The domain includes a study of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations, exposing students to the gradual development of cities. Students will examine the fundamental features of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, including farming, the establishment of cities and government, as well as religion. Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast each of these societies and their elements. Specifically, students will learn about the ancient Mayan city of Baakal and about the Mayan king, Pakal II. Students will also learn about Moctezuma, the Aztec ruler, and about the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. For the Inca, students will hear about the city of Machu Picchu and the role the Inca runners played in Incan society. Last, students will learn that much of what we know about the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca today is due to the work of archaeologists.
Lesson 1:
canoe- A narrow, open boat with pointed ends
Ex. People use paddles to make a canoe move through the water.
harvest- To gather a crop that is ready to be eaten
Ex. The girl and her father harvest lettuce every spring.
hurricane- A severe storm with very strong winds and heavy rains
Ex. Safe inside, the children could hear the wind and rain from the hurricane.
maize- corn
Ex. The farmer had a large crop of maize, which he planned to sell at the market.
shore- the edge of a lake, sea, or ocean
Ex. Seashells often wash up on the shore.
Lesson 2:
noiselessly- without making a sound
Ex. The cat crept noiselessly after the bird.
plain- a large, flat area of land
Ex. The boy could see the shadows from the clouds move across the plain.
temple- a building where people worship a god or gods, sometimes believed to be the place where the god or gods live.
Ex. Her family went to the temple on Saturdays to pray.
thrilled- extremely excited
Ex. The children were thrilled to have a new puppy.
Lesson 3:
market- a public space where people buy and sell food and other goods
Ex. On Saturday mornings, the boy and his mother bought fresh vegetables at the farmers' market.
pyramid- a structure with triangular sides and a rectangular base
Ex. Although the girl had only seen a pyramid in pictures, she wanted to travel to Egypt one day to see one up close.
tomb- A place where the dead are buried
Ex. The pharaoh was buried in a tomb.
Lesson 4:
accurate- without error; exactly right; correct
Ex. The boy was pleased when his answer to the teacher's question was accurate.
festivals- religious, cultural, or other kinds of celebrations
Ex. Aailiyah's town had many festivals in the spring; her favorite was the strawberry festival.
invented- created something original and new or a new way to do something
Ex. In class, the children invented a special game to play at the end of the day.
observatories- places where you can look at the stars, planets, and weather using special tools
Ex. Ellen's favorite hobby was visiting observatories and learning about the planets.
planets- large bodies in outer space
Ex. Mercury, Venus, and Earth are the first three planets in our solar system.
Lesson 5:
awe- wonder or surprise
Ex. The children stared in awe at the giant elephant.
island- a body of land surrounded completely by water
Ex. During summer vacation, the boy's family visited a warm island.
legend- a story told over the years that may or may not be true, but that many people know
Ex. Have you heard the legend about George Washington and the cherry tree?
scouts- people sent ahead of a traveling group to gather information about what lies ahead
Ex. The scouts rode ahead of the rest of the tribe to search for drinking water.
valley- an area of low land between hills or mountains
Ex. Although Jing's family lived near the mountains, their house was actually in the valley.
Lesson 6:
abundance- in a great amount; more than enough
Ex. There is an abundance of different kinds of trees and animals in the rainforest.
dredged- scooped up
Ex. At the beach, the children dredged up sand from below the water and searched for shells.
float- to rest on the surface or top of a liquid, such as water
Ex. The ice cubes float in my lemonade.
stationary- not moving; set in one place
Ex. The statue is a stationary object in the park.
Lesson 7:
emperor- the ruler of an empire
Ex. Her favorite tale was the one about the emperor and his new clothes.
empire- The people and land conquered and ruled by one king or emperor, often against their will
Ex. It took a long time to travel from one end of the empire to the other.
palace- a very large house where a king or queen lives and rules his or her kingdom
Ex. The king and queen lived in a palace on a hill outside of town.
retreat- to escape or turn around and run away
Ex. The boys got on their bikes to retreat from the smelly skunks.
wealth- valuable possessions or resources
Ex. Precious stones made up most of the king's wealth.
Lesson 8:
courteous- polite or thoughtful toward others
Ex. Students were courteous toward their new teacher.
courthouse- a place with lawyers and judges where cases are tried in order to uphold the law or rules
Ex. There were many laywers at the courthouse for a big trail.
enormous- very large
Ex. The boy's hat was so enormous that it covered both of his eyes.
royalty- people of royal blood or ancestry
Ex. Because their father had been king, the children were also royalty.
Lesson 9:
collecting- gathering
Ex. Sheri wandered down the beach collecting all the shells she could find.
possessions- things that someone owns
Ex. Among the artist's possessions were paints, paintbrushes, and an easel.
villagers- People living in a small town or village
Ex. The villagers walked down the road through their village together.
Lesson 10:
forbidden- not allowed
Ex. Unless you were royalty, you were forbidden from entering the palace.
gasping- Struggling to breather; taking a short, quick breath
Ex. After running a mile, the boy was gasping for breath.
honor- sign of distinction or respect
Ex. It was a great honor to be picked line leader of the class.
Lesson 11:
challenging- difficult or hard
Ex. The 100-piece puzzle looked challenging.
existence- the state or fact of being real as opposed to imagined
Ex. We did not know the existence of some stars before the nvention of the telescope.
raging- moving forcefully or violently
Ex. The army of men, with swords drawn, were raging toward their enemy.
ruins- things that remain after something has decayed or been destroyed, such as a building or a city
Ex. There were no buildings left after the fire; only ruins remained.
trek- a long, difficult journey
Ex. The trek along the trail from Maine to Georgia lasted for months.