Guidebook - the Museum of Peoples and Cultures!

Transcription

Match Me If You Can!
Explore the similarities and
differences among the artifacts
on pg. 30
Quetzalcoatl Says
Learn common Mayan words.
Find out how on pg. 39
Mayan Calendar
MESOAMERICA
Create your very own Mayan
calendar! Find out how on pg. 5
Museum of Peoples and Cultures, Brigham Young University
Culture Case Guidebook
Designed and Produced by
the Brigham Young Univerisity
Museum of Peoples and Cultures
Because several of the images in this guidebook are protected
under copyright, many pages may not be reproduced or distributed
in any form, printed or electronic.
All activity pages of the guide may be reproduced and distributed
for personal, non-commercial use under Creative Commons
licensing.
Table of Contents
“It’s Not a Box” Series ..................................... 3
User Registry . . . . . ........................................... 5
Culture Case Resources
• Using the Guidebook .............................. 6
• Activity Index ............................... 7
• In this Case ......................................... 8
• Resource Index.............................. 8
• Artifact Index ................................. 9
• Curriculum Connections .......................... 12
“At-a-Glance” Information
• Mesoamerica....................................... 16
• Olmecs.. . . .......................................... 18
• Mayans .. . ....................... . . . ................ 20
• Aztecs.. . . . . .................... . . . . . ................ 22
• Calendars and Astronomy......................... 24
• Architecture......................................... 26
• Mesoamerica Today................................ 28
Activity Ideas
• “Show-n-Tell” Activities .......................... 31
• “Discovery” Activities ............................ 37
• “Immersion” Activities............................. 49
Feedback Forms . . ............................................ back pocket
Blank
Jane Barlow
Professor Noble
Italiano 322
18 settembre 2008
Racconto Realistico
It’s Not a Box!
The Museum of Peoples and Cultures (MPC) at Brigham Young University
is committed to collecting, preserving, and caring for material objects that
document the diversity of human experiences and reflect the multi-faceted fabric
of the world’s cultures past and present, and using these collections to facilitate
teaching and research on peoples and cultures. As part of that commitment, the
MPC, through its Educator Services Program, offers resources to help educators
expand and enhance instruction of peoples and cultures.
This Culture Case is one element of that program. It has been designed
with both educators and students in mind. Cases are available for the study of:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Mesoamerica
Southwest
Great Basin
Africa (Ouelessebougou, Mali)
Ancient Greece and Rome
Ancient Egypt
Textiles
We hope that you find the case useful, and invite you to take advantage of
other services offered by The MPC, including tours and our annual Educator’s
Open House. Please visit mpc.byu.edu for more information on these and other
programs.
Enjoy!
Kari Nelson,
Curator of Education
3
User Registry
5
Using the guidebook
This diagram will help familiarize you with the layout and information codes in the “It’s Not a Box” series guidebooks.
The books are intended as idea sources, not lesson plans--and we welcome your notes and feedback so we can keep
improving them!
Preparation Level
Time Requirement
Very Little Preperation
About 15 Minutes
Some Planning
About Half an Hour
Gathering/Re-arranging
About 45 Minutes
Background Work
About an Hour
Extensive Coordination
Multiple Class Periods
Activity Type
Trying/Doing
Building/Making
Exploring/Analyzing
Integrated
The stripe across the top of each
activity page is a color code:
Yellow pages are show-n-tell activities
[generally short, overall exploration].
Green pages are discovery activities
[usually making or doing something].
Blue pages are immersion activities
[designed as an integrated, in-depth
exploration of the culture].
Here you’ll find a list of all the
materials, resources, and artifacts
you’ll need for any given activity. The
area is broken up like the crate itself,
and anything you need that’s not in
the box will be clearly indicated under
“supplementary materials.”
This area is meant to be written on!
Please leave your notes for other users,
as well as for us at the museum. What
worked? What didn’t work? How did
you adapt the activity? What other
great ideas do you have? We want to
know!
6
With every activity is a brief overview
of the standards in the Utah State
Core Curriculum that the activity
addresses. The primary focus in
development was Social Studies,
but cross curriculum standards are
represented here as well.
Activity Index...
Preparation Level
20 Questions
Build a City.
Got Corn?
Snack Time
Matchy Match
Ball Court
Corn Grows Ripe
Mayan Calendar
How Do They Relate?
Who Will Buy?
Day-in-the-Life
Quetzalcoatl Says
Ball Court
Build A City
Corn Grows Ripe
Myth Making
Myth Making
Time Requirement
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Day-In-The-Life
How Do They Relate?
Got Corn?
Snack Time
Who Will Buy?
Quetzalcoatl Says
Mayan Calendar
Activity Type
Who Will Buy?
Ball Court
20 Questions
Corn Grows Ripe
Snack Time
Got Corn?
Matchy Match
Myth Making
Quetzalcoatl Says
How Do They Relate?
Mayan Calendar
Day-In-The-Life
Build A City
7
Resource Index...
A Study of Maya Art:
Its Subject Matter & Historical
Development
An Introduction to the Study
of the Mayan Heiroglyphs
Design Motifs of
Ancient Mexico
By Herbert J. Spinden
By Sylvanus Griswold Morley
By Jorge Enciso
Includes analyses of the interrelation of
Maya art form and symbol, descriptions
of architecture, altars, stelae, ceramics,
metalwork, textiles, etc. Intended for
older readers.
A summation of Morley’s research and
introduction for students of Mayan hieroglyphs. Includes interpretations, images,
and exposition of variants and unusual
features. Intended for older readers.
A collection of pictures of ancient
Mexican motifs, reproductions of Aztec, Maya, Zapotec, Toltec, Olmec, and
Totonac designs.
Designs from
Pre-Columbian Mexico
Hands-on Culture of
Mexico and Central
America
Maya Designs
By Jorge Enciso
By Kate O’Halloran
By Wilson G. Turner
A collection of pictures and designs
found at archaeological digs as examples
of Pre-Columbian Mexican art.
A teacher’s handbook designed to introduce students to Mexican and Central
American history through hands-on activities. Includes materials lists, student
objectives, teacher background info,
assessment tips, and up-to-date listing of
related internet sites.
Carefully rendered designs from authentic Mayan pieces and hieroglyphs;
includes a brief introduction to Mayan
design, captions for each plate, identification of gods, legends, and other
information.
Prehistoric Mesoamerica
Revised Edition
See Through History:
The Aztecs
Myths of Pre-Columbian
America
By Donald A. Mackenzie
By Richard E. W. Adams
By Tim Wood
A fascinating look at the myths and
religious practices of pre-Columbian
America in their relations to daily life
and the growth of civilization. Includes
chapters on symbolism, customs, migrations, and other topics. Intended for
older readers.
Contains material from recent archaeological fieldwork. Presents a balanced
summary and overview of the region that
today covers Mexico, Guatemala, Belize,
and Honduras. Introduces Mesoamerican
studies, a brief geographic sketch of the
region, and a summary of the major details
of the civilizations. Intended for older
readers.
A children’s book describing the daily
lives, rituals, and culture of the ancient
Aztecs.
8
The Aztecs
The Codex Nuttall:
A Picture Manuscript From
Ancient Mexico
By Nicholson and Watts
Edited by Zelia Nuttall
An introduction to the history of the
Aztecs. Full of facts, illustrations, and
photographs. Includes stories and activities.
A series of full color plates from the Codex.
Includes introductory text describing the
Codex and how to read it.
The Maya
Treasure Chests:
The Ancient Aztecs
By Robert Nicholson
By Fiona MacDonald
An introduction to the history of the
Maya. Full of facts, illustrations, and photographs. Includes stories and activities.
A kit containing items to make a warrior’s headdress, a ceremonial mask,
build a replica of the Great Temple, or
play a traditional board game. Designed
to teach about legends, rituals, and
civilization of the Aztecs.
The Eagle and the
Rainbow:
Timeless Tales from México
Written by Antonio Hernándes Madrigal, Illustrated by Tomie dePaola
Contains five different tales from native México, including “The Eagle and
the Rainbow” and “The Boy Who Cried
Tears of Jade”.
Yucatan: Before and
After the Conquest
By Friar Diego de Landa, Translated by
William Gates
A full account of Maya customs, daily
activities, history, ceremonial festivals,
and many social and communal functions described by a Spaniard who
witnessed it firsthand. Intended for
older readers.
9
Artifact Index...
Musician with
Instrument
Metate
Polychrome
Vase
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Got Corn?
Ball Court
Jade Statue
Jaina Flute
Mayan Leader
Statue
Red-Brown Pot
20 Questions
Matchy Match
How do they Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Who Will Buy?
Mayan Woman
with a Blue Skirt
Gourd Rattle
20 Questions
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Who Will Buy?
Fish from
Tlatilco
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-In-the Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Who Will Buy?
Quetacoatl Says
Guatemalan
Poncho
Textile Blanket
Backstrap Loom
Obsidian Flake
Purple Sash
2o Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Who Will Buy?
Who Will Buy?
Who Will Buy?
Who Will Buy?
Who Will Buy?
Myth Making
10
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Blue and
Yellow Corn
Ground Corn
Corn Cobs
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How do they Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-In- the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Got Corn?
Got Corn?
Got Corn?
Snack Time
The Corn Grows Ripe
The Corn Grows Ripe
Pregnant woman from Tlatilco
20 Questions
Matchy Match
How Do they Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Jaguar on
Wheels
20 Questions
Match y Match
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Quetzalcoatl Says
The Corn Grows Ripe
Jewelry
Mortar and
Pestle
Parrot Mask
Aztec
Calendar
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Who WIll Buy?
Got Corn?
Who Will Buy?
Mayan Calendar
Who Will Buy?
Myth Making
Snack Time
Huipil
Myth Making
Choc Mool
Posole
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
20 Questions
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
Matchy Match
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
How Do They Relate
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Day-in-the-Life
Who Will Buy?
Who Will Buy?
Snack Time
Snack Time
Beans
Projectile Points
11
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Curriculum Connections
You can use culture case activities to
teach the Utah State Core Curriculum!
This kit contains activities that address
standards from language arts, social
studies, science, and the arts. This chart
will help you find activities that relate to
the content you need to teach for your
grade level.
LANGUAGE ARTS
K 1
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Matchy Match
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How do they
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20 Questions
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SOCIAL STUDIES
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SCIENCE
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Fine ARTS
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K 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
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Build A City
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Ball Court
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Got Corn?
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Who Will Buy?
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Quetzalcoatl Says
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Snack Time
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Corn Grows Ripe
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Myth Making
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Mayan Calendar
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Mesoamerica At-a-Glance
What is “Mesoamerica?” Mesoamerica is a term used by archaeologists and
anthropologists to describe a broad geographical area roughly centered in
modern day Central America. However, Mesoamerica wasn’t just a place: it
was the unique combination of cultural characteristics of certain peoples many
hundreds of years ago. In this guidebook, we will focus on the Olmec, Maya and
Aztec cultures, although there were also many others which helped shape this
region of the ancient Americas.
