Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids

Aztecs, Maya, Incas!

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

WITH 25 SOCIAL STUDIES PROJECTS FOR KIDS

Anita Yasuda

Illustrated by Tom Casteel

CONTENTS Timeline . . . iv Introduction . . . 1 Let’s Explore the Americas!

Chapter 1 . . . 14 Homes and Great Cities Chapter 2 . . . 26 Food and Markets Chapter 3 . . . 36 Clothing and Cloth Chapter 4 . . . 46 Children and Learning Chapter 5 . . . 59 Gods and Temples Chapter 6 . . . 72 Technology and Engineering Glossary * Metric Conversions Resources * Essential Questions * Index

Interested in primary sources? Look for this icon. Use a smartphone or tablet app to scan the QR code and explore more! Photos are also primary sources because a photograph takes a picture at the moment something happens.

You can find a list of URLs on the Resources page. If the QR code doesn’t work, try searching the internet with the Keyword Prompts to find other helpful sources.

AZTECS MAYA INCAS

CHAPTER 1

HOMES AND GREAT CITIES What is it like where you live? Do you live in a house, an apartment, or a shared space? What are your walls and roof made of? Throughout history, people around the world have lived in different structures made of different materials.

The ancient Maya, Incas, and Aztecs lived in simple homes.

They didn’t have much furniture. Often, most people used their homes only for sleeping and INVESTIGATE cooking. They spent most of their day outside tending to What materials did their small fields and gardens. the Maya, Incas, and Aztecs use to build their How is that different from today?

?

homes and cities? Why?

14

HOMES AND GREAT CITIES thatched: a roof made of dried

TYPICAL HOMES

plant materials such as straw or leaves.

wattle and daub: a building

method using woven sticks

Most Maya lived in one-story covered with mud. homes with thatched roofs.

WORDS TO KNOW Strong wooden posts supported the beams of the houses. The Maya wove sticks in and out to make walls. Then, they covered the walls with layers of thick mud for protection from the weather. This building technique is called wattle and daub.

DID YOU KNOW?

Maya people slept on woven mats. The mats were stretched between four poles to raise them off the ground.

Smoke from the cooking fire had to escape through the home’s door or the roof, because there were no windows.

MA CROSS TH

The stones were also practical. The Maya cooked food such as sweet potatoes directly on the hot stones. They also cooked meat or fish by balancing ceramic pots on the stones.

E

Th

ay o

f f!

E

A LL

?

AD RO

WHY DID TH

The fire where the family cooked was the most important area of a Maya home. The Maya always placed three stones by the fire. The stones represented the birth of their culture.

he ec hicken had t

d

15

AZTECS, MAYA, INCAS! adobe: a material made

out of sun-dried clay and sometimes straw, used to form bricks.

hearth: an area used for

heating or cooking.

shrine: a special, religious place.

WORDS

TO

KNOW

Common Aztec people built simple homes with adobe bricks. To make these bricks, workers mixed clay, sand, and water together. They shaped the mixture into rectangles and left them to dry in the sun.

Most ancient Aztecs slept and ate in one room, with woven mats for sleeping, and a hearth . Around the hearth were cooking tools, such as colorful bowls and a stone used for grinding maize.

From the walls hung woven baskets and ceramic pots. All homes had a family shrine with statues of the gods. Centeotl was the Aztec god of maize.

16

DID YOU KNOW?

As many as 12 people may have lived together in the small common Aztec houses.

HOMES AND GREAT CITIES courtyard: an open area surrounded by homes.

Aztec nobles lived very differently. They had large stone homes with many rooms.

Colorful murals decorated the walls.

WORDS

TO

KNOW

Aztec homes had no chimneys or windows, but they did open onto courtyards . Many families shared the same courtyard.

Here, children played and women gathered to spin wool and weave cloth.

Inca families lived together in a one-room home. A family included parents, children, and grandparents.

DAILY LIFE The daily lives of the Maya, Incas, and Aztecs depended on which social group they belonged to.

The Maya and the Aztecs divided their societies into four groups.

The nobles were at the top. Members of the nobility included government and military leaders. You could tell that a person belonged to the nobility by their elaborate dress and jewelry. Below them came the priests. Priests were respected members of society.

