Central American History Teacher Resources

Students research the life of a powerful woman of the Maya Empire. They analyze the role of women in Maya society and compare them to powerful women of today in an essay.

In this online interactive geography quiz instructional activity, students examine the map that includes 22 Central American countries. Students identify the names of the countries in 3 minutes.

Learners create a video box about a Central American country. In this world history lesson, student research Central America and pick a country they want to investigate. They work in groups to create a video box that shows images about...

Young scholars examine the role of women in Mesoamerica. They watch segments of the Discovery video "Mesoamerica: The History of Central America". After conducting further research pertaining to specific Mayan women, they write...

Scholars join a field expedition team to unearth a plethora of treasures from Central America. Artifacts listed in alphabetical order come with an informational blurb and a picture designed for participants to color. Activity pages...

A basic overview of the early civilizations of Central America, this slideshow would be a good foundation for a lesson on the characteristics of these three tribes. It would fold into a unit on world cultures or European exploration...

A 10-lesson unit explores the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Over the course of two weeks, scholars read nonfiction excerpts, discuss their findings, and complete activities. An assessment equipped with multiple choice and matching...

Students research books, watch movies, and look on the internet to find information on ancient America, Mexico, and Central America. In this Mesoamerica lesson plan, students participate in a social studies unit on North America of the...

Honduras is home to ancient ruins and beautiful baroque buildings. It also has fish-nados, a natural phenomenon that causes fish rain upon parts of the country. A video profile explores the Central American nation, including some of its...

Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...

Students create a sculpture inspired by the masks, pendants, or human and animal forms found in ancient Indian art of the Americas. They focus on the techniques of metalworking, especially repousse.

Students explain how the availability of natural resources has affected human settlement patterns. They recognize the interactions of human populations on environments and compare the growth of two ancient cities in relation to natural...

Humans cannot survive without water, and neither can civilizations. A brief history of ancient civilizations and their dependence on—and management of—water demonstrates how states either flourish or flail based on the availability of...

What do we know about the ancient Mayan civilization? In this world history worksheet, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases pertaining to the Mayan and Olmec to answer 10 fill-in-the-blank questions about the...

Students visit sites to explore the history, wildlife, and geography of El Salvador. They play an interactive game of Concentration and watch a slide show that includes pie charts and bar graphs on Hispanic population in the United States.

What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...

The students create a personal narrative on their experiences with immigration. In this lesson, students are asked to read and understand examples of narrative writing as well as evaluate lyrics from Ben Folds Five to determine elements...

In this online interactive geography quiz worksheet, learners examine the map that includes 13 Canadian provinces and territories. Students identify the names of the provinces and territories in 2...

From 1500-2000, an interactive timeline details important events related to Latino Americans. Next, to each date are small, yet informative blurbs—some of which include videos. 

An 11-minute video shines a spotlight on Carlos Vaquerano, an El Salvadorian who made his way to the United States of America at the age of 15 to escape the dangers that took over his country. Interviews detail how and why Vaquerano left...

The Mayans still exist, and their presence is felt everywhere—just ask the people of Guatemala. The Central American country is home to many ruins from the ancient civilization, and its people still speak many of the Mayan's original...

A panorama of the mid-19th century in America, this series of images present several issues that were prevalent before the Civil War. Territorial and social conflicts were heated during this time, and one map in particular shows a...

Students analyze El Salvador's history and the conditions that contributed to its civil war. identify the factors that led to the churchwomen's murder. Make determinations about the future of El Salvador's political and social climate...

Ninth graders take a trip to Central American and the Caribbean. In this culture and geography lesson plan, 9th graders research selected countries of the region. Students use their findings to create tri-fold...