Students discover beliefs and practices of the Mayans.  In this Mayan gods activity, students discuss "The World Tree" of the Mayans, the three layers of the tree, and their meanings.  Students discover the manner and purpose...

The introduction of this lesson plan requires reading a from The Maya by Jaqueline Dembar Greene. Learners sketch a Mayan during the reading. Teaching strategies include direct instruction, grouping the learners for discussions,...

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...

Learners examine the attributes of the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture lesson, students identify the structure of social classes in Mayan society and design posters that feature their findings.

Before you begin a unit on Christopher Columbus and the European explorers, take your class through the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Civilizations in this vivid and interesting presentation. With photographs of golden artifacts and ancient...

Sixth graders research the history of chocolate and write short answers to provided questions. They read about the Mayan and Aztec civilizations and the Spanish conquest.

Students compare and contrast the Mayan and Aztec cultures. In this Mesoamerican cultures lesson, students visit classroom stations that feature the landmarks, popular foods, and gods of the 2 cultures. Students discuss their favorite...

What a creative approach to studying about the ancient Mayan civilization! Learners will become investigators in the case of the "disappearance" of the Classic Maya by examining a variety of primary and secondary source material,...

What on earth is that jar for? It was an ancient incense burner used by the Maya, that was inspired by the myth of the sun god. Young analysts hear the story of the Mayan sun god, analyze the story through the artistry in the jar, and...

What is considered a valuable gift? As the class will come to find out, what is considered a gift varies by time and location. After viewing images of a Mayan pot that depicts men giving cacao to the gods, learners research three...

Invertebrates play a prominent role in many myths across cultures. From Greece to Guatemala, see if you can identify the invertebrate of importance. Ten multiple-choice questions test your knowledge of mythology from around the world.

Students research the use of pyramids in different cultures. In this ancient civilizations lesson plan, students watch "Inside the Pyramids." Students conduct further research on the topic and create magazine...

For this online interactive English vocabulary skills worksheet, students answer 10 matching questions which require them to fill in the blanks in 10 sentences. Students may submit their answers to be scored.

In this Dig Magazine archeology quiz, students answer 12 multiple choice questions complementing the March 2010 issue. Page contains answer and additional resources link.

The World Museum of Man endeavours to construct pictures of ancient cultures based on clues from their tools and weapons. The picture left behind of the Maya is that of a scientifically advanced society, but one devoted to gods that...

The structure of Mayan religion is outlined, covering beliefs, the priesthood, rituals, sacrifice, gods, etc.

Extremely brief examination of the belief of the Mayans in bloodletting and human sacrifice.

Describes the religious practices followed by the Maya, including human sacrifice, a ritual that horrified the Spanish explorers.

This site from the Encyclopedia Mythica gives a rather brief biography of Itzamna. The site speaks of how he became the founder of the Mayan Culture.

The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatan, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals a knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the...