Priests took part in temple rituals, studied the stars, and constructed calendars. Below this class were the commoners, including farmers and artisans. Slaves were at the bottom of society.

Inca society was also divided into four different classes. The Sapa Inca was the most powerful person in Inca society. His subjects believed that he was the son of the sun god, Inti. Below him were his family and close relatives, known as the royalty. Next, came the nobility, who governed the Incas. The nobility did not pay taxes.

Most Inca fell into the ayllu at the bottom, which included farmers, artisans, and servants. Members of an ayllu were usually related.

17

AZTECS, MAYA, INCAS! earthquake: a sudden

movement in parts of the outer layer of the earth.

llama: a large South

American animal related to the camel. It has a long neck and a thick coat and is used for wool, meat, and carrying things.

WORDS

TO

KNOW

By the coast, the Incas built homes with adobe bricks. The walls had to be strong because of frequent earthquakes .

So, the Incas built walls that were thicker at the bottom than the top to make them stronger.

In high mountain areas, the Incas built homes out of stone. Stone homes could stand up to some earthquakes. When an earthquake struck, the stones jiggled or danced and then fell back into place!

Both styles of Inca homes were topped with thatched roofs. Some Inca homes had a second floor.

Researchers believe that they used rope ladders to reach this level.

DID YOU KNOW?

Every Inca home had a small shrine carved into a wall. The Incas placed small statues of their gods within it.

Inca houses had little furniture.

Families slept together on straw mats or llama skins. Women made meals for their family over clay stoves.

THEN &

the Yucatán Peninsula, was an important Maya city.

NOW: In 2007, Chichén Itzá was named one of the New Seven

Wonders of the World.

18

NOW

THEN: From the tenth to the twelfth centuries, Chichén Itzá, on

HOMES AND GREAT CITIES pyramid: a shape with a

LARGE CITIES

square base and triangles for sides that meet at a point.

temple: a building in

which people worship gods and practice religious ceremonies.

The Maya built large cities nestled in the jungles of Mesoamerica. The most important Maya city was Tikal, in modernWORDS day Guatemala. The city may have been home to 10,000 people. An additional 50,000 are thought to have lived in the surrounding area.

TO

KNOW

Tikal rulers built impressive, stepped pyramid temples, such as the one we today call Temple IV. This temple is 212 feet tall and was once the tallest building in the Maya region.

Tikal royal families lived in a vast complex called the Central Acropolis. During 500 years, Tikal rulers added to the complex until it had 45 buildings, including palaces. Some palaces were three stories high!

TIKAL TEMPLE V, IN THE CENTRAL ACROPOLIS

19

AZTECS, MAYA, INCAS! parallel: describes two lines

always the same distance apart.

Hundreds of years later, in 1325, the Aztecs established their capital, WORDS TO KNOW Tenochtitlan. They built the city on an island in a lake. As the city grew, people needed more land. They made land with mud from the lake bottom. The Aztecs built these plots of land parallel to each other, creating a system of canals . Canoes traveled along these canals. In the middle of the city was a grand plaza with three raised roads. The roads connected the city to the mainland.

canal: a man-made waterway.

One of the most Lidar is a high-tech instrument that pulses laser famous Inca light at the ground and lets researchers build a clear picture of what is there. In 2018, lidar cities is Machu revealed more than 60,000 Maya structures, Picchu. The city including homes and pyramids, in the jungles of Guatemala. Watch a film about the remained hidden discovery at this website. for centuries. It was once the country NAT GEO MAYA JUNGLE palace of the Sapa Inca. Machu Picchu has more than 150 stone houses, temples, and palaces. The capital city of the Inca Empire, was Cusco.

It may have been laid out like a puma. The animal stood for power.

Now that we’ve looked at some of the different homes and cities the ancient Aztecs, Incas, and Maya lived in, let’s think about what they ate and CONSIDER AND DISCUSS where they shopped. Was their food much different Now it’s time to consider and discuss: What materials did the Maya, from what you eat now?

Incas, and Aztecs use to build their Let’s find out!

?

homes and cities? Why?

20

SUPPLIES

PROJECT! MAKE ADOBE BRICKS

* dirt * bucket * dried grass, leaves, or straw * water * watering can * hand spade * ice cube tray or flattened cereal box

Make some adobe bricks similar to how the ancient Aztecs made bricks!

