Name: Date: The Olmec

Name: Date: The Olmec Figure 1.1: Map of Central America: Part of North America The ancient Olmec Mexico Guatemala Honduras stone monuments was large stone heads, or colossal heads see (figure 1.3), that were most likely of athletes and warriors. These colossal heads, along with the other artwork by the Olmec was often made out of rare and expensive types of stones. This is considered a sign that the Olmec were very rich and successful, as well as that they likely traded successfully because not all of the stones were found in the area where the Olmec lived. The Olmec people lived in what is now Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, between 2000 350 BCE. The Olmec are best known for their use of technology and artwork, as they created stone pavement and water systems that were very advanced for their time. They also sculpted large stone monuments, in addition to making other artwork. One of the types of large 1. Using your knowledge of the environmental factors, why do you think the Olmec decided to settle where they did in North America? How do you think the environmental factors led to the Olmec becoming rich? The Olmec, like many other civilizations practiced a polytheistic religion, which means they believed in more than one god. Also, like many other civilizations in Mesoamerica, they practiced human sacrifice to honor the gods and make the gods happy. In fact, Figure 1.2

religion was so important to the Olmec that their rulers had to get a blessing from their gods to rule. Figure 1.3 Colossal Head 6, a 3-meter-high Olmec sculpture with lips and nose said to resemble African facial features. 2. Based on the text, what is the definition of polytheistic? Finally, one other important piece of the Olmec civilization was their calendar, which had a year that lasted 260 days. This calendar was one of the earliest calendars in the world and was used to mark sacred (holy) dates, and important dates in agriculture (planting seeds, harvesting, etc.). The Olmecs eventually disappeared, no one knows the reasons why they disappeared. Some scientist say that the Olmec met their end because of something that happened in their environment (natural) event, such as a volcanic eruption, that destroyed their food crops and made them move out of their homes and to a new area quickly. 3. How do you think volcanic ash and smoke affected crops (food supply)? What other aspect of their environment could the volcanic ash have affected (Think about the other environmental factors)? Explain While the Olmec were the smallest Mesoamerican civilization, other important civilizations in Mesoamerica looked to the Olmecs and used many of their cultural such as the calendar and the way they planted their crops. They also shared their inventions with other groups around them. 4. How did the Olmecs affect the civilizations around them? How do you think they managed shared their ideas?

Name Date Do Now Empire (noun): supreme power and control, that s last for a very long time. Ex: It is believed by many that the empire of the New York Yankees is coming to end. After being the best team in baseball for many years, they have recently showed signs of losing all the power they once had. Write your own sentence using the word empire: The Aztec Empire Around 1300 CE, a wandering tribe of Indians wandered into the Valley of Mexico. These people were called the Aztecs. When the Aztecs arrived in the Valley of Mexico, other tribes were already in residence. They had already taken the best land. The Aztecs had to make due with the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco. But this did not bother the Aztecs. Not only were they very clever people, but they had every faith that their main god had sent them to the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco, so obviously this place was perfect for them. They adapted to their environment. They built canoes, so they could fish and hunt birds that lived near the water. They created floating gardens for growing food. They created more land for agriculture by filling in the marshes. They built canals to direct water to their land. 1) Why do you think the Aztecs decided to settle on the swampy shores of Lake Texcoco? What type of environment do you think that area is like?

After they settled in, they began to conquer the neighboring tribes. They conquered first one tribe, and then another, and then another. Each conquered tribe had to pay tribute to the Aztecs in the form of food, clothing, jewels, and of course, captives to feed the hungry gods. That made the Aztecs very happy and very rich. The Aztecs expanded and expanded until they had built an empire. 2) Why did the Aztecs want to conquer other tribes and people? Why do you think that? One day, around 1500 CE, Spanish soldiers arrived in the Valley of Mexico. They were amazed at what they saw. One soldier said, There were soldiers among us who had been in many parts of the world, in Constantinople and Rome and all over Italy, who said that they had never before seen a market place so large and so filled with people. 3) Before you read any further, make a prediction. What do you think the Spanish did to the Aztec? Also, explain why you think that is what the Spanish did. The Spanish conquered the Aztecs. The arrival of the Spanish brought guns, horses, huge fighting dogs, and disease. Because the Aztecs were such fierce warriors, they might have had a slim chance of survival against guns and horses and huge fighting dogs. But they had no defense against disease. They had never been exposed to childhood diseases like measles. Many became ill once the Spanish arrived; many died.

