Title of the Lesson: ThinkCERCA: The Mysterious End of a Rain Forest Civilization & Aztec

Civilization Key Terms & Vocabulary

Instructor Name: Diana Noriega
Summary: Students will finish working through the six steps of the Applied Reading & Writing
lesson on ThinkCERCA.com called, The Mysterious End of a Rain Forest Civilization Students
will be writing a paragraph answering the essential question. ThinkCERCA.com. Then, students will
work on key terms & vocabulary for the Aztec civilization topic.
Grade Level: 7
Time Frame: 49 minutes
Subject: World History - The Americas- Mayas & Aztecs
Objectives: Students will:
Navigate the last two steps of the Applied Reading & Writing lesson and use the tools
within the lesson to support their application of skills
Engage in a discussion with peers about the essential question of the set
Analyze the text to find evidence to begin building a response to the essential
question
Respond to the essential question by writing a paragraph following the CERCA
(Claim, Evidence, Reason, Counterargument) format
Define key terms and vocabulary they will see when studying the Aztec civilization
Standards:
7.7- Medieval and Early Modern Times: Students compare and contrast the geographic, political,
economic, religious, and social structures of the Meso-American and Andean civilizations.

7.6.5- Describe the Meso-American achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the
development of the calendar and the Meso-American knowledge of seasonal changes to the
civilizations' agricultural systems.

Essential Questions:
How has archaeology provided clues to understand how the Maya people may have contributed to
their decline?

Materials: Computer, Notebook,ThinkCERCA.com, Google Classroom, Holt book, Key Terms &
Vocabulary PDF

Sequence of Activities:
1. Finish The Mysterious End of a Rain Forest Civilization ThinkCERCA Lesson
a. Summary: Students will summarize the article in a few sentences.
There are sentence frames provided on ThinkCERCA for students to use if needed.
(15 min)
b. Final Paragraph: Students will use the CERCA format to complete their
paragraph answering the essential question. (20 minutes)
2. Key Terms & Vocabulary: Students will use their textbooks to define the vocabulary
they will encounter when we study the Aztec civilization. (20 min).
Accommodations, Adaptations, and Differentiated Instruction:
Sentence frames in the ThinkCERCA help sections
Discussing answers first with partner before writing them down
Use a timer to keep students on track
Students read the text multiple times: aloud by me, silently, with a partner