1

Place a handful of dirt in the bucket. Add some dried grass, leaves, or straw.

2

Use the watering can to slowly add water. Mix with your hands or the spade until you have a thick mud. If the mixture is too dry, add some more water. If the mixture is not coming together, add more grass, leaves, or straw.

DID YOU KNOW? The Incas carved building blocks with stone tools. They were so skilled at carving that each block fit perfectly into the next. They did not use mortar.

3

Press the mixture into the ice cube tray and leave to dry in the sun. Or, scoop and roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and then shape into rectangles. Arrange the rectangles on the cardboard and place in the sun to dry.

4

Use the bricks in the next activity.

TRY THIS! Make another tray of bricks with a different mud

recipe. For example, use a different type of dirt, such as sand or gravel. Do your results change?

WORDS

TO

KNOW

mortar: a mixture of water,

sand, and cement used to hold bricks together.

21

SUPPLIES

PROJECT! BUILD AN AZTEC HOME Try this activity to build a home using only natural materials and the adobe bricks from the previous activity.

1

Go on a nature walk in your area. Fill your bucket with natural materials, including sticks, leaves, and tiny pebbles.

* bucket * natural materials in your area, such as sticks, leaves, dried grass, straw, pebbles, pine needles, bark (only if on the ground), pebbles * adobe bricks from previous activity * muffin tin * baking sheet * clay or tape (optional)

2

Sort the materials by type, shape, or size into the muffin tin. Be sure to include your adobe bricks!

3

Place the baking sheet on a flat work surface with the muffin tin beside it.

Using materials from the muffin tin, build a oneroom home. How will you join your materials together?

Try and see. You may need to use clay or tape to hold the home together. There are no rules, just ideas.

TRY THIS! Imagine that you are building your home in an area

that floods. How can you change your design to keep your home above floodwaters? Add a little water to the baking sheet. Did your new design work? If not, how could you change it?

22

SUPPLIES

PROJECT! MACHU PICCHU SNAKES AND LADDERS Create this game to imagine hiking to Machu Picchu.

1

Arrange the tags on the felt in four rows of eight.

Write “Start” on the first tag and “Machu Picchu” on the last tag.

* package of craft tags (32) or scrap paper * craft felt * markers * scissors * craft or scrap paper * 4 twist ties * different coins to use as markers * 1 die

2

Cut out three ladders from the craft paper and use the twist ties for snakes. Place these pieces in three different areas of the board.

3

Select a few tags to write the following instructions on.

• Wrong way: go back to start.

• Muddy path: miss a turn.

• Llamas block path: miss a turn.

• Thick fog: go back two spaces.

• Sunny day: move ahead one.

• Helpful guide: move ahead two spaces.

4

To play, put your coins on “Start.” Take turns rolling the die and move your coin that number of spaces. Follow the directions on the space. If the space is empty, wait until your next turn. If you land at the bottom of the ladder, go up. If you land at the head of a snake, go down. The first player to get to Machu Picchu wins.

TRY THIS! Use chalk to make a giant version of this game

outside. The number of squares and their size depend on how many people are playing and the space available. Don’t forget to include a few challenge squares. Roll the die and play.

23

SUPPLIES

PROJECT! MAKE AN AZTEC CANOE The ancient Aztecs made canoes from a single tree trunk. The largest of these canoes, made from spruce trees, were more than 50 feet long! According to Spanish journals, as many as 200,000 canoes may have traveled on Lake Texcoco. In this activity, you’ll make your own Aztec canoe.

1

Cut an 8-inch-by-7-inch rectangle from the cereal box for the body of the boat.

2

Using the ruler, draw a line 2 inches in from both long sides. Fold up along these sides and press the crease lightly with your fingers.

3

Measure in 2 inches from both sides and make a mark with the pencil. Between these two points, use the scissors to make an oval shape in the sides of the boat.

4

From the cereal box, cut out two tabs for the ends of the boat and secure with tape.