4) Why weren t the Aztecs able to defeat the Spanish? What advantages did the Spanish have over the Aztec that allowed them to do this? The Spanish also received help from the other tribes in the area. These tribes saw a chance to get even, and perhaps even to rid themselves of the feared and hated Aztecs. These tribes did not expect to be conquered themselves, which they were. Nor did they know how harshly the Spanish would rule their people. 5) Why would other tribes in Mesoamerica decide to help the Spanish and NOT the Aztec? Why wouldn t these tribes help some strangers and not their closest neighbors? By the mid-1500 s, the Aztec Empire had collapsed, and the Spanish had taken over the entire region. Today, there are around 1,000,000 (one million) descendants of the ancient Aztecs living and working in Mexico. Human sacrifice is no longer part of their festivals. But the beautiful art and clever games the Aztecs created are still enjoyed today. 6) Write a sentence using the word empire but this time, use it to describe the Aztec empire that you just learned about!

What Was Daily Life Like in the Aztec Empire? Like nearly all of the ancient civilizations, the rich lived in luxury and the poor worked. In the Aztec civilization, class structure was very important. Homes: The Rich: Homes of the nobles and wealthy were made of sun-dried brick. If you were very wealthy, you home could be made of stone. All homes were whitewashed to make them look clean and shiny. Each noble home had a separate room for steam bathing. Water was poured over heated stones. Bathing was an important part of daily life and of religion. Bathing was believed to clean both the body and soul. The Poor: Homes of the farmers and other commoners were huts with thatched roofs. Furniture was limited. They might have mats on the floor and woven trunks to hold belongings. They had blankets and pottery for cooking. Everyone had a garden of their own, including farmers. Clothing: Upper Class: People in the upper class wore clothing decorated with feathers and embroidery to show their status. They also carried fans made of feathers. Common People: It was against the law for commoners to wear feathers. It was against the law for commoners to carry fans. If commoners broke these laws, they were killed. Marriage: At about age 20, men married women who were ages 14-15. A man could have more than one wife as long as he could support her. Weddings were arranged, usually with the help of a matchmaker. Slaves: The Aztec nobles had slaves. Slaves were not captured people. They were Aztecs. Schools: Kids went to school. To build the city they wanted, they knew that they would need many engineers, builders, and traders. To solve this problem, the Aztecs created schools for their children. Attendance at school was mandatory. All Aztec children had to attend school, even girls and slaves. The Aztecs were the only people in the world at this time in history to have free schools that every child had to attend by law. a) Which of the above facts do you find most interesting or surprising? Why? Explain! b) Which of the above facts to find most similar to the world we live in today? Why? Explain!

1.6 The Mayan Empire AMS 2013-2014 Aim: What are the ancient Maya most remembered for? Do Now: Conquer (verb) to defeat and destroy. After building up their strength to become an empire, the Aztecs were conquered by the Spanish. The weapons and diseases that the Spanish brought with them led to the eventual downfall of the Aztecs, and allowed the Spanish to take over. Write your own sentence using the word conquer: Procedure: Once students have shared their do nows, they will proceed to read a quick history of the Mayan Empire. Teacher can either read aloud with students, have them read on their own or do a combination of both. Throughout the reading, there are comprehension questions for students to complete. Teacher can either go over and discuss students answers immediately after their completion, or once the entire reading if finished. Once finished, students will read through some fast facts about what daily life was like for a variety of different parties living in the Mayan Empire. Once finished, students will respond to two questions, and share their thoughts/answers.