Although Mesoamerican cultures were very diverse, they all shared certain traits that made
them distinctly Mesoamerican. These defining characteristics included:
•Complex and accurate
calendars (for more, see
page 22).
•Elaborate writing systems.
Only a portion of the many
ancient writings left to us
have been deciphered
today, and archaeologists
are still hard at work to
expand their understanding
of these complex languages.
•The “ball game.” This
popular (and difficult) game
was played using hard rubber
balls on courts that have
been found throughout
Central America and as far
north as Arizona.
•Trade. Vast trade networks
ranged across Mesoamerica
and trade was a very
important aspect of daily
life. Although the goods
exchanged differed from
area to area, most cities had
central marketplaces where you could buy and sell a variety of goods. Cocoa beans were
often used for money.
•Religion and ritual. Religion dictated much of how people in ancient Mesoamerica lived
their daily lives. Important across all the Mesoamerican cultures was a notion of penance and
sacrifice. Human sacrifice was practiced in these cultures as a way to please the gods and keep
the natural balance in check.
1300 BC: Olmec
Civilization
appears
1300 BC
400 BC: Decline
of Olmec
Civilization
600 BC
AD 1-650:
Teotihuacan
Civilization
100
What’s for dinner?
Although diet varied from culture to culture, some
general Mesoamerican foods would have included
animals such as white-tailed deer, collared
peccary and tapir (wild, pig-like animals), howler
monkeys and spider monkeys. These might have
been prepared by stewing or roasting, depending
on the people and culture. Of course, corn, not
meat, was the central part of any Mesoamerican
diet. Corn (or maize), beans, squash, and peppers
were all staple crops. Ancient maize would have
been prepared by boiling it with lime (a harsh
mineral) to bring out additional nutrients, and then
grinding it by hand. This meal could then be made
into gruel, drinks, tortillas, or tamales.
Working without
Wheels
While toys and other artifacts with
working wheels on them have been found at various sites
across the region, for some reason these miniature models
were never translated into real, working wheels for daily use.
There were no carts or wagons used for transportation.
Mesoamerican’s also did not have domesticated work
animals like horses, or donkeys, which makes
their wide trade networks and large
monuments even more impressive when you
they packed their loads on their own backs!
Cultures Galore
Although we will only focus on three cultures in this guidebook, there were many diverse cultures
contemporary with the Olmec, Maya and Aztec. These cultures include the Zapotecs; the Mixtecs,
who were skilled in metal working, the Puuk; the war-like Toltec; and the mysterious Teotihuacanos,
among others. They influenced how the Olmec, Maya and Aztec thought, what they traded, and
how they lived.
AD 1502:
Height of
Aztec Empire
AD 900-1519 Post
Classical Maya
Civilization
AD 250-900:
Classic Maya
Civilization
AD
AD 500-1000:
Zapotec
Civilization
AD 900AD 1248: Azetcs
1521 Mixtec arrive in Valley
Civilization
of Mexico
800 AD
AD 1428: Aztec
Empire forms the
Triple Alliance
AD 1519: The
AD 1300-1375:
Construction of Spaniards arrive
in the Americas
Tenochitlan
15
1500 AD
The Olmecs
Home Sweet Home
The Olmec lived in what is now south-central Mexico,
approximately where the modern day states of Veracruz and
Tabasco are, from around 1200 BC to 400 BC. They lived in a
marshy area that was very fertile and grew a variety of crops.
The Olmec also fished in the marshes, and hunted small animals. The Olmec used the many
waterways in the region to transport heavy blocks of stone from distant sites to help build their cities,
monuments, and palaces. These stones could weigh up to 20 tons; archaeologists presume that a
very large workforce was needed to move them. While wealthy people would have lived near the
center of the city in stone houses, peasants would have lived on the outskirts in the forest in small
houses built from natural materials. Although the ruins today show little of their original state,
archaeologists think these buildings and monuments were once painted with bright reds, purples and
yellows. In fancier buildings,
Did you know...
the floors were decorated
Some of the most famous Olmec artifacts are carved “colossal heads.”
with colored clays.
To date, 17 of these heads have been found, some of which weigh as
much as 20 tons! The heads are carved from volcanic basalt that would
have been brought in from as far as 60-80 miles away. In one ancient
Olmec city, at a site now known as San Lorenzo, a colossal head was
discovered that not only had been dragged 80 miles, but was then
hoisted 150 feet to the top of a plateau!
Style File
The Olmec developed a very distinct style of art that allows
archaeologists to successfully identify a site as “Olmec.” In
Olmec art, human and animal forms are often mixed, and there
are many examples of hybrid human -jaguar statues and carvings.
Another common motif in art was the idea of twins, which were
considered important because they were a rarity. Many statues and
carvings did not depict adults, but instead depicted infants or children,
which were thought to have special connections to the sacred. These
“baby face” statues have easily recognizable features: pudgy faces,
almond-shaped eyes, and a fanged or snarling mouth. Much of Olmec
art was created to honor different Olmec rulers. A monument rarely lasts
forever though. When a new ruler came to power, or a ruler fell into
disfavor, his monuments might be carved over, or used to make something
completely different.
Sources and Additional Reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmec
http://facweb.stvincent.edu/Academics/ReligiousStu/writings/lavin1.htm
http://almaproject.dpsk12.org/units/pdfs/MotherCultureMexicoOlmecs.pdf
http://www.ballgame.org/ main.asp?section=1
16
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
There are very few Olmec artifacts that survive today. Most of what
we know comes from stone carvings that have been able to
withstand the test of time. In the late 1980s however, archaeologists
were able to make a lucky find at a site called El Manatí where the
Olmecs practiced different rituals and sacrifices, which included
throwing offerings into a spring. The water preserved several
unprecedented artifacts such as carved wooden “baby face”
statues, beads, a wooden staff and an obsidian knife.
Where Did they Go?
Around 400 BC the Olmec population began to drop
sharply. Archaeologists believe that Olmec rulers were
very strict and required their subjects to work hard for
them. Eventually, the lower classes may have revolted
against the harsh rule of the nobles, leading to the
disappearance of Olmec culture. Due to lack of
written records, however, archaeologists are not sure
if the Olmec revolted, or if they were destroyed
because of an invasion.
Did you know...
The Ball Game
The ball game was an important tradition throughout
Mesoamerica with origins dating back to Olmec times. The
We don’t know what the Olmec
ball game was significant both politically and religiously and
called themselves. “Olmec” is an
would be played to mark important occasions. Teams usually
Aztec word which translates,
consisted of one to seven people and players were typically
approximately, as the “people
only allowed to touch the hard rubber ball with their elbows,
from the land of rubber.”
hips and knees. This ball was not the soft rubber ball used
today on playgrounds; the balls used by these ancient
civilizations were more like today’s softballs—not that soft at all! Points
could be scored by getting the ball through a small hoop. Occasionally
the losing team would even be sacrificed, although this was not the case
for every game, as many different variations were played. The ball game
wasn’t all serious however; it was also a very popular, entertaining pastime.
The popularity of the game is indisputable: records show that at one point
the Aztecs demanded a tribute of 16,000 rubber balls a year to fuel their
sports obssession! Ball courts have been found in Central America, Mexico
and even California. Despite the game’s widespread popularity, most of
the few surviving rubber balls come from the oldest Mesoamerican
civilization, the Olmec. Related Artifacts:
Jade Statue
17
The Maya
Living Languages
Maya civilization reached its peak
between 300 and 900 AD, with its influence
spreading across parts of what are now modern Mexico, Honduras,
Belize, and Guatemala. Such far reaching influence lead to a wide
diversity of Mayan cultural practices. This diversity is continued through
many Mayan languages still spoken today. There are at least 31 living,
linguistically related languages that are considered Mayan and are
spoken throughout Central America.
Literature Lost
The ancient Maya were masters of
“low-relief” carving. This style of carving typically consists of
figures and other shapes raised slightly from the background.
Many of the carvings contain writing, which in itself was
considered an art form. To write was considered a divine
act and was so highly prized that scribes were typically
chosen from the nobility. When the Spanish conquistadores
invaded, they destroyed hundreds and hundreds of Mayan
texts. Mayan priests and others wrote poetry lamenting this
great loss but sadly only a little over 100 years later,
the written Mayan language, which had already
been on the decline, had completely died out. Today The Yucatan Peninsula was a great
archaeologists have deciphered much of the ancient source of salt, which was an
Maya language and made accessible some of the important trade item for the Maya
few remaining Mayan texts.
living there.
Did you know...
The Royal Librarian
In the royal courts, the man who was second only to the king was called ah k’uhun or “He of the
holy books.” He was essentially the Royal Librarian! However, his role involved much more than
simply re-shelving books. He calculated important calendar dates, arranged marriages, helped
with diplomacy as well as taught calligraphy and kept records of tribute.
He was an important resource of knowledge for the Mayan people.
Additional Reading:
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/mesoamerica/maya.html
http://www.civilization.ca/civil/maya/mmc12eng.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005446/Food/English/maya.html
http://www.mayanculture.com/clothing.html
http://www.digitalmeesh.com/maya/artistry.htm
18
Life in the Big City
Did you know...
The Maya are famous for a color
known as “Maya Blue:” a highly
prized, deep indigo pigment.
Maya blue has been prvoen to be
extremely resistant to weathering.
For many years, archaeologists believed that
ancient Mayan cities were just centers for ritual
or administration and were empty during
most of the year. Current thought seems to
hold instead that Mayan cities were vibrant
and alive, all year round. It is difficult to know
exactly what size Mayan cities might have
been, as they had no defining boundaries
such as city walls, and the
jungle has swallowed up
much of the evidence.
Population estimates for
bigger cities, such as Tikal
(in modern Guatemala)
range from 10,000 to 90,000
although most likely it was
somewhere around 45,000
which is large population
for any city at that time
(between AD 600-900).
Sacred Spaces
Maya culture considered
mountains sacred places and
Mayan temples are pyramid
shaped to represent these holy
places. Although Mayan
temples were very large, they were not used as gathering spaces.
Inside, there might be a few small, narrow rooms for sacred rituals, but
most rituals took place outside, near or on top of the temple. Some
important terms in ancient Maya architecture are “stela” and “altar”.
A stela is a large stone slab used as a monument or marker. These
would usually be carved with images of important figures, such as
nobility or warriors. They may also tell the history of a dynasty, or mark
important dates in a city’s history, which makes them useful to
archaeologists for understanding the past . In front of the stela, there
Related Artifacts:
Musician with Instrument
Polychrome Vase
Red-brown Pot
Jade Statue
Chac-Mool
Backstrap Loom
Huipil
Mayan woman with blue skirt
19
Counting Like a Mayan
While the ancient Maya writing
system was incredibly complex, their
numbering system is a little easier to
understand. One of the most important
things about the Mayan system was
their use of “zero.” Using the concept
of zero allowed the ancient Maya to
perform more complex mathematics
than is possible without zero as a
placeholder. A zero in Mayan is
represented by a shell symbol (or
occasionally a head). Other numbers
are represented by bars and dots. Each
dot has the value of 1, while bars have
a value of 5.