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* flattened cereal box * scissors * ruler * pencil * clear tape * colored craft paper * 2 buttons * white glue * paint or markers * stapler * journal and pencil

PROJECT! 5

Some Aztec canoes had an elaborate bow (or front of the boat), such as a bird’s head. To make the bow, use the cereal box and cut out a triangle about a third the size of your boat. Bend the triangle in half to make a beak and attach with tape to the bow.

6

Use buttons for eyes and stick them on the upper beak with glue.

7

From the craft paper, make feathers to glue at the very back of the beak. Use scissors to cut into the paper and make it more feather-like.

8

Decorate the beak and boat with paint or markers.

Join the beak to the front of the boat with the stapler. Now you can display your impressive Aztec canoe!

THINK ABOUT IT! Aztec canoes had a flat bottom. Why do you

think this was an important part of their design? Write down your ideas in your journal.

25

GLOSSARY adobe: a material made out of sun-dried clay and sometimes straw, used to form bricks.

chinampas: floating islands

alliance: an agreement between

around a circle.

two groups to help each other.

ancient: from an early time in history. archaeologist: a scientist who studies ancient people through the objects they left behind. artisan: a skilled worker who makes things by hand. astronomy: the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, and space.

atole: a thick corn mush. barter: to trade goods without

relying on money.

built by the Aztecs.

circumference: the distance city-state: an independent

city that governs itself and the towns and land around it.

civilization: a community of people that is advanced in art, science, and government. codex: an ancient writing in book form. The plural is codices. commoner: an ordinary person without rank or title.

conquistadors: explorers and soldiers from Spain who came to the Americas in search of gold and other riches.

BCE: put after a date, BCE stands for Before Common Era and counts down to zero. CE stands for Common Era and counts up from zero. These nonreligious terms correspond to BC and AD. This book was printed in 2019 CE.

cormorant: a large water bird that

cacao: beans containing seeds

food and other uses.

that are used to make cocoa, cocoa butter, and chocolate.

calmecac: an Aztec temple school for children of the nobility.

canal: a man-made waterway. census: an official count of

people living in an area.

ceremonial: formal, traditional.

some fishermen train to catch fish.

courtyard: an open area surrounded by homes.

crop: a plant grown for culture: the beliefs and way of life of a group of people. descendant: a person related to someone who lived in the past. earthquake: a sudden movement in parts of the outer layer of the earth.

eclipse: when a planet or other body in space is hidden by another object in space.

ceremony: an event to celebrate or honor something, such as a god or a holiday.

economics: having to do with the resources and wealth of a country.

chaski: an official messenger in the Inca Empire.

elaborate: made with much detail or great care.

chicha: a type of beer made from corn.

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AZTECS, MAYA, INCAS! embroidery: the art of making

illusion: something that tricks people into thinking that something is there when it isn’t.

empire: a group of countries, states,

incense: a material that is burned to produce a pleasant smell.

engineer: a person who uses science, math, and creativity to design and build things.

indigenous: a group of people who have always lived in a region or country.

pictures or designs using threads sewn onto fabric.

or lands that are ruled by one ruler.

equinox: the two days of the year when

days and nights are equal lengths, around March 21 and September 21.

erode: to wear away. estimate: to make a guess that is close to the correct answer.

fast: a length of time without eating. fiber: a long, thin thread that makes

up cloth materials, such as cotton or linen. Some fibers come from plants.

garment: an item of clothing. glyph: a character or

symbol, a pictograph.

gourd: the dried and hollowed-

interpretation: an explanation of the meaning of something. jade: a hard, shiny stone that is usually green. Used for jewelry and sculpture. khipu: a knotted string used by

the Incas to record information.

litter: a couch with poles used to carry a person.

llama: a large South American animal related to the camel. It has a long neck and a thick coat and is used for wool, meat, and carrying things.

loincloth: a strip of cloth worn

around the midsection of the body.

Machu Picchu: an ancient Inca

out shell of plants related to the pumpkin, squash, and cucumber.

city on a high mountain in Peru, the ruins of which can still be seen and visited today.

Haab: the Maya solar year calendar.

maize: corn.

headdress: an elaborate covering for the head.

mamakuna: women chosen to be priestesses.

hearth: an area used for

mason: a craftsman who

heating or cooking.

hemp: a plant with strong fibers. hieroglyphics: a type of writing

system that uses pictures and symbols called hieroglyphs (or just glyphs) to represent words and ideas.

