Student: Carol McKenna

Professor: Dr. Mason

Course: EDU 537
Date: 3/1/15
Grade: 7
Topic: Mesoamerican Civilizations Content Area: Social Studies
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES(S)
After analyzing settlement of Mesoamerican civilizations, students will be able to identify their
location on a map with 100% accuracy
Key Concepts: settlement, Mesoamerican civilizations, location, map
After learning about the accomplishments of Mesoamerican civilizations, students will be able to
create a poster highlighting positive aspects of the society with 100% accuracy
Key Concepts: accomplishments, Mesoamerican civilizations, poster, society
STANDARDS AND INDICATORS FROM NEW YORK STATE
COMMON CORE LEARNING STANDARDS
Social Studies Standard #3: Geography
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography
of the interdependent world in which we livelocal, national, and globalincluding the distribution
of people, places, and environments over the Earths surface.
Indicator: This will be evident when students locate the settlement of Mesoamerican civilizations
on a given map.
Common Core Standard ELA Literacy RH 6-8.8
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
Indicator: This will be evident when students analyze theories of the Mayas disappearance and
decide which theory they believe caused the decline of the Mayas.
MOTIVATION
To introduce the Incan civilization, I will show a YouTube video which briefly explains the society.
The video will capture the students attention and interest because it is a parody of a popular Justin
Bieber song.
MATERIALS
Microsoft PowerPoint

SMART Board
YouTube video
Internet
Do-Now Activity
Construction Paper
Crayons
3-2-1 Activity
Independent practice worksheets
STRATEGIES

Do Now
Lecture
Scaffolding
Questioning: Divergent and Convergent
Defining
Multimedia
Map Reading
Cause and Effect
Group Work
Illustrating
Posters
3-2-1

ADAPTATIONS
Brian:
Provide outline of key terms
Provide outline of teacher lecture
Provide audio recordings
Use technology support (iPad) and provide worksheets ahead of time
Prove tiered worksheets
Brittany:
Provide with a printed copy of the day/lesson agenda
Recheck understanding and refocus her during independent/group work
Teacher partner/peer partner for independent work
Seat close to the teacher
DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

Tier 1: Those students who are struggling with the lesson and do not reach mastery in map skills will
be provided with a map of Mesoamerica that is completely labeled with countries and geographical
features and will be asked to shade areas of Mesoamerican settlement.
Tier 2: Those students who are at average level will be provided with a map that has countries
labeled and will be required to label geographical features as well as shade areas of Mesoamerican
settlement.
Tier 3: Those students who reach mastery level will be provided with a blank map of Mesoamerica
and be asked to label countries and geographical features as well as shade areas of Mesoamerican
settlement.
DEVELOPMENTAL PROCEDURES
Time (in minutes)
1
2
3

Activity
Do Now: Students will
complete the K and
W on a KWL for
Mesoamerican
civilizations

4
5
6

Go over Do-Now

7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21

TRANSITION:
Class Objective
Slides #1-2
Lecture: Students will
listen to a lecture on
the Aztec civilization.
Students will shade on
their given maps
where the Aztecs
settled
Slides #3-7
TRANSITION:
Motivation
Slide #8
Lecture: Students will
listen to a lecture on
the Inca civilization
Students will shade on
their given maps
where the Incans
settled
Slides #9-13

Key Questions
What do you know
about Mesoamerican
civilizations?
What do you want to
know about
Mesoamerican
civilizations?

Assessment
Students will be called
on at random to
answer the do-now
question

What are some

advantages of building
a city on an island in a
lake? What are some
disadvantages?
What significance did
religion have in the
Aztec civilization

Students will volunteer

answers to key
questions

How does the Incan

Students will volunteer
civilization compare to answers to key
the Aztec civilization? questions
How does it differ?
What types of
government allowed
Mesoamerican
societies to rule large
areas?

22
23
24
25
26
27

Lecture: Students will

listen to a lecture on
the Maya civilization
Students will shade on
their given maps
where the Mayas
settled
Slides 14-18
Students will work in
pairs in order to create
a poster advertising
one of the three
Mesoamerican
civilizations. The
poster should highlight
the major
achievements of the
society in order to
encourage others to
visit.
Exit Ticket: Students
will complete the L
on a KWL chart and
hand in the completed
sheet before leaving
class

28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

What significance did

the quipus have to the
Maya civilization?

Students will volunteer

answers to key
questions

What were the

accomplishments and
advances of the
Mesoamerican
empires?

Students will be
assessed by their
accuracy, group work,
and participation in
creating their poster

What did you learn

today?