Our numbering system is known as a decimal system, that is, we use 10 as our base
and numbers increase in place value as such: 1; 10; 100; 1,000; 10,000. The Mayan
system was “vigesimal,” which meant that they used 20 as their base number. This
meant the progression of their place value numbers was slightly different: 0, 20,
400, 8,000, 160,000. Mayan numbers are written vertically with the lowest number
on the bottom. As you move up through the individual number, each dot or bar is
worth 20x as much as it was in the previous place. Thus, a bar in the second place
is worth 100 and is worth 2000 in the third place. A dot would be worth 1, then 20,
then 400. Adding all of these different values together produces the final number.
Here’s an example of how to count like
an ancient Mayan:
The lowest bar is worth 5 and the dot
is worth 1, for a total of 6. The next bar
and dot are in the second place (what
would be the10s place in our system). In
the Mayan system however, that means
that each has 20 times the value of the
first place. The bar is now equal to 5x20
which is 100. The dot is 1x5, which equals
5. Adding this together, you get a total
of 126. This numbering system was an
important part of Mayan record keeping
and mathematics.
20
Did you know...
Much of daily life for ordinary people
was focused on farming. The Maya grew
maize, beans and squash and relied on
these crops as staples of their diet. Most
of their meat came from domesticated
dogs and turkeys.
What Makes a Beautiful Mayan?
Ancient Mayan standards of beauty were quite
different from ours today. To begin with, flat
foreheads were preferred. Infants would have
their heads placed between two boards so
that they could achieve this desirable effect.
Being slightly cross-eyed was also considered
beautiful. Parents would dangle beads in front of
their children’s eyes when they were little so that
they would grow up with this alluring look. Other
beauty treatments might include filing one’s teeth
into various patters or shapes. You might even drill
a hole in your tooth and use a jade bead to fill the
gap. Mayan men and women would likely have
proudly displayed a variety of tattoos.
Did you know...
Across Mesoamerica, Mayan
artists were the only ones
known to sign their artwork.
Although there are not many
examples, archaeologists
have found the signatures of
individual artists on several
sculptures and murals.
End of an Era
The classic Maya civilization
collapsed sometime between
the 8th and 9th centuries AD. Archaeologists believe that war, over-use of natural
resources and drought all combined to cause the fall of Maya civilization. At the
time of the collapse, the Maya had many cities and were exploiting many natural
resources to sustain a huge population. This lead to degradation of the local
environment, which combined with an almost 200 year long drought, brought about
the eventual collapse of the civilization. The southern Maya kingdoms collapsed
before the north, although northern regions also experienced collapse soon after.
21
The A ztecs
Lakeside Living
Did you know...
One of the greatest achievements of the Aztec civilization
An Aztec bride would be carried on the
was the construction of the grand capitol city of
back of an older, female relative in a
Tenochtitlan, built around 1325 AD. One reason for this
procession on the way to her wedding.
city’s fame is the location—it’s built in the middle of a lake!
This lake side living gave the Aztecs many advantages.
With only 3 main causeways running into the city, it was easy to defend against invaders. The lake
was also a plentiful source of food, providing fish, salamanders, and algae to eat as well as
space for floating gardens. These advantages meant that Tenochtitlan was a popular place to
live. When the Spanish conquistadores first came to Mesoamerica, they estimated that the
population of Tenochtitlan was around 200,000 to 300,000 people. That’s almost five times larger
than London was at the time! Today, the lake has disappeared and in its place stands modern
day Mexico City, built atop the ruins of Tenochtitlan.
Amazing Aztec Architecture
Records left by the conquistadores upon seeing Tenochtitlan for the first time record the soldier’s
amazement at the lake-city. Records state that: “…some of our soldiers asked whether the
things we saw were not a dream.” The city supposedly looked like Venice with many canals and
waterways throughout the city, but with a distinctly Mesoamerican flavor. The Aztecs developed
a special type of architecture in order to live in such a wet environment. First they would build
floating rafts of reeds which were then smeared with mud and clay and finally anchored into
place. After enough work, these rafts were stable enough that you could build a two-storey
house on top of them! Poor people had reed houses that were plastered with mud
while the middle class had adobe houses. The rich were able to afford houses
built of stone with large inner courtyards. The Aztec capitol also had a huge
marketplace that had over 60,000 vendors and visitors every day. In this part of
the city you could find everything from turquoise, feathers, and tobacco to gold,
jade and slaves.
Divine Reward
Much of Aztec life centered on the idea of warfare. Bringing
back captives for sacrifice was the most glorious thing a
warrior could do. It was also considered an honor to
die on the field of battle. Warriors believed that when
they died this way, they would be rewarded by
being turned into hummingbirds and live with the
celestial sun god. Interestingly, women who died in
child birth were also allowed to go to this heaven
instead of the Land of the Dead, because
childbirth was considered its own kind of battle.
22
Sources and Additional Reading:
http://www.aztec-history.net
http://www.aztec-indians.com
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/
http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodmaya.html
http://www.matrixbookstore.biz/montezuma.htm
http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/rare/aztec/Drunk.htm
Did you know...
The Aztec spoke a language called
Nahuatl. The descendents of the Aztec still
speak this language today in certain
areas of Mexico. In fact, you may even
speak some Nahuatl. Words like coyote,
tomato, chocolate, and tamale all come
from this ancient language!
Delcious Delicacies
The Aztecs, like the Maya and Olmec, ate a lot of
maize, squash and beans. However, because of
their special location on the lake, they were able
to add variety to their diet. One popular delicacy
was stewed salamander with chiles. Other dishes
included tadpoles prepared in a variety of ways,
and prepared algae scooped from the lake.
They also ate a lot of bugs! Only the wealthy
would have eaten meat, which was less readily
available.
An Aztec Education
One of the few native books that survived the Spanish conquest is
the Codex Mendoza. This ancient manuscript includes detailed
pages on how Aztec children were raised. The Aztec education
system was well-structured. Boys and girls would be educated at
home until they were 15 years old, working in the fields or learning
to weave. From 15-20 both boys and girls could attend a more
formal school. Religious schools were usually attended by
wealthier students, or nobility. There you would learn the history of
the Aztec empire and important skills like reading and writing.
Other students might attend a military academy where the girls
would learn songs and dances while the boys would be trained
in the military arts.
Related Artifacts:
Aztec Calendar
23
Ritual
Two Calendars are Better than One
While each culture had different religious beliefs, their sacred ceremonies, festivals, and rituals were all
governed by an elaborate calendar system. For example, what day you should marry, plant your crops,
or begin a new business venture might be determined by the most favorable day on the calendar.
Mesoamerican’s relied on two main calendars:
one that was 260 days long and another that had
365 days. The 260-day calendar was used for
rituals, fortune telling, and determining other
religious festivals. The 365 day calendar was
known as the “Haab” calendar. It was more
secular, and was divided into 18 months of 20
days each. One term that comes up frequently
when talking about Mesoamerica is the
“Calendar Round.” The Calendar Round is a term
used to describe a period of 52 years. Only once
every 52 years the dates from the 260 day and
the 365 calendars would align in precisely the
same way, creating the “Calendar Round” cycle.
Circle of Creation
Another important calendar term is the “Long Count,” a period of time
that contains many “Calendar Round” cycles. Having the “Long Count”
helped the Aztecs with calendar continuity. The “Long Count” consists
of 13 “baktun.” One “baktun” is 144,000 days long. The day the Long
Count begins corresponds to 13 August, 3114 BC on our calendar. The
last day of the Long Count is on December 21, 2012, leading to various
predictions that this day is end of the world although it is merely the beginning of a new Long Count
cycle. What exactly does “the end of the world” mean though? It means something quite different to
us than it meant to the Maya and Aztec. While we view time as a linear progression, with a distinct
beginning and end, these cultures believed in a cyclical view of history, where the world has been
created and destroyed many times and will continue to be re-created and re-destroyed. For
instance, according to the Maya, the last creation prior to our own ended in floods, while the Aztecs
believe that we live in the fifth age, which is predicted to end in earthquakes. So, to say that the end
of the world is coming on December 21, 2012 doesn’t mean that the world is literally going to be
destroyed. After each “end” there will always be a new beginning. The “end” of the world isn’t
something to be feared, but instead just part of life. Indeed, the entire Maya religion is focused
around the concept of creation and rebirth, in which there is no life without death.
Nothing Comes from Nothing
Of course, the different Mesoamerican cultures were well aware that the 18 months of 20 days each
on the Haab calendar only adds up to 360, instead of 365. To fix this, they added 5 to the end of each
year. These days were known as the “nothing” days and during this period of time all normal activities
were suspended. In the Aztec culture, people did not go to market, tend their fields or light fires in their
houses. People would fast, and they might even stop talking! The Aztecs believed that any child born
during those days would be no good.
24
There Will Be Blood
Additional Reading:
http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecalendar.html
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/travel/dpalfrey/dpaztec.html
http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/CIVAMRCA/MAYAS.HTM
http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw13olmecmaya.htm
http://www.webexhibits.org/calendars/calendar-mayan.html
Blood was an important aspect in
ritual for the Olmec, Aztec and the
Maya cultures. Blood was a symbol of
power and ritual bloodletting as a
part of penance was a prominent feature of both the Aztec
and Maya societies. Bloodletting consists of draining blood
from a vein. Usually bloodletting would mark significant
calendar dates or would be part of atonement for
wrongdoing. Blood was drawn from the tongue or other
body parts using special thorns and other instruments.
Ritual and Sacrifice
A chacmool was intimately related to
the practice of human sacrifice. The
chacmool was where the human
heart would be placed after its
removal by the priests.
Human sacrifice was practiced by the Olmec, Maya and
Aztec as an integral part of their religious structure. For
example, the Olmec would often sacrifice infants in an
effort to ensure rain for their crops. In Chichen Itza, one of
the largest and most important Maya sites, there is a “Well
of Sacrifice” or “Sacred Cenote” in which sacrificial victims
and other objects such as precious gold or jade would be
thrown to the rain deity. In all three cultures, prisoners of war
would be sacrificed, although this practice is best known
among the Aztecs. In the very center of Tenochtitlan, stood
two twin temples where sacrifices were regularly
performed. One particular practice the Aztecs had was to
choose one captive a year who would represent a specific
deity. This prisoner would be pampered, fed well, and enjoy
all the riches the Aztec kingdom had to offer until the end of
the year, at which point he would be sacrificed.
King of the Jungle
Jaguars and jaguar imagery were incredibly important throughout
Mesoamerica. The Jaguar was celebrated as particularly strong
and ferocious and was associated with warriors and royalty. Thrones
were carved to look like jaguars, and kings would wear jaguar pelts.
