Here's a fresh take on a mythology unit. Use the myths of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Mesoamerica instead of the more traditional Greek and Roman stories. This abstract suggests possible approaches and resources that can be used to craft a unit study of these fascinating cultures. 

Concepts

mythology, creation myths, mayan culture, mesoamerica

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Classroom Considerations

• Although the activities are designed for for kids enrolled in an arts school, the exercises are equally appropriate for any comprehensive school or for homeschool situations
• Rather than a detailed unit plan, the resource outlines an approach to a study of Aztec and Mayan Mythology

Pros

• The resource contains both teacher and student bibliographies
• The role-playing, mask making, and writing activities should appeal to most kids

Cons

• The teacher and student bibliographies, as well as the periodicals list, are dated and would need to be supplemented with newer resources
• Because of the gory nature of the myths, many of the tales would need to be edited for younger kids