Huitzilopochtli: the Aztec god of the sun and war.

builds structures of stone.

Mesoamerica: an area that includes Central America and modernday Mexico in North America.

mollusk: an animal with a soft body protected by a shell, such as a snail, clam, or oyster. mortar: a mixture of water, sand, and cement used to hold bricks together.

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GLOSSARY mosaics: small squares that

shrine: a special, religious place.

night soil: human poop that is

simp’ achaka: “braided” suspension bridges built by the Incas.

form larger patterns.

collected and used as fertilizer.

noble: in the past, a person

solar: relating to the sun.

considered to be of the most important group in a society.

staple: a basic food that people eat every day.

obsidian: a black glass produced

stelae: tall stone slabs carved with

by erupting volcanoes.

details of a king’s rule. Singular is stela.

ornaments: items used to make

something look more beautiful.

suspension bridge: a bridge that is hung from cables.

orphan: a child whose

tamale: a cornmeal dough

parallel: describes two lines always the same distance apart.

technology: the tools, methods,

parents have both died.

with rice, vegetables, and meat cooked in a corn husk.

pok-a-tok: a Maya ballgame played on

and systems used to solve a problem or do work.

pyramid: a shape with a

telpochcalli: a school attended by Aztec boys from the age of 15.

a stone court with a heavy rubber ball. square base and triangles for sides that meet at a point.

quinoa: a plant grown for its tiny seeds, which are used as food. rainforest: a forest in a hot climate

that gets a lot of rain every year, so the plants are very green and grow a lot.

sacred: something valued because it is connected to people’s religious beliefs.

sacrifice: the killing of a person or animal as an offering to a god.

temple: a building in which people worship gods and practice religious ceremonies. terrace: an area of flat land carved

into a hillside, often used for farming.

thatched: a roof made of dried plant materials such as straw or leaves. tortilla: a type of flatbread made from corn.

Sapa Inca: the ruler of the Inca people.

tribute: a payment made by one government to another as a price for peace or security.

sap: the liquid that flows in

tunic: a long, loose-fitting shirt.

trees and other plants.

sash: a long strip or loop of cloth worn

over one shoulder or around the waist.

scribe: a person who copies documents by hand.

tupu: a pin used by women to fasten their clothing.

vibrant: full of energy and enthusiasm. wattle and daub: a building method

using woven sticks covered with mud.

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Juvenile Nonfiction • Education Resource Ages: 7–10 • Guided Reading Level: V

focus on social studies

HOW MANY STEPS ARE THERE AT MACHU PICCHU? HOW LONG DID THE AZTECS ROAM MEXICO BEFORE FINDING A PLACE TO SETTLE? HOW DID THE MAYA STUDY THE MOVEMENTS OF THE STARS AND THE PLANETS?

WH

A

AT SA D

Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes readers ages 7 through 10 on a guided tour to experience the history, culture, economics, and daily life of the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas. Discover the NGRY Maya city of Tikal, with its steep pyramids. Journey down the 26E HU A TH THE LL A MA LPA mile Inca trail to reach the ruins of Machu Picchu. Explore the ? C ID TO Aztec temple called Templo Mayor, where people once climbed Y the steps up to the temple to be sacrificed to the Aztec gods.

Daily life from thousands of years ago is made real through fun illustrations, fascinating facts, essential questions, and hands-on projects. * Play an Aztec Telpochcalli relay game * Plant a floating garden * Make an edible map

* Choreograph a dance story

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Try these hands-on STEAM projects!

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Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! is part of a set of four Explore Ancient Civilizations books that bring to life the vibrant cultures of the distant past.

Check out the other titles in this series!

PRAISE FOR EXPLORE ANCIENT CHINESE MYTHS! BY ANITA YASUDA “ [Explore Ancient Chinese Myths!] is packed with a little bit of everything regarding ancient China. The bulk of the book is thorough and descriptive informational text about China’s land, people, traditions, and religions. The importance of storytelling in Chinese culture is woven throughout, and readers will be introduced to numerous Chinese myths, legends, and fables.”

—School Library Connection

$19.95 US ISBN 978-1-61930-831-2

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