Jaguars would also be captured and sacrificed at important
ceremonies or rituals, like a king’s funeral. Other animals were also a
part of ritual. For example, while the Olmec certainly revered
jaguars, archaeologists have found evidence of worship of other
animal-like deities such as sharks, eagles and cayman (a type of
Related Artifacts:
Aztec Calendar
25
Conquest and the Area Today
The Final Days
The end of Mesoamerica, in many ways, came about in 1519,
when a scout came to the capitol of Tenochtitlan and reported
seeing “moving mountains” off the coast. These “mountains”
were in fact ships used by Cortés and his Spanish troops to reach
Central America. Once they arrived, it was only a matter of
months before they entered Tenochtitlan itself, and overthrew
the great Aztec empire. They also conquered the Maya,
although some isolated Maya groups held out for over a
hundred years.
Despite the fact that the Aztecs
vastly outnumbered the Spanish
invaders (the population of the
Aztec empire was somewhere
around 11 million, while Cortés
had 400 men) the Aztec empire
fell very quickly. But why? To
begin with, the Aztecs saw war
as a sacred duel. In fact, they
had even been known to send
weapons into villages they were
about to attack so that it would
be a fair fight. The Spaniard’s
more advanced technology
gave them an advantage on
the battlefield.
Cortés also enlisted enemies of the Aztecs to
fight with him. The Aztecs had conquered
many tribes and afterward demanded a lot
of tribute from them, making the conquered
peoples resentful of the Aztec rule. Many
tribes were excited to fight the Aztecs.
÷mportantly, the Spaniards also brought
something with them that the natives had no
defenses against. Cortés and his men brought
smallpox, influenza, measles, deadly diseases
that killed 90% of the native population within
100 years of the Spaniard’s arrival.
26
Alive and Well
Although ancient Maya society collapsed around the 8th or 9th
century AD, as of 2005, there are still 7 ½ million Maya people
living in Central America. After the reforms put in place by the
Spanish it has taken many years for indigenous peoples to
achieve recognition as contributing citizens of modern day
Central America. Recent activism has affected many of the
countries in Central and South America as native populations
like the Maya make their voice heard today.
Links to the Past
One important connection that Mexico has
with ancient Mesoamerica is its flag. Legend
states that the gods told the Aztec people
that they were to found their nation where
they saw an eagle perched on a cactus,
devouring a snake. After wandering for a
long time, they found the sign on a small
island in the middle of a lake and started
their nation. Modern day Mexico city is
built atop this site, and the emblem of the
eagle eating the snake on the cactus is
featured prominently on the Mexican flag
today.
27
Show-n-Tell Activities
PREP:
Minimal
Prep.
TIME: 1530
minutes
TYPE:
Explore/
Analyze
20 Questions
Overview:
These ideas offer a variety of ways for students and
teachers to explore the similarities and differences
among the artifacts in the kit.
Alternatives:
• Have the students either sit in a circle or at their
desks with paper and writing utensils. Hold up an
artifact and using the information on the “Instant
Expert” card ask the students questions about the
artifact such as: “What culture does this come
from?” “What material is this made of?” “What
was this used for?” etc. Have the students write
down their answers. Call on several to share their
hypotheses and reasoning, if desired. Explain the
answer and move on to the next artifact.
• With the students sitting in a close circle, hold
up an artifact, again with no explanation. Call
on students to ask yes or no questions in order
to come up with a description of the artifact, its
makeup, use and significance. You might assign
someone to record what is learned after each
question. Compare the summary the students
come up with to the information provided on the
card.
• Pass out an artifact to each student, along with
the accompanying “Instant Expert” card. Allow
them a few minutes to familiarize themselves with
their artifact. Collect the cards, shuffle them, and
choose one secretly. Have all the students stand
with their artifacts and play an elimination game
[played like the board game “Guess Who?”]
Choose one student to be “it” and have them ask
questions [“is this artifact made of obsidian?”] If
the answer is yes, those students whose artifact is
not made of obsidian sit down, and so on until the
student guesses the artifact on the chosen card
correctly.
Kit Materials:
Instructor Resources
• Artifact “instant expert” cards
Classroom Transformation
• None
Artifacts
• All
Curriculum Connections:
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 (Oral Language): Students
develop language for the purpose of
effectively communicating through listening,
speaking, viewing and presenting.
Social Studies
Grade 1-2
Standard 2 Objective 3a: Describe traditions,
music, dances, artwork, poems, rhymes, and
stories that distinguish cultures.
Standard 3: Students trace the development
and emergence of culture in indigenous
communities.
Standard 1 Objective 3: Analyze ways cultures
use, maintain, and reserve the physical
environment.
Standard 4: Objective 1a: Explain the
contributions of American Indians to the
success of colonization.
Standard 1: Students identify the sequence
of events that led to the establishment of
ancient civilizations.
Science
Grade 3-6
Use Science Process and Thinking Skills: Observe
simple objects and patterns and report their
observations; Make simple predictions and
inferences based upon observations; Compare
things and events.
Manifest Scientific Attitudes and Interests:
Pose questions about objects, events, and
processes.
Fine Arts
Grade 3-6
Standard 2 Objective 1: Determine how artists
create dominance in their work; e.g., size,
repetition and contrast.
Standard 4 Objective 2b: Describe the impact
of significant works of art in the time and place
they were created.
Standard 1 (Making): Objective 2: Handle art
materials in a safe and responsible manner.
29
PREP:
Minimal
Prep.
TIME: 2040
minutes
TYPE:
Explore/
Analyze
Matchy Match
Kit Materials:
Instuctor Resources:
Classroom Transformation:
• None
Artifacts:
• All
Social Studies
Grade 1-2
Standard 2 Objective 3a : Describe
traditions, music, dances, artwork,
poems, rhymes, and stories that
distinguish cultures.
Standard 5 Objective 1b: Listen to and
consider the opinions of others.
Science
Grade 3-6
Use Science Process and Thinking Skills:
Observe simple objects and patterns
and report their observations; Make
simple predictions and inferences based
upon observations; Compare things and
events.
Pose questions about objects, events and
processes
Fine Arts
Grade 3-5
Standard 2 (Acting) Objective 4: Develop
cooperation and patience when working
with others in classroom dramatizations.
Standard 3 (Expressing) Objective 2a:
Predict aesthetic value in significant
works of art; e.g., historical importance,
communication of ideas or feelings, use
of realism, monetary value.
Standard 1 (Making) Objective 1b:
Observe objects in detail and portray
them with greater accuracy in works of
art.
30
:
These ideas offer a variety of ways for students and
teachers to explore the similarities and differences among
the artifacts in the kit.
Alternatives:
• Distribute the “instant expert” cards to students.
Instruct them to study only the front side, without the
photo. (You could also tape the cards face up to
students’ desks.) Bring the artifacts out of the kit one
by one and let any student who thinks the artifact
matches the one on their card present their argument.
If more than one student thinks they have a match,
have the class vote. Hand the artifact to the student
to study and handle. Once all the artifacts have been
distributed, the students may turn over their cards and
see if they were right. Redistribute artifacts if necessary.
Each student should then presents his or her artifact to
the class.
• Distribute the artifacts to students or pairs of students.
Give them several minutes to study their artifacts,
possibly writing down their observations and/or
hypotheses. Have the students choose their artifact
card from the stack and compare their observations
with the information there. As a class, make a list of
several characteristics you think might be common or
unique among the artifacts. Go through the list, ask
the students to stand if their artifact meets the criterion,
and graph the results.
• Have the students sit in a circle or at their desks with
several sheets of blank paper and drawing utensils.
Conceal an artifact (in a box, under a cloth, behind
a screen, etc) and give the students clues from the
“instant expert” card as to the artifact’s make-up, use,
significance etc. Ask them to draw what they think it
would look like. Have the students post their drawings,
uncover the artifact, and talk about the similarities and
differences between the artifact and the drawings.
PREP:
Minimal
Prep.
TIME: 2040
minutes
TYPE:
Explore/
Analyze
How Do They Relate?
Overview:
This activity will reinforce and test students’ comprehension of the artifacts in the kit by challenging them to
draw connections between objects.
Alternatives:
Divide the students into small groups and give each
group several related artifacts. Have each group
draw connections between the artifacts. Then ask
the students to share these connections through a
presentation or story.
Lay out each artifact and distribute one “Instant Ex
pert” card to each student. After the student has
read their card, have them examine the various
objects and draw as many connections to the other
objects as they can. When everyone is finished, cre
ate a diagram of hte objects on the board nad have
each student draw his/her connections between the
artifacts. Have the student explain their connections
to the rest ofthe class.
Have the students imagine they are on an archeo
logical dig adn that they have come upon several
artifacts. Divide the class into groups and have them
examine the objects and come up with ideas as to
why the artifacts may have been found in the same area. Have the groups compare their ideas and find similarities and differences.
Kit Materials:
Instuctor Resources:
• None
Artifacts:
• All
Social Studes
Grade 1-2
Standard 2 Objective 3a : Describe
traditions, music, dances, artwork, poems,
rhymes, and stories that distinguish
cultures.
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify the aesthetic expressions of the community; e.g.,
art, music, dance, drama.
Grade 6
Standard 1 Objective 4: Analyze how the
earliest civilizations created thecnologies
and systems to meet community and
personal needs.
Science
Grade 1
Standard 1 Objective 1: Examine the scientific processes of studying cultures over
time.
Grade 3-6
Use Science Process and Thinking Skills:
Observe simple objects and patterns
and report their observations; Make
simple predictions and inferences based
upon observations; Compare things and
events.
Pose questions about objects, events and
processes
Fine Arts
Grade 3-5
Standard 3(Expressing) Objective 1:
Explore possible content and purposes in
significant works of art.
Standard 1 (Making) Objective 2: Handle
art materials in a safe and responsible
manner.
Standard 1 (Making) Objective 1b: Observe objects in detail and portray them
with greater accuracy in works of art.
Standard 4 (Contextualizing) Objective 2:
Connect various kinds of art with particular cultures, times, or places.
31
PREP:
Minimal
Prep.
TIME: 1530
minutes
TYPE:
Explore/
Analyze
Day-In-The-Life
Kit Materials:
Instructor Resources:
• None
Artifacts:
• All
Language Arts
Grade 3-6
Standard 1 Objective 2: Develop language through
viewing media and presenting.
Standard 5 Objective 2:Read grade level text in
meaningful phrases using intonation, expression, and
punctuation cues.
Standard 6 Objective 1: Learn new words through
listening and reading widely. Use new vocabulary
learned by listening, reading, and discussing a variety
of genres.
Standard 7 Objective 3: Recognize and use features
of narrative and informational text. Locate facts from
a variety of informational texts (e.g. newspapers,
magazines, books, other resources).
Standard 8 Objective 6: Write in different forms and
genres. Produce traditional and imaginative stories,
narrative and formula poetry.