Students will be
assessed by the L
addition, which
explains what they
learned at the end of
the lesson

ASSESSMENT

Students will complete the do now activity and be able to answer when called upon
Students will be assessed by their completion of the map of Mesoamerica
Students will be assessed by using the KWL strategy. The teacher will get feedback on the
lesson in order to assess whether more review on the topic is needed before moving on.
The students will be assessed throughout the unit study of Mesoamerican civilizations by
scaffolding information learned in previous lessons.
Students will be assessed by their accuracy, group work, and participation

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
Following the lecture on the ancient Maya civilization, students will read at home about different
theories of the civilizations disappearance. Students will be asked to decide which theory they

believe is most accurate and briefly summarize the theory and explain why they agree that it is most
valid.
FOLLOW-UP: ACADEMIC INTERVENTION AND ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT
Academic Enrichment: Students who have reached mastery level of understanding Mesoamerican
civilizations will be asked the question of how Mesoamerican civilizations compare to different
civilizations such as Ancient Egypt or Ancient Africa.
Academic Intervention: Students who have not reached mastery level will watch a YouTube video
which reiterates key ideas discussed in the lesson. The video Pre-Columbian Empires will explain the
significance of the Mayas, Incas, and Aztec civilizations.
TEACHER REFERENCES
Lynch, P. (2014). Learning Packet #1: Course Syllabus. Rockville Centre, NY: Molloy College
Productions Dept.
Lynch, P. (2014). Learning Packet on Differentiation of Instruction. Rockville Centre, NY: Molloy
College Productions Dept.
Lynch, P. (2014). The Process of Questioning. Rockville Centre, NY: Molloy College Productions
Dept.
Peterson, F. (2015). United states history and government. (pp. 218-227). Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey: Pearson Education.
Rowan, K. J. (2006, September 04). Glossary of instructional strategies.
If I was an inca: History music video. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_-ABbHKYKU
Pre-columbian empires. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lis9lVRA7ZA

Name _______________________

Date _________________
KWL Chart

What I Know

What I Want to
Know

What I Learned

Name: ______________________________

Date: ___________________

Advertisement Poster
Directions: Create a poster advertising one of the three Mesoamerican civilizations. Your poster
should highlight some of the major achievements of the society in order to encourage others to visit.
Use crayons and construction paper. Be creative!

Key Vocabulary Terms Provided

Mayas
Civilization- community characterized by elements such as a system of writing, development of
social classes, and cities
Agricultural- relating to farming
Social Hierarchy- System of organization in which people are ranked above others according to
status
Hieroglyphic- picture system of writing

Aztecs
Tenochtitlan- capital city of the Aztecs
Tribute- payment taken from conquered peoples
Polytheism- Belief in many Gods
Chinampas- artificial islands made out of earth piled on reed mats that were anchored to the shallow
bed of Lake Texcoco
Incas
Cuzco- Capital city of the Incas
Quipus- knotted, colored strings used to keep records, record dates, events, population, and crop
statistics
PowerPoint Presentation

Name: ________________________

Date: ___________________

HW Assignment

Ms. McKenna
What Happened to the Mayas?

Directions: Read each theory carefully in order to decide which most accurately depicts the downfall
of the Maya civilization. After, use these theories and your knowledge about the Maya civilization to
answer the question on the next page.
In 800 AD, the Maya empire was at its peak: Mighty temples were lined up in
precision with the sky, stone carvings were made to celebrate the
accomplishments of great leaders, and long-distance trade was flourishing. Yet,
a hundred years later, the cities were in ruins and completely abandoned. What
Happened to the Mayas?
The Disaster Theory: Early Maya researchers believe that some catastrophic
event may have doomed the Maya. An earthquake, volcanic eruption, or sudden
epidemic disease could have destroyed cities and killed or displaced tens of
thousands of people bringing the Maya civilization crashing down.
The Warfare Theory: The Maya were once thought to have been a peaceful
culture. Contrary to this belief, new discoveries of stone carvings clearly indicate
the Maya warred frequently and viciously among themselves. City-states went to
war with one another quite often. Did they war with one another enough to
cause the collapse of their civilization?
The Famine Theory: As the Maya civilization advanced, cities grew. The
population grew much larger than could be fed by local production. Could a
famine or other agricultural calamity affecting crops have caused the downfall of
the Mayas?
Civil Strife Theory: As the populations in cities boomed, great strain was
placed on the working class to produce food, build temples, and do other labor
intensive tasks. Could a hungry and overworked working class have overthrown
the elite?

Name: __________________________

Date: _________________

Directions: Use the theories given and your knowledge of the Maya civilization in order to answer
the following questions in paragraph form: Which theory of downfall do you believe is most
accurate? Why? Are there any theories you believe are wrong? Why?

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Tiered Maps
Tier 1: Students will be asked to shade areas of Mesoamerican settlement

Tier 2: Students will asked to list geographical features as well as shade areas of Mesoamerican
settlement
Aztec: Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico Inca: Andes Mountains, Atlantic Ocean Maya: Yucatan
Peninsula

Tier 3: Students will be asked to label countries and geographical features as well as shade areas of
Mesoamerican settlement.
Aztec: Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Mexico Inca: Andes Mountains, Atlantic Ocean, Peru,
Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile Maya: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Yucatan Peninsula