Curated OER
The Mayan Empire
Students study vocabulary associated with the Mayan Empire; its art, daily life, inventions, and religious beliefs. They examine why the Mayan culture is considered to be one of the most advanced of the ancient civilizations by...
Curated OER
Reading: The Mayans 1
In this reading comprehension with glossary activity, students read a passage about the Mayan civilization and the accompanying glossary and illustrations, and then identify true statements from the reading and by inference. Students...
Curated OER
Central American Immigrants to the United States: Refugees from Unrest
Students identify the major aspects of Olmec and Mayan civilzations, including economic, political, and religious. They list contributions of these civilizations. Students identify the Central American countries where the United States...
Curated OER
Come On Over To Maya Place
Fifth graders analyze the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture lesson, 5th graders study the Mayan culture noting similarities and differences between the Mayan culture and their own. Students examine hieroglyphic writing and the Mayan...
Curated OER
Who Were the Mayans?
In this Mayans worksheet, learners read about the Mayans on a web site given, then complete a set of 10 related comprehension questions.
Curated OER
Old Mayan Mural
Students read a story called Scientists Discover Oldest Mayan Mural and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events Mayan mural lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions,...
Penn Museum
Ancient History Math Mystery
Through several organized and attractive worksheets, your learners will make a deduction about tally marks and hieroglyphics to determine what they represent in the ancient numeral system. This is a well-designed, interdisciplinary...
Curated OER
Me Oh Maya
Students compare basketball to Mayan ring-ball. They write a newspaper article that may have been published during Mayan times.
Curated OER
Ofelia Romero The Maya Culture and Civilization
Fifth graders investigate the Mayan culture, number system, alphabet, hieroglyphics, history, civilization, artistry, and sports in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Mesoamerican Carving Project
Third graders are introduced to the use of glyphs and relief carving by Mesoamerican cultures. They complete worksheets, view PowerPoint presentations, participate in a Webquest and create an original glyph carving in sandstone.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations
A 10-lesson unit explores the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Over the course of two weeks, scholars read nonfiction excerpts, discuss their findings, and complete activities. An assessment equipped with multiple choice and matching...
Curated OER
Primary Understanding and Use of Place Value
Explore place value and regrouping with your class. They develop awareness of several ancient number systems and how they differ from the base ten system commonly used today. They play "Chip Trading" with partners to practice addition...
Curated OER
Sport as Social Ritual
Learners become familiar with the sport that became a social ritual in ancient American cultures, examining its importance. They gain an understanding of how contemporary sports have acquired importance within modern American culture.
Curated OER
Dig Magazine Archeology Quiz #109
For this Dig Magazine archeology quiz, students answer 12 multiple choice questions complementing the March 2010 issue. Page contains answer and additional resources link.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Primary Standard Sequence (Of Mayan Hieroglyphs) 2003
PDF document that shows structure of Mayan glyphs and translation, including spelling patterns and syntax. Photographs and charts show how meaning is derived from hieroglyphic strip.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs
John Montgomery's Dictionary of Maya Hieroglyphs is a unique reference to the hieroglyphic writing of the ancient Maya that presents over 1,200 hieroglyphs or glyph compounds. Each entry includes the hieroglyph, phonetic transcription,...
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Salvage of Hieroglyphic Stairway in Dos Pilas (2002)
Comprehensive discussion of what the discovery of stairway steps adds to history of the site and the culture. Writings on steps give new insights to Myan politics, trade, war, and the collapse of the civilization.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Southern Belize Epigraphic Project: Hieroglyphic
Report of a 13 year study of the least documented hieroglyphic of the Mayan culture in Belize and their possible meanings. Site can be viewed in English and Spanish.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: The Glyphic Corpus From Ek' Balam (2002)
Offers translations of hieroglyphs, and therefore history, of the Mayan dynasties and rulers at Ek' Balum in Yucatan, Mexico.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Recording New Inscription of Palenque (1995)
Research reports includes an enormous amount of photographs and drawings of stucco hieroglyphs from various temples.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Investigation and Conservation at San Bartolo (2002)
Excavation reveals murals in tunnels and earliest example of painted hieroglyphic script in Maya Lowlands.
Other
Early Maya Writing at San Bartolo, Guatemala (2006)
Click to download full PDF article documenting that Mayan writing system was already in place in 100 B.C. Move cursor over trowels to navigate this site.
Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies
Famsi: Identifying Individual Hands in (Palenque) Monuments
Study attempts to identify individual artists who created temple hieroglyphs and questions why some monuments indicate more artists at work than others.
Yale University
Yale the Maya Culture of Mesoamerica
This lesson unit on Mayan culture focuses on Mayan art. It can be adapted to various grades and features classroom activities, student resources, a bibliography, and the like.