Social Studies
Grade 1-2
Standard 2 Objective 3a: Describe traditions, music,
dances, artwork, poems, rhymes, and stories that
distinguish cultures.
Standard 3 Objective 1: Describe the various factors
that draw communities together.
Standard 1 Objective 4a: Identify innovations in
manmade structures over time and their influence
on meeting needs.
Fine Arts
Grade 3-5
Standard 1 (Making) Objective 2: Handle art materials
in a safe and responsible manner.
Standard 1 (Playmaking): Objective 1: Collaborate
to select interrelated characters, environments, and
situations for classroom dramatizations.
Standard 2 (Acting) Objective 4: Develop cooperation
and patience when working with others in classroom
dramatizations.
Standard 3(Expressing) Objective 1: Explore possible
content and purposes in significant works of art.
Standard 4 (Contextualizing) Objective 2: Connect
various kinds of art with particular cultures, times, or
places.
32
34
Overview:
These ideas offer a variety of ways for students
and teachers to explore the similarities and
differences among the artifacts in the kit.
Alternatives:
• Lay out the artifacts, with their
accompanying “instant expert” classifying
cards and allow students to study them.
Have the students write a description of
what their day would have been like as
a child in the Mayan, Olmec or Aztec
cultures, incorporating as many of the
artifacts as they can.
• Line up desks, make divisions on the
chalkboard, or make delineations some
other way to indicate different times of
day [morning, afternoon, night] or different
daily activities [eating, sleeping, working,
etc.] and have the students sort the
artifacts into each category.
• Choose artifacts that represent common
activities [eating or preparing food,
working, making art, celebrating, caring
for children, protecting families etc.] and
have the students write or discuss what
they can infer about the culture based
on the artifact. [ie: a short, sharp wooden
spear might indicate that they lived in a
dangerous area and needed to protect
themselves, that combat or hunting was
often done at close range since the spear
is stabbing length rather than throwing
length, that metal was not a common
resource or that meat may have been
part of their diet.]
Notes:
33
35
Discovery Activities
PREP:
Gathering
Materials
TIME:
45 to 60
minutes
TYPE:
Exploring/
Analyzing
Build A City
Overview:
This activity will introduce students to different
types of Aztec cities and architecture.
Students will have the opportunity to
build their own cities.
Discussion:
Discuss geographical features of the
Mesoamerican region and how the people
adapted to their environment. Talk about
settlement patterns and how people would
migrate from one region to another.
Activity:
• Have the students look at maps of what
archaeologists thought the ancient Aztec
cities, such as Tenochtitlan would have
looked like. Discuss what structures the
cities and buildings would have had and
talk about what kinds of designs and styles
they could include in their own cities.
• Split students into groups and have them
brainstorm about what kinds of buildings
they want their cities to have.
• Provide materials for the students to
construct their own ancient Aztec city.
• When each group has completed their city,
have them share with the class.
Alternatives:
Students can each choose to create elements
of a typical Mesoamerican city, such as a
typical home, temple, open market, or ball
court. For a more simple project, students can
draw out their cities on poster board and
label their buildings.
Kit Materials:
maps/city plans
Supplemental Materials:
•
•
•
Cardboard
Popsicle sticks
Tape and Glue
•
•
•
Tagboard/Cardstock
Decorations
Scisscors
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1, Objective 2: Develop language by
viewing media and presenting.
Social Studies
Grade K-2
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills to
communicate ideas, information, and feelings.
Grade 2
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Identify benefits of
cooperation and sharing
Grade 1
Standard 2 Objective 2a: Practice democratic
processes (e.g., follow family and classroom rules,
take turns, listen to others, share ideas).
Standard 5 Objective 1b: Listen to and consider
the opinions of others.
Standard 4 Objective 1: Demonstrate cultural
understanding.
Science
Kindergarden
Standard 3 Objective 1e: Describe how people
change their behavior as the seasons change.
Grade 3-8
Standard 2 Objective 3: Examine Earth’s diversity of
life as it changes over time.
Standard 5 Objective 1c: Provide examples of how
sunlight affects people and animals by providing
heat and light.
Standard 2 Objective 1c: Explain the relationship
between time and specific geological changes.
Fine Arts
Grade 3-6
Standard 4 (Contextualizing) Objective 2: Connect
various kinds of art with particular cultures, times, or
places.
35
PREP:
Preparing
Materials
TIME:
30 -45
minutes
TYPE:
Building/
Making
Ball Court
Kit Materials:
Overview:
• None
• None
Artifacts:
*
Polychrome Vase
•
•
•
Plastic cups
Popsicle sticks
Tape and Glue
•
•
•
Tagboard/Cardstock
Decorations
Scisscors
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 Objective 1: Develop language through listening
and speaking. B. Listen and demonstrate understanding by
responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step directions, restate, clarify, question).
Standard 8 Objective 6: Write in different forms and genres.
D/F Share illustrations and writing with others.
Social Studies
Grade K-4
Standard 1 Objective 3: Use skills to communicate ideas,
information, and feelings.
Standard 2 Objective 1: Evaluate key factors that determine
how a community develops.
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify the aesthetic expressions
of the community; e.g., art, music, dance, drama.
Standard 1 Objective 2a: Explore the importance of religion
in the cultural expression of ancient civilizations.
Science
Grade K-2
Standard 2 Objective 2: Examine important aspects of the
community and culture that strengthen relationships.
Standard 1 Objective 2d: Identify components of physical
fitness ( i.e., strength, endurance, flexibility) and corresponding activities.
Fine Arts
Grade K-5
Standard 2 Objective 3a: Describe traditions, music, dances,
artwork, rhymes, and stories.
Standard 2 Objective 3c: Create and perform/exhibit
dances, visual art, music, and stories from various cultures.
Standard 3 Objective 1: Explore possible content/purposes
in significant works of art.
Standard 3 Objective 2: Discuss, evaluate, and choose
symbols, ideas, subject matter. meanings, and purposes for
their own artworks.
36
This activity will introduce students to
athletics in Mesoamerica and how
the ball court ties into many of the
recreational and ritual institutions of
these ancient cultures.
Discussion:
Discuss the role of the ball game
both as a sport played for recreation
as well as a sacred ritual for sacrifices
to the Gods.
Activity:
• Have the students look at the
artifacts depicting the sport, such
as the polychrome cylindrical
vase, and discuss how important
this sport was to the Mesoamerican people.
• Split students into groups and have
them plan out their ball court
structure.
• Provide materials for the groups to
construct their ball courts.
• When each group has completed
their court, have them share with
the class.
Alternative:
For a more simple project, students
can chose to draw out their ball
court on poster board and draw
ancient Mesoamericans participat
ing in the sport.
PREP:
Gathering
Materials
TIME:
45 to 60
minutes
TYPE:
Building/
Making
Got Corn?
Overview:
This activity will help the students learn
about how important corn was to the
Mesoamerican culture and its many
practical uses.
Discussion:
Discuss the many different ways corn
was used in Mesoamerican life. Students may learn how ancient peoples
prepared the corn, starting with planting all the way to the harvest and
subsequent storage and consumption.
Show the students the manos and
metate and show how they were used
to grind the corn kernels.
Activity:
• Have the students decide what
corn product they would like to
prepare. (corn bread, tortillas,
Jonnycakes, something utilizing
corn flour or cornmeal.)
• Have each student help in the
preparation of the food, or separate
students into supervised groups.
• Prepare/cook the food and enjoy
the delicious taste of maize.
• Afterward, discuss with the students
what made corn a good staple
crop.
• Alternative:
Have the students each take a turn
grinding the corn using the manos and
metate.
Kit Materials:
•
Artifacts
• Metate
• blue and yellow corn • ancient corn cobs
*
*
ground blue corn
Mortar and Pestle
•
•
Cornmeal
Corn flour
•
•
fryingpan, oven
cooking supplies
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 (Oral Language) Objective 1: Develop language
through listening and speaking. B. Listen and demonstrate
understanding by responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step directions, restate, clarify, question).
Social Studies
Grade K-2
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills to communicate
ideas, information, and feelings.
Grade 3
Standard 1 Objective 2c: Describe how communities have
modified the environment to accomodate their needs.
Standard 1 Objective 3: Analyze ways cultures use, maintain,
and preserve the physical environment.
Science
Grade 2
Standard 3 Objective 3c: Identify how the properties of rocks
determine how people use them.
Grade 4-8
Standard 3 (Basic properties of rocks) Objective 1: Identify basic
properties of minerals and rocks.
Standard 4 Objective 2: Explain how fossils make inferences
about past life, climate, geology and environments.
Standard 1 Objective 2: Observe and evaluate evidence of
chemical and physical change.
Fine Arts
Grade K-2
Standard 2 Objective 3c: Create and perform/exhibit dances,
visual art, cuisine, music, and dramatic stories from various
cultures.
37
PREP:
Sorting
Materials
TIME:
45 to 60
minutes
TYPE:
Trying/
Doing
Who Will Buy?
Overview:
Kit Materials:
•
Artifacts:
•
Jaina Flute
•
Multicolored blanket
•
Red-brown pot
•
Gourd Rattle
•
Posole
•
Jewelry
•
Obsidian Flake
*
*
*
*
*
*
Parrot Mask
Purple Sash
Huipil
Guatemalan poncho
Beans
Projectile Points
•
•
•
•
Posterboard
construction paper
crayons
markers
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 Objective 1: Develop language
through listening and speaking. B. Listen and
demonstrate understanding by responding
appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step directions, restate, clarify, question).
Standard 1 Objective 1c: Speak clearly and
audibly with expression in communicating
ideas.
Social Studies
Grade 3
Standard 1 Objective 1: Determine the relationships between human settlement and geography.
Standard 2 Objective 1: Evaluate key factors
that determine how a community develops. A.
Identify the elements of cluture (e.g. language,
religion, customs, artistic experession, systems of
exchange).
Grade 6
Standard 1Objective 4d: Compare social
classes, vocations, and gender roles within
ancient civilizations.
Science
Grade K-2
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills
to communicate ideas, information, and
feelings.
Standard 2 Objective 2c: Relate goods and
services to resources within a community.
Standard 2 Objective 3: Express relationships in
a variety of ways.
Fine Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Recognize how
themes help interrelate characters, environments and situations.
Standard 1 Objective 1a: Plan and pantomime
interrelated characters in a classroom dramatization.
38
40
This activity will introduce the different types of
tools, foods and everyday items that the people
in the Mesoamerican region had to purchase or
to make themselves.
Discussion:
Discuss how markets were important in the Mesoamerican region and how they provided food
and resources for the citizens. Discuss how it was
important to sell your product for a good price,
or make an economical purchase for any item
you needed.
Activity:
• Give each student an artifact (or split the
students into groups if you have fewer artifacts)
and make sure they know the uses and purpose of the artifact.
• Provide the students with poster paper and
drawing supplies and have them advertise
their product as if it would appear in an advertisement in the Mesoamerican region.
