year calendar
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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Maya Civilization
Describe Maya farming. Why was trade important to the Maya? How might having many kings affect the Maya region? Why did the Maya practice human sacrifice?

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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

Maya Achievements
The Maya developed an advanced writing system using hieroglyphs.

The Maya developed the science of astronomy and used three different calendars.
The Maya built impressive buildings, including observatories, out of stone. Maya artistic ability was shown in the murals on the walls of some temples and palaces.
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Mesoamerican Civilizations The Maya

What distinguishes one culture from another?

Workbook page 237

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