Teacher's Guide for APPLESEEDS Children of Ancient Mexico

Objectives:
-- to develop an appreciation for an ancient culture
-- to increase historical perspective
-- to increase geographical perspective
-- to improve comprehension skills
-- to practice writing skills through a variety of activities, both practical and creative
-- to participate in small group and whole class activities

For "Ancient Mexico -- Where and When" (pages 2-3)
To give students a sense of relative chronology, take them to a long hall. Using adding machine tape, wide ribbon, (or even string will work), roll out 10 feet; this will represent 12,000 years using the approximate scale of the time line on pages 2 and 3 of this issue.
-- Have one student stand at the far end of the time line to represent the first people who lived in Mexico, 12,000 years ago.
-- Have another student stand at the other end to represent the present.
-- A third student will stand on a spot which is approximately between 5 and 8 inches down from the present, to represent the Aztecs.
-- A fourth student will stand on the spot which is approximately between 12 and 17 inches down from the present. to represent the Mayans.
Using factual material from the article, walk along the time line and give a few facts about each civilization at each stop.
Throughout the teaching unit for this issue, refer students back to the time line -- as well as the map -- on these pages. If possible, furnish each student with a blank world map on which to label Mesoamerica.

For "A Day in the Life of a Mayan Boy and an Aztec Girl," (pages 4-5), "School Days (pages 8-9), "Games of Ancient Mexico" (pages 10-11) and "What's for Dinner" (pages 16-17).
Ask students to time travel back to ancient Mexico and write a letter home.
(NOTE: Although the article tells us that we really don't know whether girls were allowed to go to school, for the purpose of this assignment we will assume they were.) Each letter must contain the following:
1. What your day is like (boys will use the Aztec; girls the Mayan). Tell at least three different things you did or saw during the day, using details for at least one of these.
2. What school is like; choose either the school of the nobility or the school for the common people.
3. Describe watching a game of tlaxtli (page 10). Describe playing either a game of volador or patolli.
4. From the dinner menu on page 16, choose one appetizer, one vegetable, and one meat or main dish that you ate during your time travel.
5. Compare one fact about a child's ancient daily life to life for a child today.

For "Market Day" (pages 12-13)
1. Provide students with a large sheet of paper on which to draw a small circle in the center labeled "Market Day in Ancient Mexico."
2. Have students draw four spokes from the center; write the labels for each spoke on the board for students to copy: Products for Sale or Trade, Smells, Appearance of People; Sounds.
3. Challenge students to come up with the following to "hang" from the spokes: 16 products, 3 smells, a drawing of one person the narrator saw, and 2 sounds.

For "The Day of the Dead" (pages 14-15)
1. You might want to begin with a discussion about different ways people honor the dead in various cultures: lighting candles, bringing flowers to graves, etc.
2. Read aloud (or just explain) the first two paragraphs on page 14.
3. Ask students to scan the article (starting with the sentence which begins "Paper maché skeletons . .. ") and to make a list of all items/supplies needed as if they were being asked to do all of the shopping for the celebration.

For "Mountains of Stone" (pages 20-22)
Study Guide Questions:
page 20:
1. In what part of their cities did the people of ancient Mexico build their pyramids?
2. Why did they build their pyramids to look like mountains?
3. In what ways are Mexican pyramids like the pyramids in Egypt? In what way are they different?
page 21:
4. Tell 3 facts about the pyramid at Chichén Itzá.
page 22:
5. What did the people fear would happen without the offering of blood?
6. Are any of the pyramids still standing?

For "Math in Mesoamerica" (page 24-25)
1. Ask students to number their paper from 1-26. Help them use the information on page 24 to write the numbers in Mayan. Next, have students write the letters of the alphabet, one next to each number.
2. On the back of their papers, have students do the same activity using the Aztec numbers.
3. Now they have two codes. Ask students to write their names using both the Mayan and Aztec codes.

For "The Aztec Sun Stone" (pages 26-27)
Time and resources permitting, assign students a simple research project: After discussing the sun stone, and the xiuhpohualli, ask students to find out what other kinds of calendars have been utilized by peoples from the past.

For "Wind Brings Music to Earth" (pages 29-31)
Give students the opportunity to tell the myth both orally and/or in cartoon form: In small groups students could divide the story so that each member has a part to relate to the class.

To retell the story in cartoon form:
1. Ask students to fold two pieces of paper into fourths and then unfold them. Tracing along the fold lines and using both sides of the paper, students will have sixteen sections.
2. Next, provide students with a photo copy of the story and ask them to use a pencil to divide the story into small sections which can be illustrated. (If necessary, you might want to guide the entire class through this activity.)
3. Using simple drawings (stick people are fine), students retell the story in cartoon form using only whatever words are necessary. Remind students that any groups of words copied exactly must be put in quotation marks.

NOTE: The cartoon activity also works well as a group activity in which each member of the group is assigned a different frame; as a group activity students would use single sheets of paper for each frame.

Home

Back

Print

Updated: 11/21/08 11:48 am
Log In