• Have each student (or group of students)
present their artifact to the class and try to get
the students to ‘buy’ their product, explaining
why it is so useful or special.
Alternatives:
Give two different students two different artifacts
and have one want to ‘trade’ with the other. The
first student should try barter with the other stu
dent by telling him/her about his/her artifact and
advertising it verbally.
Quetzalcoatl
Says
Overview:
Students learn and practice basic Mesoamerican vocabulary
through a Simon Says- like game. As they participate, the
students also learn the Mayan creation story.
Preparation:
The teacher should familiarize him/herself and the class with
the Mayan Creation Story (see following page).
Hide the Jaguar figurine somewhere in the room.
Description:
The objective of this activity is to be the first team or person to
obtain the jaguar. The rules are as follows: The students start
at a designated spot in the room, determined by the teacher.
A student or a team progresses towards the jaguar by answering a question about the creation myth preceded by the
words “Quetzalcoatl says”. If a student answer a question with
“Quetzalcoatl says” and the answer is correct, they may
proceed one step. If the student tries to answer a questions
without first saying “Quetzalcoatl says”, they must go back to
the starting point. The first student or team to the Jaguar/
figurine wins.
See the creation story for examples of questions to ask.
Conclusion:
The teacher leads a discussion about how the English lan
guage uses words from many cultures around the world. How
have these cultures influenced our language?
Alternatives:
The students can play a jeopardy game where the answers to
the question are in Mayan (or Spanish).
Students can research if there are any English words that come
from Mayan/Spanish origin.
PREP:
Materials
Gathering
TIME:
45 to 60
minutes
TYPE:
Building/
Making
Kit Materials:
• None
Classroom Transformation
• None
Artifacts:
• Mayan Leader Statue
• Jaguar figurine on wheels
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 Objective 1: Develop language
through listening and speaking. B. Listen and
demonstrate understanding by responding
appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step
directions, restate, clarify, question).
Social Studies
Grade 3-4
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Describe how
stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations
serve as expressions of culture.
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify the
aesthetic expressions of the community; e.g.,
art, music, dance, drama.
Grade 6
Standard 1 Objective 2a: Explore the
importance of religion in the cultural
expression of ancient civilizations (customs,
artistic expression, creation stories,
architecture of sacred spaces).
Science
Grade K-2
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills
to communicate ideas, information, and
feelings. a. Recognize and express feelings in
a variety of ways (e.g., draw, paint, tell
stories, dance, sing).
Standard 2 Objective 3: Express relationships
in a variety of ways. a. Describe traditions,
music, dances, artwork, poems, rhymes, and
stories that distinguish cultures.
Fine Arts
Grade 3-6
Standard 4 (Contextualizing) Objective 2:
Connect various kinds of art with particular
cultures, times, or places.
Note: Mesoamerican mythology’s most notable document is
the Popul Vuh from Maya mythology, which details
the Creation story of this ancient and complex civilization.
39
Mayan Creation Story:
Popol Vuh
They do not praise Heart-of-Sky
And so the animals are humbled.
They will serve those who will worship Heart-of-Sky.
Here is the story of the beginning,
And Heart-of-Sky tries again.
when there was not one bird,
Tries to make a giver of respect.
not one fish,
Tries to make a giver of praise.
not one mountain.
Here is the new creation,
Here is the sky, all alone.
made of mud and earth.
Here is the sea, all alone.
It doesn’t look very good.
There is nothing more
It keeps crumbing and softening.
–no sound, no movement.
It looks lopsided and twisted.
Only the sky and the sea.
It only speaks nonsense.
Only Heart-of-Sky, alone.
It cannot multiply.
And these are his names:
So Heart-of-Sky lets it dissolved away.
Maker and Modeler, Kukulkan, and Hurricane.
Now Heart-of-Sky plans again.
But there is no one to speak his names.
Our Grandfather and Our Grandmother are
There is no one to praise his glory.
summoned.
There is no one to nurture his greatness.
They are the most wise spirits.
And so Heart-of-Sky thinks,
“Determine if we should carve people from wood,”
“Who is there to speak my name?
commands Heart-of-Sky.
Who is there to praise me?
They run their hands over the kernels of corn.
How shall I make it dawn?”
They run their hands over the coral seeds.
Heart-of-Sky only says the word,
“What can we make that will speak and pray?
“Earth,” and the earth rises,
asks Our Grandfather.
like a mist from the sea.
What can we make that will nurture and provide?”
He only thinks of it, and there it is.
asks Our Grandmother.
He thinks of mountains,
They count the days, the lots of four,
and great mountains come.
seeking an answer for Heart-of-Sky.
He thinks of trees,
Now they give the answer,
and trees grow on the land.
“It is good to make your people with wood.
And so Heart-of-Sky says,
They will speak your name.
“Our work is going well.”
They will walk about and multiply.”
Now Heart-of-Sky plans the creatures of the forest “So it is,” replies Heart-of-Sky.
-birds, deer, jaguars and snakes.
And as the words are spoken, it is done.
And each is given his home.
The doll-people are made with faces carved from
“You the deer, sleep here along the rivers.
wood.
You the birds, your nests are in the trees.
But they have no blood, no sweat.
Multiply and scatter,” he tells them.
They have nothing in their minds.
Then Heart-of-Sky says to the animals,
They have no respect for Heart-of-Sky.
“Speak, pray to us.”
They are just walking about,
But the creatures can only squawk.
But they accomplish nothing.
The creatures only howl.
“This is not what I had in mind,” says Heart-of-Sky.
They do not speak like humans.
And so it is decided to destroy these wooden people.
40
Quetzalcoatl Says continued...
Hurricane makes a great rain.
It rains all day and rains all night.
There is a terrible flood and the earth is blackened.
The creatures of the forest
come into the homes of the doll-people.
“You have chased us from our homes
so now we will take yours,” they growl.
And their dogs and turkeys cry out,
“You have abused us so now we shall eat you!”
Even their pots and grinding stones speak,
“We will burn you and pound on you
just as you have done to us!”
The wooden people scatter into the forest.
Their faces are crushed,
and they are turned into monkeys.
And this is why monkeys look like humans.
They are what is left of what came before,
an experiment in human design.
(This is only an edited exerpt of the Popol Vuh, for
the complete story go to: http://www.jaguar-sun.
com/popolvuh.html)
41
PREP:
Materials
Gathering
TIME:
about 30
minutes
TYPE:
Trying/
Doing
Discovery
Activities
Show-n-Tell
Activities
Snack Time
Kit Materials:
•
Artifacts:
• Blue and Yelloe corn
• Posole
• Beans
• Mortar and Pestle
Overview:
This activity will introduce students to the different
foods of Mesoamerica. Students will learn how to
prepare some of Mesoamerican’s most popular
dishes.
Baked Bananas:
The yellow bananas we eat today are a cross between the
green and the red banana tree, and this cross is sterile (hence
the lack of seeds in a banana).
Ingredients:
4 large bananas
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
Lemon juice
Sour cream
•
see ingredient lists
Language Arts
Grade 1-3
Standard 1 (Oral Language) Objective 1:
Develop language through listening and
speaking. B. Listen and demonstrate understanding by responding appropriately (e.g.,
follow multiple-step directions, restate, clarify,
question).
Social Studies
Grade 4
Standard 3 Objective 1: Describe the various
factors that draw communities together. a.
Identify the elements of culture; e.g., language,
government, religion, food, clothing.
Standard 4: Objective 1: Demonstrate cultural
understanding.
Standard 4 Objective 2: Identify the factors that
determine economic development. a. Identify
natural resources within environments that
provide for community development.
Science
Grade 1
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify how people
use plants.
Grade K-6.
Standard 1 Objective 1: Describe and practice
responsible behaviors for health and safety. b.
Describe the benefits of eating a variety of
nutritious foods.
Fine Arts
Grade 3
Standard 1 (Students will develop a sense of
self) Objective 3: Develop and use skills to
communicate ideas, information, and feelings.
42
40
Activity:
Have the students help with the non-cooking preparation.
Peel the bananas and cut them in half, lengthwise. Turn the
oven to 350 degrees F and grease a baking dish. Arrange
banana halves in the dish, dot with butter. Spread honey and
lemon juice over the bananas. Bake for 15 minutes. Put the sour
cream into a bowl and serve it with your baked bananas.
Mexican Hot Chocolate:
The botanical name for chocolate is Theobroma, which means
“food of the gods”. Chocolate is among the many things the
Spaniards acquired from the Aztecs. The native Aztec people
made a variety of drinks from chocolate which included combinations of chocolate and other ingredients such as honey, nuts,
seeds, and spices. Chocolate drinks were used in rituals by
priests as well as nobleman. While many historic references are
made to the Aztecs and chocolate, the Aztecs actually adopted
the use of chocolate from the earlier Mayan Culture.
Ingredients:
2 Cups Milk
1 Disk of Mexican Chocolate or 4 ounces Dark Bitter Chocolate
1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Activity:
Warm the chocolate and the milk up in a saucepan.
Have students scrape the seeds from the inside of the vanilla bean and add the seeds and the bean to the
milk. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and the milk warmend through. Remove from the heat
and froth the chocolate with the whisk.
Serve immediatley.
Tortillas:
Tortillas (flour and corn) are staple items in Mesoamerican food. These are eaten at virtually
every meal. The teacher may want to make the dough prior to the activity:
Ingredients (makes 16-24):
2 cups masa flour (a special corn flour)
¼ tsp baking soda
1 ½-2 cups very warm water
In a large bowl, mix masa, baking soda, and water. After mixing let stand for 5 minutes. If mix is too dry or
too wet, add more water or masa. Knead the dough for several minutes. Make into one large ball of dough.
Make 16-18 smaller balls of dough from the mix.
Activity:
Give each student a small ammount of dough, using wax paper on top and bottom of the dough press the
dough out into a pancake shape with about a 6 inch diameter. Heat the griddle or skillet on high heat. Cooking one tortilla at a time, slowly take off the wax paper and gently lay down into the pan.
Cook the tortilla on the hot pan for 30 seconds to a minute on each side. The tortilla should be lightly toasted
and little air pockets should begin to form. Wrap the tortillas in a dish towel to keep warm until you can enjoy!
Have students eat them with jam or butter, cinnamon and sugar. If you wanted to have a full meal, eat with
the tortillas with beans, rice, and pica di gallo.
43
Immersion Activities
PREP:
Content
Familiarity
The Corn Grows Ripe
Overview:
The Corn Grows Ripe is a classic story that
tells the tale of a Mayan boy named Tigre
living in Mexico in the 1940s. Tigre grows up
quickly when his father is injured and he has
to take his father’s place in clearing and
planting the family’s small milpa (corn field).
Tigre accepts responsibilities in both his
family and community. Throughout the tale,
the reader learns a great deal about the
cultural traditions of a Mayan family as well
as the critical importance of corn and
weather in their lives.
