August 21-September 3, 2014 Current Events Lesson Plan
Current Event: Ancient Maya City Rediscovered
Archaeologists recently rediscovered the “lost” Maya city of Lagunita, along with another city, called Tamchen, that was unknown to scientists. Both cities are hidden deep in the jungle of southeastern Mexico, near the border with Guatemala. The cities flourished from around A.D. 600 to 950, near the end of what scholars call the Classic Period of Maya civilization. Among the ruins, archaeologists found plazas and the remains of what are thought to be palaces and stone pyramids. Archaeologists have known of the existence of Lagunita since the 1970’s. However, only recently were they able to determine the location of the lost city of Lagunita as well as Tamchen by examining aerial photographs of the region. The jungle is so thick in this region that even large stone buildings can barely be seen beneath the dense foliage. The scientists believe there are several other still-undiscovered Maya cities in the region.
Objective:
The Maya were an American Indian people whose civilization in Central America and south Mexico peaked from about A.D. 250 to 900. The Maya produced remarkable architecture, painting, pottery, and sculpture. They made great advancements in astronomy and mathematics and developed an accurate yearly calendar. They were one of the first peoples in the Western Hemisphere to develop an advanced form of writing. In their cities, the Maya built tall pyramids of limestone with small temples on top. In the early 1500′s, Spanish conquerors invaded the Maya territories. By the mid-1500′s, they had overcome almost all the Maya. The Behind the Headlines news story and related World Book articles explore the Maya and other ancient civilizations.
Words to know:
Discussion Topics:
1. The Maya lived in Mexico and Central America. Ask your students to name the countries of Central America. (The seven Central American countries are Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama.)
2. The Maya developed one of the most important American Indian cultures in Latin America. Ask your students if they can name other important American Indian cultures in Latin America. (They might say Aztec, Inca, Toltec.) Ask your students if they can name other ancient civilizations. (They might say Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Persia, Rome.)
3. Archaeology is the scientific study of the remains of past human cultures. Have your students debate the topic, “It is important to learn about people from the past.”
4. Ask your students to debate the question, “What are the most important factors needed for the survival of a civilization?”
5. Ask your students to use World Book’s Timelines feature to view or add to the History of Latin America timeline. (Students may wish to use World Book’s Latin America article for help.)