Name Date Do Now: Conquer (verb) to defeat and destroy. After building up their strength to become an empire, the Aztecs were conquered by the Spanish. The weapons and diseases that the Spanish brought with them led to the eventual downfall of the Aztecs, and allowed the Spanish to take over. Write your own sentence using the word conquer: The Mayan Empire A long time ago, around 2500 BCE, an ancient tribe of Central American Indians called the Olmecs settled in the rainforests of the Yucatan Peninsula of Central America. About two thousand years later, around 400 BCE, a new people suddenly appeared. These people were called the Maya. No one knows where they came from, but they arrived with amazing skills. They were an advanced civilization. They soon took over the Yucatan Peninsula of Central America. 1) Since the Maya already had amazing skills and were very advanced, why do you think they traveled to the Yucatan Peninsula of Central America? Why wouldn t they just stay where they were?

The Maya were very clever people. Their system of mathematics was among the most sophisticated in the ancient world. Like the ancient Romans, the Mayas were master builders. Unlike the ancient Romans, the ancient Mayas did not have metal tools. Their tools were made of stone, bone, and wood. Yet they built beautiful structures, huge cities, and excellent roads - roads that connected the many hundreds of cities that made up the Maya world. 2) How do you think the Maya built so many incredible structures without metal tools? What skills do you think they had that made this possible? Around 900 CE, the Maya cities were abandoned. A few people continued to live in the cities, but mostly, the cities were empty. The people had, for the most part, disappeared, gone somewhere else. Those who remained were unable or unwilling to repair the magnificent roads and buildings. The great Maya cities fell into ruin. 3) Why do you think the Mayan cities were abandoned? What could have happened to suddenly make them leave and disappear? Explain why you think this?

To this day, nobody knows where the Maya people came from before they arrived in the Yucatan Peninsula, and nobody knows why they left or where they went when most of the Maya people abandoned their cities and disappeared from the Yucatan Peninsula. That's why the Maya are sometimes referred to as "the mysterious Mayas". 4) Why are the Maya sometimes considered The Mysterious Maya? During the 1500 years or so that the Maya Indians made their home in Central America, they built hundreds of religious centers, each filled with huge pyramids and elaborate temples. There was at least one ball court in every city. Excellent roads ran for miles through the jungles and swamps, linking these centers of religion and learning. Today, archaeologists remain very curious about these ancient people. Archaeologists face many dangers to hunt for the ruins of the ancient Maya cities hidden deep in the jungles of Central America. There are not many, but there are some Maya people still living in Central America, descendants of the ancient Mayas who remained behind in the nearly deserted cities. Still today, their crafts are amongst the most beautiful in the world. 5) If most of the Maya left their cities over 1,000 years ago, why do you think there are still Maya descendants in the areas of Central America? Why would some stay and others leave? Explain. _

Mayan Ball Games Each Maya city had at least one huge ball court similar to the stadiums we have today. Tiers of bleacher seating surrounded each open air ball court. Ball courts and the games played within them were important to the Maya people. Games were always played during the religious festivals held every 20 days. But there were other games held as well. Each time a game was played in a nearby city, people poured in from the surrounding areas to attend. Honoring the Gods: Ball courts were usually positioned at the foot of a temple. Ball games had religious meanings. Games were played to honor the Hero Twins and other Maya gods and goddesses. The Game: Courts had a large playing area. There was a stone hoop mounted in the wall at one end. The Mayas used the ball courts to play a ball game they called pok-a-tok. It was a very rough sport. Pok-a-tok is a mix of soccer, basketball, and kick ball. It was played with a solid hard rubber ball. You could not hit the ball with your hands. It had to be hit with the hips, shoulders, or arms. The object of the game was to hit the rubber ball through the stone ring that was attached to the wall at one end of the court. Ball players wore protective clothing when playing. Winners: When playing games among themselves, or against other Maya cities, the winning team got to keep the jewelry of the losing team. Losers: Some games were played with captives, people from other Indian tribes that Maya warriors had captured. These games were of great interest to the Maya people. Poorly fed, exhausted, beaten captives made up one team, and professional Maya ball players made up the other. The beaten captives always lost these games. After they lost, they were sacrificed. a) Which of the above facts do you find most interesting or surprising? Why? Explain! b) Which of the above facts to find most similar to the world we live in today? Why? Explain!