Preparation:
This book may be either read aloud to the
class, or read in small groups.
Description:
Helpful discussion questions can be found
online at http://thecornisripe.pbwiki.com/.
TIME:
2-4 class
periods
TYPE:
Integration
Activity
Kit Materials:
•
Artifacts:
• Ground Corn
• Blue and Yellow Corn
• Ancient corn cobs
•
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 (Oral Language) Objective 1: Develop
language through listening and speaking. B. Listen and
demonstrate understanding by responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step directions, restate,
clarify, question).
Standard 1 (Oral Language) Objective 2: Develop language through viewing media and presenting. B. Use
a variety of formats in presenting with various forms of
media (e.g., pictures, posters, charts, ads, newspapers, graphs, videos, slide shows).
Standard 7 Objective 2: Relate prior knowledge to
make connections to text.
Social Studies
Grade 3-4
Standard 1 Objective 3: Identify ways cultures use,
maintain, and preserve the physical environment.
Standard 6 Objective 2: Recognize the physical
features that influenced various community settlements.
Science
Grade 1-4
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify how people use
plants (e.g. food clothing paper shelter)
Standard 2 Objective 1c: Describe how weather
affects people and animals
Standard 4 Objective 1: Investigate
relationships between plants and animals and how
living things change during their lives.
Fine Arts
Grade 1
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Identify contributions of
family members.
Grade 3-6
Visual Arts Standard 1 (Making) Objective 1: Explore a
variety of art materials while learning new techniques
and processes.
45
The Corn Grows Ripe...
continued
Activity:
These writing exercises and science lessons can
be used individually or together to encourage a
deeper understanding and appreciation of the
novella.
1. This book gives only a snapshot of Tigre’s life.
What else would you like to know about Tigre?
Write three questions that you would like to ask
Tigre about his life.
2. Imagine you lived at the same time as Tigre.
Think about all of the chores that he has to do.
Now think about your own life. What do you do
every day? Do you have chores or responsibilities
at home? Write Tigre a letter telling him the big
gest difference and the biggest similarity be
tween the things you do every day.
3. Pick two (concurrent) chapters and summarize
them. Make sure to include all of the important
events and people from the chapters. Find some
one else who picked the same chapters and read
your summaries out loud to each other. How are
they the same? How are they different? Did they
leave out anything you put in your summary or
did they include something you did not? Pick the
summary from your group that you think best
describes the two chapters and share it with the
class.
46
4. Go to www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/corn/03static.
html and watch “What Is Corn and What’s The
Story.” Write down five facts that you have
learned in a paragraph.
5. Tigre and his family face many problems in the
book. Pick one of the problems and explain
how Tigre and/or his family resolved the prob
lem. Write a paragraph explaining a problem
you had in your life, and how you solved it.
Would you solve it the same way again?
6. Write a book review of The Corn Grows Ripe.
Give a brief summary (8-10 sentences) and then
explain why or why not you think someone
should read this book.
7. In a paragraph with a clear beginning, mid
dle and end, state a clear main idea that identi
fies an element of the ancient Mayan culture
that is still evident/practiced by Tigre’s family
and community.
8. Keep a list of vocabulary words in Spanish/
English and Mayan. Consult the glossary in the
back of the book if you have any questions
about the meaning of Spanish/Mayan words.
Look up any English words you do not know from
the reading in a dictionary.
PREP:
Gathering
Materials
TIME:
2-4 class
periods
TYPE:
Integration
Activity
Myth Making
Overview:
This activity is designed to familiarize the students with the legends and myths particular to
Mesoamerica by reenacting the stories and
performing them in front of an audience.
Description:
Mesoamerica has a rich history of myths and
legends that have been passed down generation to generation. The students will participate
in a performance of a legend and will be
given one of four roles: Actor, Costume Design
er, Set Designer, or Prop Master. Students will
then collaborate to perform their legend.
Alternatives:
• Students may perform each legend in small
groups or the class may perform one legend
as a whole.
• Rather than perform the legends using real
actors, students may wish to create a puppet show or a story book of the legend.
• A third option is to have the students study
the legends of Mesoamerica and then
create their own legend, using elements
from Mesoamerican mythology (animal
spirits, why animals look the way they do,
tricksters, food etc.) and then present their
legend the class.
Materials for decoration (i.e., construction paper, feathers, string,
glue, markers, paint, face paint, staplers, paper plates, hole
puncher, pipe cleaners, etc).
*
*
Artifacts:
Guatemalan Poncho
Jewelry
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1: Students develop language for the purpose
of effectively communicating through listening,
speaking, viewing, and presenting.
Social Studies
Grade 3-4
Standard 3 Objective 1d: Identify the aesthetic
expressions of the community; e.g., art, music, dance,
drama.
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Describe how stories, folktales,
music, and artistic creations serve as an expression of
culture.
Grade 6
Standard 1 Objective 2a: Explore the importance of
religion in the cultural expression of ancient civilizations.
Science
Grade K-2
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills to
communicate ideas, information, and feelings. a.
Express personal experiences and imagination through
dance, storytelling, music, and visual art.
Standard 2 Objective 3: Express relationships in a variety
of ways. a. Describe traditions, music, dances, artwork,
poems, rhymes, and stories that cultures. b. Develop an
acting ability to relate to characters’ thoughts and
feelings (e.g., frustrations, fears) in stories and plays. c.
Create and perform/exhibit dances, visual art, music,
and dramatic stories cultures expressing the relationship
between people and their culture.
Standard 3 Objective 3: Demonstrate how symbols and
models are used to represent features of the environment. b. Create representations that show size relationships among objects of the home, classroom, school, or
playground.
Fine Arts
Grade 1-2
Objective 3b: Develop dramatic storytelling skills
through flexibility in movement and voice, accurate
sequencing, and listening and responding to others.
Objective 3c: Create and perform/exhibit dances,
visual art, music, and dramatic stories from a variety of
cultures expressing the relationship between people
and their culture.
Theater
Grade 3-6
Standard 1 Objective 1: Plan, with the teacher,
interrelated characters in a classroom dramatization
Standard 2 Objective 4: Develop cooperation and
patience when working with others in classroom
dramatizations.
Objective 4: Develop an ability to work in ensemble
when working in informal and formal theater.
47
Myth 1: Kakasbal and the Dog
Once upon a time there was a man who was so
poor he was always in a bad mood, and never
passed up a chance to mistreat his old dog.
Kakasbal [spirit of evil], who is everywhere, saw
that he could benefit from by playing on the
dog’s anger. And with this in mind he
approached the dog. “Oh you poor thing; why
so sad? Tell me, what is the matter.” “How can I
not be sad when my master beats me all the
time” said the dog? “I know that he is an ornery
man; why don’t you leave him?” asked Kakasbal.
He is my master and I am loyal; I wouldn’t leave
him for anything” the dog replied. “But your
master is incapable of appreciating your loyalty”
Kakasbal said. “That does not matter, he is my
master; I will remain loyal” the dog said, putting
his head back down on his paws. But Kakasbal
wouldn’t let up; he harassed the dog until, just to
get rid of him, the dog finally said: “Okay, you
have convinced me. Tell me what I should do.”
“Give me your soul” Kakasbal said. “And what will
you give me in return?” the dog inquired.
“Anything you ask me for” Kakasbal said with a
sly smile on his face. “I want a bone for every hair
on my body.” Said the dog and Kakasbal
agreed. With that, Kakasbal began to count the
animal’s hair. But just as he was finishing, having
reached the tail, the dog thought of the loyalty
due his master and gave a start, causing
Kakasbal to lose his place. “Why did you move? I
lost my count!” Kakasbal said angrily. “It’s these
darn fleas that plague me night and day,” the
dog replied, ”just start again.” A hundred times
Kakasbal began his count and a hundred times
he lost it when the dog jumped. Kaksbal,
exhausted, said, “I give up. I will count no more.
You have deceived me, but in so doing taught
me an important lesson. It is harder to buy the
soul of a dog than it is to buy the soul of a man.”
48
50
52
Actors
Several actors are needed for this myth:
• Narrator
• Old Man
• Dog
• Kakasbal
It is the actor’s job to create dialogue and
staging. The story can be read verbatim by the
narrator, with the other actors reading out the
scene, or the actors can create their own
dialogue.
Costume Designers
The costume designers are responsible for
creating the actor’s costumes and make a list
of what each will wear. Ideas: The Narrator
could be dressed in modern dress or something
serious looking. The Old Man could be dressed
like a farmer or have a cloak or a hat. Kakasbal
could be adorned with jewelry and have a
large hat or extravagant make up. The Dog
could have ears and a cloak of fur or something hairy that Kakasbal can count including a
tail.
Set Designers
The set designers might set this story in the fields
or at the local market. They may also want to
refer to the information on the Geography
page to get ideas about what Mesoamerica
looked like.
Prop Masters
The prop masters are in charge of everything
that the characters might use or hold during the
presentation. Ideas: The Narrator could have
glasses or a monocle or a large book to read
the story out of. The Old Man could have a
shovel or grass in his hair or ears of corn to hold.
Kakasbal could have a staff or ‘magic wand’ to
do his evil with. The Dog could have a collar.
Name signs are also an option.
Myth Making
Actors
...Continued
• Sac Muyal • Old Lady
• Deer
• Boy
• Girl
• Eagle
• Snake
• Beetle
It is the actor’s job to create dialogue and
staging. The story can be read verbatim by
the narrator, with the other actors reading out
the scene, or the actors can create their own
dialogue.
Myth 2: Sac Muyal
Once upon a time, Sac Muyal stole a young girl and
disappeared with her. To rescue her, her lover
scoured through woods day and night. Suddenly, a
snake crossed his path and said: “I know what you
are looking for and I want to help you. Take some of
my blood, drink it and I will be your guide.” The
young man did this and started to follow the snake.
However, as the snake was somewhat lazy, after a
while it fell asleep. Only when the man beat it with a
branch would it take to the road again. After a while
they reached such dense woodland that it was
Costume Designers
impossible to advance further. The young man was
beginning to get desperate when an old lady apcreating the actor’s costumes and making a
proached and said: “take this hair from my head. Pull
list of what each will wear. Ideas: The Boy
could be dressed like a warrior. The Snake
it and you will be able to continue your trail.” When
could have fangs or a colorful cloak with
he pulled the hair a path opened up and with no
diamond shapes on the back. The Girl could
problems at all, he reached the banks of a lake.
be wearing a dress or have a colorful headThere a deer said to him “take this stone and throw it
band. The Old Lady could have make-up on
in the water and you will be able to cross.” The
to make her look old and maybe wear an old, young man threw the stone and as if in a dream, he
raggedy cloak. The Deer could have antlers.
was carried to the other side. Here, an eagle came
The Eagle could have wings. The Beetle could
to him and said “take this nail from my claws. It will
have antennae. Sac Muyal could have a
be useful to you. Now continue on your way.” He
mask on or make-up to make him look angry
carried on, and as he passed beneath an anona
or evil.
tree, a drop of sap fell into his eyes and he was
blinded. A beetle said to him: “rub this ball of earth
Set Designers
into your eyes and you will be cured.” He rubbed his
The set designers could create a forest scene
eyes and recovered his sight. He continued on his
with a path. They may also want to refer to
way and stopped before a cave where he saw the
the information on the Geography page to
get ideas about what Mesoamerica looked
old woman, the deer, the eagle and the beetle. The
like.
old woman said to him: “your journey is over. Enter
the cave and you will find the girl you search for.”
