Curated OER
The Ancient Maya
Students explore the culture of the Mayans through a variety of activities. In this lesson about Maya, students analyze pictures in books and on websites, produce scale models of Maya architecture, and create Maya mosaics. Students study...
Curated OER
Lesson: Bringing Back the Sun: The Story of Jaguar Inspiring Student Stories
What on earth is that jar for? It was an ancient incense burner used by the Maya, that was inspired by the myth of the sun god. Young analysts hear the story of the Mayan sun god, analyze the story through the artistry in the jar, and...
Curated OER
Lesson: The Gift of Giving
Giving gifts has been a part of the human experience since modern man walked the earth. Upper graders explore the culture of gift giving in Mayan times through an artistic analysis. They analyze gift giving and palace life as seen on an...
Curated OER
Bags, Baskets, Bundles, Gourds, and Nets: Ancient and Imaginative Ways for Making, Storing, and Carrying Things
Young scholars explore Mayan culture. In this Mayan world cultures lesson, students identify 5 methods by which the Mayan people carried things. Young scholars view several drawings and photographs of these items, then describe how each...
Curated OER
Sport as Social Ritual
Students become familiar with the sport that became a social ritual in ancient American cultures, examining its importance. They gain an understanding of how contemporary sports have acquired importance within modern American culture.
Curated OER
Maya Lesson Plans
Mayan cities may have mysteriously disappeared, but the culture still thrives today. Maya lesson plans bring the culture alive.
Curated OER
Central And South America And Their Ancient Civilizations
Fifth graders listen to lectures on the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans. They construct a mask base and then decorate it in thirds with symbols meaningful to each of the three cultures being studied.
Curated OER
Let's Go Maya!
Students make an ancient Maya travel guide. In 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
Weavers Tell Their Stories
Students examine the practice of weaving by Mayan women. They read personal accounts and write a sentence stating the main idea. They also write a short report on weaving as a cultural and economic way of life for the Mayan women.
Curated OER
Horse Character: Ceramics Lesson
Animals oftentimes elicit various characteristics which make them symbolic or representative of human feeling, action, or emotion. The class creates horse characters out of clay to show character action and symbolism. This is a great...
Other
Mayan Culture: Maya Weavers
Explore the world of Mayan weaving with this colorful site! Provides photos of this ancient art, as well as links to more information on symbols, weaving techniques, materials, and more.
California State University
Hux 576 Key Periods and Movements, Art: Ancient Maya
Mayan art is mixed in with general information in this two-page article.
Other
College of the Siskiyous: Chichen Itza
This is a very good site that delivers very relevant information pertaining to the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza and its many different areas such as The Nunnery and The Iglesia.
The British Museum
British Museum: Explore World Cultures: Maya
Learn about the art of the ancient Maya of central America and the Yucatan penincula in this overview and image gallery with individual artwork descriptions.
Library of Congress
Loc: Tortuguero Box
With the help of computer technology you can virtually explore this wooden box artifact from all sides. Also see a gallery of other Mayan art.