Parker's Ancient Interactive Notebook

A Look at the

Mississippian, Maya,

Aztec and Inca

Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations
of the WBy: estern
HemBisyp:here

Parker Reid

Learning About Time

Watch the “Commonly Asked Questions about Dates” video on
Schoology to learn about the abbreviations/key words listed
below. As you watch, pause the video and write in your own
words what each of these means.

What does B.C. stand B.C. means before christ
for when looking at
A.D. means anno domini which is
dates? latin for “ In the year of our Lord”

What does A.D. stand
for when looking at

dates?

What does B.C.E. stand B.C.E. means before common era
for when looking at C.E. means common era
dates?

What does C.E. stand
for when looking at

dates?

What do c. and ca. C. and ca. Mean circa whis is
stand for when looking approximately

at dates?

MuLletaiprlnei-ntgieAr bToimutelTinimese

Watch the “Commonly Asked Questions about Dates” video on

Schoology to learn about the abbreviations/key words listed

Multiplewb-etoliroedwsr.wAthismaytoeeualiwcnhaetocsfht,uhpesaseuesmetwethaoensvo.idreomaondrewrriotewinsyooufr eowven nts.
While each row represents a different subject, the time

period isWthhaet dsoaems Be..C. stand B . C. means before christ
This term was used before Jesus's
Multiple-ftoirewr htiemn eloloinkeinsg caat n be used to heblpirtuh.s look at
cause and effedcatterse?lationships or patterns and themes

among eWvheanttdsoiens Aa.Ds.psetacnifdic peAr.iDo.dmoeafntsiamnneo. domini which is
latin for “ In the year of the Lord.”
We will bfoeruwshidenangtleoaso?mkinugltait-tier timeline to show the rise

and fall of four early civilizations in the Americas: The

MississWiphpaiat dno,eIsnBc.aC.,EM. sataynad, anBd. CA.zEtmeecanasnbdeflooreockomfomron era or
thebBe.Cdfo.aretechsr.ist. B.C.E is the same as
RELATIOfNorSwHhIePnSloboektinwgeaetn
dates?

What does C.E. stand C. E. means common era which
for when looking at means ordinary, common, or not

dates? regal. C.E. is the same as A.D.

What do c. and ca. C. and ca. means circa which means
stand for when looking around.

at dates?

The
Mississippians

The Mississippians were horticulturists.
Mississippians grew their food in small gardens
with stone axes, digging sticks and fire. Corn,
beans, squash, sunflowers, goosefoot,
sumpweed, and other plants were cultivated.
They ate wild animals and plants. They hunted
deer, turkeys and other small animals. They
collected fish, shellfish, and turtles from rivers,
streams, and ponds. To be classified as an elite,
it was based on your beliefs. Elites got better
food, clothing, and more. Jobs that they got
were all critical to live. The Mississippians
traded weapons and exchanged the weapons
for copper, food, clothing, pipes, headdresses,
and masks.

Where in the World…
Were the Mississippian Located?

What is the approximate latitude
and longitude of the location you
colored?
What might the weather be like in
this location based on the latitude
and longitude?

What is the approximate latitude and longitude of the location you colored?
Absolute location is 33 degrees N latitude and 85 degrees W longitude
Relative location would be around Atlanta, Georgia..
What might the climate be like in this location based on the latitude and longitude?
50 - 55 degrees for the crops
How would this affect the way people live in this area?

The crops will survive because it is warm. They will need shelter to protect them
from the sun.

What’s This?

Study this picture and then answer the questions
on the next page.

What’s This?

Use the picture on the previous page to answer the following
questions. *Note these answers are all based on your
observations at this point!

I think this picture is a What is
snake this?

I think the circle is an What is the
eye circle on the
left side of the
I think is was made to
bury people drawing?

They chose this shape Why do you
to tell a story of some think it was
made? What was
sort it used for?

By digging up dirt and Why do you
putting the dirt on top think they
chose this
of it
shape?