Prop Masters
The deer said: “touch her with the stone.” The eagle
The prop masters are in charge of everything
said: “touch her with the nail.” The beetle said: “rub
that the characters might use or hold during
the ball of earth over her eyes.” The snake said:
the presentation. Essential props: a lock of
“sprinkle her with the water from your water bottle.”
hair, a stone, a nail or claw, a small brown ball
The youth did all that they told him, but then color clay, and a water bottle. Name signs are
lapsed unconscious. When he awoke, in his arms he
also an option.
held the young girl that Sac Muyal had stolen.
49
Myth 3: Gift to the Hummingbird
Tzunuum, the hummingbird, was created by the Great Spirit
as a tiny, delicate bird with extraordinary flying ability. She
was the only bird in the kingdom who could fly backwards
and who could hover in one spot for several seconds. The
hummingbird was very plain. Her feathers had no bright
colors, yet she didn’t mind. Tzunuum took pride in her
flying skill and was happy with her life despite her looks.
When it came time to be married, Tzunuum found that she
had neither a wedding gown nor a necklace. She was so
disappointed and sad that some of her best friends decided
to create a wedding dress and jewelry as a surprise. Ya,
the vermillion-crowned flycatcher wore a gay, crimson ring
of feathers around his throat in those days. He decided to
use it as his gift. So he tucked a few red plumes in his crown
and gave the rest to the hummingbird for her necklace.
Uchilchil, the bluebird, generously donated several blue
feathers for her gown. The vain motmot, not to be outdone,
offered more turquoise blue and emerald green. The
cardinal, likewise, gave some red ones. Then, Yuyum, the
oriole, who was an excellent tailor as well as an engineer,
sewed up all the plumage into an exquisite wedding gown
for the little hummingbird. Ah-leum, the spider, crept up with
a fragile web woven of shiny gossamer threads for her veil.
She helped Yuyum weave intricate designs into the dress.
Canac, the honey bee, heard about the wedding and told
all his friends who knew and liked the hummingbird. They
brought honey and nectar for the reception and hundreds
of blossoms that were Tzunuum’s favorites. Then the Azar
tree dropped a carpet of petals over the ground where the
ceremony would take place. She offered to let Tzunuum
and her groom spend their honeymoon in her branches.
Pakal, the orange tree, put out sweet-smelling blossoms,
as did Nicte, the plumeria vine. Haaz (the banana bush),
Op (the custard apple tree) and Pichi and Put (the guava
and papaya bushes) made certain that their fruits were ripe
so the wedding guests would find delicious refreshments.
And, finally, a large band of butterflies in all colors arrived to
dance and flutter gaily around the hummingbird’s wedding
site. When the wedding day arrived, Tzunuum was so
surprised, happy and grateful that she could barely twitter
her vows. The Great Spirit so admired her humble, honest
soul that he sent word down with his messenger, Cozumel,
the swallow, that the hummingbird could wear her wedding
gown for the rest of her life. And, to this day, she has.
50
Actors
• The Great Spirit
• Hummingbird (Tzunuum)
• Flycatcher (Ya)
• Bluebird (Uchilchl)
• Motmot
• Cardinal
• Oriole (Yuyum)
• Spider (Ah-leum)
• Honey Bee (Canac)
• Trees and Blossoms (Azar, Pakal, Nicte,
Haaz, Op, Pichi, Put)
The story can be read verbatim by the
narrator, with the other actors reading out
the scene, or the actors can create their
own dialogue.
Costume Designers
creating the actor’s costumes and making
a list of what each will wear. Each bird
could wear a different color feather corre
sponding to what each character gives to
the hummingbird. The spider could have
extra legs and the bee could have a
stinger or antennae.
Set Designers
The set designers could create a jungle
scene where the wedding takes place
and where the hummingbird receives all of
her gifts. They may also want to refer to
the information on the Geography page
to get ideas about what Mesoamerica
looked like.
Prop Masters
The prop masters are in charge of every
thing that the characters might use or hold
during the presentation. Essential props:
different colored feathers, petals, fake
flower blossoms, fruits.
PREP:
Extensive
Coordination
Mayan Calendar
Overview:
Students will be introduced to the
ancient Mayan calendar and learn
what symbols were used in the calen
dar and how they related to the
Mayan Culture.
Preparation:
Show the students a picture of the
Mayan calendar and discuss its qualities; the different symbols and animals
used, the circular shape, how many
days or months it had, and how it was
important in Mesoamerican culture.
Description:
• Provide each student (or split the
students into groups) with a circular
piece of poster board or construction paper and have them make
their own calendar. Be sure to
remind them to use animals or
symbols that are important in their
lives, or use the symbols that were
important to the Mayan culture.
• When the students are finished,
have them present their calendar
to the class and explain what
symbols they used and why.
Alternative:
Give each student (or pairs/groups of
three) a symbol or animal from the
Mayan calendar and have them
draw out or explain why the Mayans
would have used that symbol in their
calendar. Have the students explain
the significance and importance of
that symbol.
TIME:
45 to 60
minutes
TYPE:
Integration
Activity
Kit Materials:
•
Artifacts:
• Aztec Calendar
•
•
•
•
•
Poster board
Construction paper
Crayons
Markers
Aztec Calendar
Language Arts
Grade K-6
Standard 1 (Oral Language) Objective 1: Develop language
through listening and speaking. B. Listen and demonstrate understanding by responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step
directions, restate, clarify, question).
Social Studies
Grade K-4
Standard 1 Objective 3: Develop and use skills to communicate
ideas, information, and feelings.
Standard 2 Objective 1b: Identify benefits of cooperation and
sharing.
Standard 4: Objective 1: Demonstrate cultural understanding.
Standard 5 objective 1b: Listen to and consider the opinions of
others.
Science
Grade 1-2
Standard 1 Objective 2: Develop and demonstrate skills in gross
and fine motor movement. c. Develop manipulative skills (e.g.,
cut, glue, throw, catch, kick, strike).
Standard 2 Objective 2: Describe important aspects of the
community and culture that strengthen relationships. a. Practice
democratic processes (e.g., follow family and classroom rules,
take turns, listen to others, share ideas).
Fine Arts
Grade 2
Standard 3 Objective 1: Suggest and investigate possible meanings, stories, or interpretations in works of art.
Grade 4-6
Standard 1 (Playmaking) Objectives 1: Collaborate to select
interrelated characters, environments, and situations for classroom dramatizations.
Standard 4 (Contextualizing) Objective 2: Connect various kinds
of art with particular cultures, times, or places.
Standard 1 (Making) Objective 1: Explore a variety of art materials while learning new techniques and processes.
51
Mayan Calendar...continued
Calendar Information:
The Maya developed a sophisticated calendar. The ritual calendar that developed in Mesoamerica
used a count of 260 days. This calendar gave each day a name, much like our days of the week.
There were 20 day names, each represented by a unique symbol. The days were numbered from 1
to 13. Since there are 20 day names, after the count of thirteen was reached, the next day was
numbered 1 again. The 260-day or sacred count calendar was in use throughout Mesoamerica for
centuries, probably before the beginning of writing.
52
Image Credits
A Note on the Images: The following is a table of all images which are not in the public domain. Any image that
is published by Creative Commons can be duplicated so long as it is distributed under a Creative Commons
licence and proper credit is given. Some images are copyrighted and used by permission and may not be
duplicated. All other images are in the public domain.
Page Number
Description
cover Tikal temple IV
Licence
Attribution
Creative Commons
AaronDDS
1
rock face
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
5
background foliage
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
5
red flower
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
13 red flower
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
13 beach rocks
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
15 sitting statue
Creative Commons
Lawrence Gustave Desmond
15 aztec god painting
Creative Commons
Adamt
16 Aztec man in flower headdress
Creative Commons
Jay Peepls
16 War Drawing
Creative Commons
Hossmann
16 green stone mask
Creative Commons
Totec Jastrow
16 rock statue
Creative Commons
Benjamin Cody
16 round ruins
Creative Commons
Zereshk
17 multi-color round calendar
Creative Commons
Rene Voorburg
17 green mosiac mask
Creative Commons
Manuel Parada Lopez de Corselas
17 aztec god painting
Creative Commons
Adamt
18 background bird
Creative Commons
Madman 2001
18 olmec stone head
Creative Commons
Utillisateur
18 black bird
Creative Commons
Madman 2001
18 stone olmec statue
Creative Commons
LaVenta Hajor
19 red cave painting
Creative Commons
Matt Lachniet
19 stone dewlling
Creative Commons
Jetovar
20 smiling little girl
Creative Commons
David Dennis
20 stone mask
Creative Commons
El Agora
20 red bowl
Creative Commons
Durvia
20 sitting grey statue
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
20 old drawing of Mayan men
Creative Commons
Appelton's Annual Cyclopedia and Register
21 tall skeleton carving
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
21 Iguana
Creative Commons
Keith Pomakis
21 ball court
Creative Commons
Brian Snelson
21 ball court "hoop" circle
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
21 Tulum temple
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
21 stone skulls
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
21 tulum ruins with ocean
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
22 drawing calendar
Creative Commons
Saverio Clavigero
22 colored wood calendar
Creative Commons
Truthanado
22 multi-color round calendar
Creative Commons
Rene Voorburg
22 gold round aztec calendar
Creative Commons
Eivisso
23 black and white symbol
Creative Commons
Hunab Ku
23 long ruins
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
23 round observatory
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
24 tall ornate builging
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
24 ruins with stairs
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
15 map
53
57
Image Credits...continued
Page Number
Licence
Attribution
24 olmec head
Description
Creative Commons
Hajor
25 map drawing
Creative Commons
New York Public Library
25 Chitzen Itza sign
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
25 El Castio temple
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
26 two girls
Creative Commons
L.E. MacDonald
26 green peppers
Creative Commons
United States Agency for International Development
26 woman feeding pigs
Creative Commons
fotografiert
26 children in the ocean
Creative Commons
Dennis Garcia
26 turtle
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
26 cave
Creative Commons
Yourexalekiss
27 girl in flower shirt
Creative Commons
David Dennis
27 woman making tortillas
Creative Commons
Alfredobi
27 mexican flag
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
27 golf cart
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
33 background foliage
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
33 green stone mask
Creative Commons
Totec Jastrow
53 background foliage
Creative Commons
Kristi Horkley
54

Guidebook - the Museum of Peoples and Cultures!

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