Curated Video
Amaranth: From Ancient Staple to Modern Superfood
This video explores the fascinating history and resilience of the ancient grain, amaranth. From its origins in Mesoamerica and its importance to the Aztec civilization, to its condemnation by the Spanish conquistadors and subsequent...
National Geographic
Ancient Maya 101 | National Geographic
With their impressive city structures and advanced astronomical understanding, the Maya civilization once dominated Mesoamerica. Learn about the Maya's influence in mathematics, how their cosmic calendars advised agricultural matters,...
Curated Video
The History of Chocolate
Chocolate is not just a delicious treat, but a relic of the ancient Mesoamerican civilizations where it was first developed. Early indigenous groups ground dried cacao beans into powder to mix with water. Some believed chocolate was a...
NativLang
Is this the earliest writing in Mesoamerica?
A quest for Mesoamerica's oldest glyphs and a birthplace of ancient writing. Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NativLang Become my patron: https://www.patreon.com/NativLang ~ Briefly ~ The sun rises...
Free School
Exploring Maya Civilization for Kids: Ancient Mayan Culture Documentary for Children - FreeSchool
The Maya culture was one of the most powerful and longest lasting civilizations in the history of the world. For thousands of years, they dominated the Yucatán peninsula in Central America. The Maya were fierce warriors who practiced...
Next Animation Studio
Archeologists document first use of maize as food in Mesoamerica: study
Archeologists may have found out when cave-dwelling prehistoric Mesoamericans began eating maize as a staple, according to a new study in Science Advances.
Curated Video
Medieval China: Crash Course History of Science
Like Egypt, Sumer, and Mesoamerica, ancient China represents a hydraulic civilization—one that maintained its population by diverting rivers to aid in irrigation—and one that developed writing thousands of years ago. Today, we’re going...
SciShow
Corn Shouldn't Be Food, But It Is
You probably have a bag of frozen corn in your freezer, or have chowed down on a buttery ear of corn at a cookout. But not only did it take thousands of years for humans to domesticate teosinte to corral it into what we now know as corn,...
60 Second Histories
Maya medicine
A Maya woman talks about medicine, doctors, midwives and healers; also a look at the illnesses and treatments they used.
Curated Video
The Golden Age of Mayan Civilization
The Mayan Empire once flourished in the dense rainforests of what are now southern Mexico and Central America. Over centuries, the Mayans acquired the elements of an advanced civilization, including large cities, an organized priesthood,...
NativLang
How writing got civilized - History of Writing Systems #3 (Logographs)
Watch prehistoric pictures turn into written words as ancient civilizations around the world learn to write for the very first time! You took Thoth's Pill. Now your journey continues. Leave the cave days behind and take a leap into...
NativLang
Aztec and Mayan are totally different languages. Sort of.
Ancient Mexico was a hotbed of language mixing. Aztecs and Maya spoke completely unrelated languages, but a Mesoamerican linguistic mindmeld tied them together in surprising ways. Here's the grammar. Subscribe for language:...
TED-Ed
The Upside of Isolated Civilizations
How was physical isolation an incredible opportunity for the ancient Egyptians, the Mayans of Mesoamerica, and the Medieval Japanese? Show your class three distinct civilizations that, while isolated from other nations, experienced great...
Curated OER
Ancient Gold Working
Young scholars 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.
Curated OER
Mesoamerica: The History of Central America
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 essays...
Curated OER
East to West: Africa's Influence on Mexico
Your historians and social anthropologists study the relationship between peoples of ancient Africa and ancient Mesoamerica. They relate in written or verbal form the African presence in the ancient Americas. They create their own...
Curated OER
Mesoamerican Codex Books
Fifth graders recreate Mesoamerican Codex Books using brown paper bags, paints, glue, an iron, and books on Mesoamerican Glyphs in this 5th grade lesson in the Art classroom. Resource links and book references are provided for lesson...
Curated OER
Let's Go Maya!
Students make an ancient Maya travel guide. For this ancient Maya lesson, students use knowledge from previous lessons to design a travel guide. They include important information for a traveler who wants to visit an ancient Maya city....
Curated OER
Me Oh Maya
Learners compare basketball to Mayan ring-ball. They write a newspaper article that may have been published during Mayan times.
Curated OER
Mesoamerican Codex Books
Fifth graders use visual art as a form of communication as they create a codex book based on their knowledge of Mesoamericans.
Curated OER
Aztec and Mayan Mythology
Sixth graders write myths to show tolerance in creation. They read from both the Aztec and Mayan eras and develop an understanding of the similarities and differences of these two closely related cultures. They track the travels of...
Curated OER
Anasazi/Mesoamerican/Andean: Time and Cultural Passages
Seventh graders role play the position of someone in one of six different civilization groups. They research the group's development, advancement and fall of their civilization. They create a presentation to share the information with...