How do you
think they
made this?

The Mounds

Read the Khan Academy article posted in your
Schoology course: Fort Ancient Culture: Great
Serpent Mound. After you read, complete the
page below with your team.

Describe the physical attributes What do archeologists believe
of the Serpent Mound in your might be the reason the mounds

own words: are shaped like a serpent?

The mound is a snake Been used to mark

and the circle on the seasons

snake is unknown but

some think it is a

enlarged eye or egg.

It is 1,300 feet long and 1

- 3 feet high.

The fort ancient culture Ancients will vary Danielle Knight GO Interactive, 2015

Who is believed to have created What relationship generalization
it? can you make between the
mounds and the people who
built them?

Research the Relationships

Explore the Mississippian links in the Symbaloo posted in your
Schoology course as well as in the books and other resources available
in class to complete this organizer.

What was the government like? You were either a commoneres or
Did powerful relationships exist elite based on what you thought or

between the people and their belief.
leaders?
You were classified as elite based on
How was their society set up? your beliefs. Elites got better food
What were the types of jobs and clothing and etc. Jobs they had
people had? Were the jobs people was anything that was critical to live.
did purposeful for the civilization?

Describe their religion. Did the The religion for the Mississippians
relationship the people had with was found in the Mississippi river
their gods and religious leaders
valley.
follow rules?

What did the people invent, create, The Mississippians traded weapons
or trade that allowed them to and exchanges it for copper, food,
exchange ideas or values with clothing, pipes, headdresses and
others they had relationships
with? masks.

What was the agriculture like? Mississippians were horticulturists. They
What food did they eat? How grew their food in small gardens with tools
like stone axes, digging sticks and fire. Corn,
did they grow it? What beans and other plants were cultivated. They
relationships did the people lived by water and warm temperatures and
have with their environment?
that is good for food/plants

Brainpop

American Indians

● They speak different
● The land bridge (Bering Strait)

connected Russia and Alaska
● Some tribes are Chinookan,

Navajo, Pueblo, Incas, Mayans,
Mississippians, Sioux, Aluet,
Iroquois, Kwakwaka’wakw
● American Indians were
distrusted by the government

The Maya

The Mayan people loved to draw. The
Mayan people have their own way of
drawing. Their drawings are called murals.
On slide 12, I have a picture of a mural
painted by the Mayan people. Along with
drawing, they have their own number
system. Their number system is that to
represent five it is a line, one a dot, and
zero a shell. This was their way of showing
what they felt like.

The Mayan people strongly believed in
gods so that influenced their actions
among each other. For example, the
Mayan people were very nice to each
other because of god. If there wasn’t a god
that they believed in they might be very
angry at each other. Also, this makes them
huge in religion. The Mayans most famous
or well known god is Itzamna. Itzamna is
the god of the sun. also have a picture of
the god of sun, Itzamna on slide 12.

Where in the World…
Were the Maya Located?

Map from ducksters.com What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Maya
Empire? 17 degrees N latitude and
90 degrees W longitude

What might the climate be like in this
location based on the latitude and
longitude? The climate would be
really hot because the closer you are
to the center of the Earth it gets
hotter towards the equator.It will also
be humid so you need tons of water.

How would this affect the way people
live in this area? They would have to
wear thin clothes because of how hot
it is and it would be great for farming
by of how hot it was they needed a
lot of water.

Maya

Society

Kings/Rulers

Ruling family for each
city-state. Lived life of
luxury. Were believed to

talk to the gods.

Priests

Most powerful people-The people
believed they could talk to the
Gods

Nobles

Did not have to pay taxes.Could
choose if they wanted jobs or not.

Lived easy lives.

Merchants/Craftsmen

Some were peasants who wanted a better life and
some were nobles that wanted a job. They made art
or ran businesses

Peasants

Most Mayan people were peasants. They worked very hard. Most were
farmers and lived outside the city. Peasants who worked as craftsmen
were able to live in the city and had a slightly better life. If there were no
captured warriors or slaves available, peasants were usually the ones
sacrificed to the gods

Slaves

These people were the lowest class. Many times they were treated better than the
peasants, but they had no rights. They could be children whose parents had died,
people who were captured in war, or people who committed crimes. Slaves were
usually the ones chosen for sacrifice to the gods

Mayan Religion Mural

By: Parker, Jarred, Hadlee, and Nolan

Our mural is the mayan people looking
up at the gods. The god that the people
are looking up at is Itzamna. This is the
most important god to the mayan
people. This relates to the mayan
religion because the Mayan civilization
worshiped gods.

Mayan Language and
Number Systems

This is my birthday (3/17/08)
written in Mayan numbers. The
Maya used a base 20 system.
Each dot represents a 1, a line 5,
and a shell a 0

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Mayan links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology
course as well as in the books and other resources available in class to
complete this organizer.

What was the government like? The Mayan government was a hierarchical
Did powerful relationships exist government and is ruled by kings and priests.

between the people and their They live in independent city-states
leaders? consisting rural communities and large urban
ceremonial centers. There was no standing
How was their society set up? armies, but warfare played an important part
What were the types of jobs
people had? Were the jobs people in religion, power, and prestige.
did purposeful for the civilization?
They had farming, hunting, and building
jobs. Yes because they needed to live off

healthy food like meat, and corn, and
other grown things to stay alive.

Describe their religion. Did the The Mayans worshipped the gods.
relationship the people had with Itzamna was the most important god to
their gods and religious leaders them. Itzamna was the god of the sun.

follow rules?

What did the people invent, create, They made different types of
or trade that allowed them to weapons like swords, spears,clubs,
exchange ideas or values with axes, dart throwers, and more.
others they had relationships
with? Much of the soil in the ancient Mayan
Empire was extremely rocky. In the Yucatan
What was the agriculture like? the ground is very rocky, however
What food did they eat? How vegetation thrives. It thrives because this
area receives about 36 inches of rain per
did they grow it? What year. Water is also found in the Yucatan in
relationships did the people natural wells called cenotes. These cenotes
have with their environment? are fed by underground rivers.The mayans
raised beans, maize, squash, pumpkins,
potatoes, tomatoes, papayas, and cacao,

Ancient Maya
Concept Map

Parker’s Concept Map

The Aztec

Where in the World…
Were the Aztec Located?

Map from ducksters.com What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Aztec
Empire? 100 degrees longitude and
20 degrees latitude

What might the climate be like in this
location based on the latitude and
longitude? The climate has to be very
warm or hot and humid because
Mexico is close to the equator. The
Aztecs lived in a valley with 7,000
feet of elevation. This meant it would
be a cool winter and could get frost at
times.

How would this affect the way people
live in this area? This would mean
that they would have to wear bright
color clothes to stay warm from the
sun. They would have to water their
crops more often.

The Aztec Government/
Social Structure

Emperor/
Kings

The people believed
the king was given the
right to rule the gods

Tuchuhtli

These were the rulers of the
individual city-states. They had
power over all the people in their
city-state, lived in large palaces, and
were able to choose the tributes

Council of Four

They are the next in line to become the
next empire. They give advice to the
emperor

Slaves

People could sell themselves into slavery to pay off debts
or crimes.

The Aztec Government:

Aztec Sun Stone
Calendar

This is my sun stone calendar. I
was trying to make it pop out and
be really colorful. The Aztec year
is represented on the Aztec’s 18
month calendar with 20 days per
month.

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Aztec links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology
course as well as in the books and other resources available in class to
complete this organizer.

What was the government like? For the time the Aztec were very advanced in
Did powerful relationships exist their way of government. The Aztec were either
ruled by a king or emperor. The commoners had
between the people and their a bad relationship. They were forced to pay the
leaders? leaders and even some were becoming resentful

How was their society set up? against the government. Each city-state had
What were the types of jobs their own system of government
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization? The commoners were made up of farmers or
traders to the people. Yes, because some
Describe their religion. Did the traders had to travel the world to get things for
relationship the people had with their community. Some jobs even helped them
their gods and religious leaders to survive.

follow rules? The Aztec religion was a mesoamerican. They
worked a lot learning astronomy. They
What did the people invent, create, performed sacrifices for the gods.They worship
or trade that allowed them to celestial objects the moon the sun and
exchange ideas or values with venus.The Aztecs religion was a Mesoamerican
others they had relationships religion. Huitzilopochtli. They worked lot on
with? astronomy and performed sacrifice for the
Gods. They worshiped celestial objects like the
What was the agriculture like? sun, moon, and Venus
What food did they eat? How
Money or Cacao beans were used as currency to
did they grow it? What make and trade goods. Also potatoes and
relationships did the people tomatoes.They made a varieties of tools. All of
have with their environment? them where to trade and contribute to the
community. Aztecs wrote in glyphs. They
created aqueducts to bring fresh water to the
cities.

They grew

Ancient Aztec
Concept Map

Parker’s Concept Map

The Inca

Where in the World…
Were the Inca Located?

What is the approximate latitude and
longitude of the center of the Inca
Empire? West of Brazil 18 degrees S
latitude and 72 degrees W longitude.
What might the climate be like in this
location based on the latitude and
longitude? Really moist because of
that there it a lot trees also it will be
really hot because it is next to the
equator. High altitude will make it
cooler in some spots. Like where a
mountain is, is because of the high
elevation.
How would this affect the way people
live in this area? Dark colored cloths.
Also they will have not a lot of clean
water because they are next to a lot
of salt water. The crops will have to
adapt to the cold weather

Map from ducksters.com

Inca Religion,
Science, Roads,

Language

Determine the Relationships

Explore the Incan links in the Symbaloo posted in your Schoology
course as well as in the books and other resources available in class to
complete this organizer.

What was the government like? The Inca government was called the
Did powerful relationships exist Tawantinsuyu. It was a monarchy ruled by a
single leader called the Sapa Inca.The emperor
between the people and their or king of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa
leaders? Inca, which means "sole ruler".He was the most

How was their society set up? powerful person in the land and everyone
What were the types of jobs respected him very much.The government was
people had? Were the jobs people
did purposeful for the civilization? also responsible for taking care of the inca
people.
Describe their religion. Did the
relationship the people had with Curacas - The Curacas were the leaders from the tribes that were
their gods and religious leaders conquered. They were often left as leaders of their tribes. They still
had to report to the Inca, but if they remained loyal, they often kept
follow rules? their position.Tax collectors - Each group of families, or ayllu, had a
tax collector who kept watch over them. He made sure that they
What did the people invent, create, paid all of their taxes. In order to track who had paid their taxes and
or trade that allowed them to where the supplies were stored, there were many record keepers in
exchange ideas or values with the government.Artisans Artisans were commoners, but were
others they had relationships also considered a higher social class than the
with? farmers They worked on crafts such as pottery or
gold jewelry for the nobles. Farmers - At the bottom
What was the agriculture like? of the social class were the farmers. The farmers
What food did they eat? How were also the largest and the most important class
within the Inca Empire. Farmers worked long hard
did they grow it? What days and sent two-thirds of their crops to the
relationships did the people government and the priests. The Inca Empire relied
have with their environment? on the production of the farmers for its wealth and
success.

The Inca believed in a god called Vircocha who created
the earth, stars and all living things. The largest religious
event for the Inca’s is called the Raymi festival. They line
up according to tribe and dress in their finest clothes
giving thanks. Another god is Illapa who was the god of
rain, thunder, lightning and war. The priest or pope of the
Inca religion was called a Uma Illaca. They talked to
locals about god.

The Incas invented terrace farming, freeze dried

Ancient Inca
Concept Map

Parker’s Concept Map