Historical
Fiction
on
by Peter Friend
illustrated by Juan Caminador
PAIRED
READ
The Best Pyramid
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STRATEGIES & SKILLS
Comprehension
ELL Vocabulary
Strategy: Make Predictions
Skill: Point of View
inherit, lush, tributes
Content Standards
Vocabulary Strategy
Social Studies
History
Connotations and Denotations
Vocabulary
alcove, commerce, domestic,
exotic, fluent, stifling,
upheaval, utmost
Word Count: 1,961**
**The total word count is based on words in the running text and headings only. Numerals and words in captions,
labels, diagrams, charts, and sidebars are not included.
Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in
any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the
prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not
limited to, network storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning.
Send all inquiries to:
McGraw-Hill Education
Two Penn Plaza
New York, New York 10121
ISBN: 978-0-02-118673-0
MHID: 0-02-118673-1
Printed in the United States.
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Essential Question
What was life like for people in ancient cultures?
by Peter Friend
illustrated by Juan Caminador
Chapter 1
A Surprise Gift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Chapter 2
An Ambassador . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chapter 3
K’an’s Legacy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Respond to Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
PAIRED
READ
The Best Pyramid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Focus on Genre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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This story takes place around 1525 Spain was
conquering the Americas. Neither the Spanish nor the
Mayans knew, but the Spanish were exposing the Mayans
to disease. Mayan society was divided into three classes.
Kings and nobles were in the highest class. Artisans and
unskilled workers belonged to the lowest class. People
who were captured in war were enslaved.
CHAPTER 1
(bkgd) Wetzel & Company
government workers were in the middle, and farmers and
A Surprise Gift
At the Mayan royal court, traders have returned
from their travels. They have brought back many
things, including honey and quetzal feathers.
The traders have come to the royal court to
pay tributes to us, the royal family. It’s a stifling hot
afternoon. There’ll be ceremonies, speeches, and
boring rituals. I try to pay attention because one
day, I’ll inherit the throne from my father, King Black
Sky. When I’m king, I’ll need to know about the
ceremonies. My father is sick, so I am trying to learn
everything with utmost care. I want to be a worthy
leader for the Chakal state.
The chief trader has brought pottery, turquoise,
cotton, and other tributes to us. Then he brings out
an enslaved young man.
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The young man looks different from any other
person in Chakal. His clothes are strange, and his hair
is yellow.
The young man bows. “Greetings, King Black Sky
and Prince Jaguar Moon of the great state of Chakal.
Greetings from the land of España.”
The trader looks angry. He gets ready to kick the
young man.
“Stop!” I command.
The trader stares at me, but he lowers his foot.
Everyone in the court waits to see what I’ll do next.
King Black Sky
trader
Prince Jaguar Moon
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I force a smile and say to the trader, “Your
tributes are pleasing to the gods.” Then I begin to
give a speech. I am repeating a speech I have heard
many times from my father. Everyone relaxes and
looks pleased.
The traders leave, and the domestic servants take
the tributes to the storerooms at the palace.
I want to know more about the strange youth, so
I say with a fake smile, “People of Chakal, welcome
the ambassador from España.”
The courtiers and my father laugh because the
enslaved youth is obviously not an ambassador.
throne
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The yellow-haired youth bows to my father and
me once again. He repeats his name, but it makes
no sense.
I announce, “Ambassador, I will call you K’an.”
“K’an? Oh, I see, like the color of my hair? Thank
you, Your Highness,” the youth replies.
He has a funny way of talking. He isn’t fluent in
our language, and he mixes together words and
phrases from other local languages. Somehow,
I understand him. I have learned to speak many
languages. Perhaps K’an will teach me the España
language. It might be useful for trade.
“Tell me about España,” I command.
“It’s far over the ocean to the northeast.”
I tell K’an everything I know about his people.
“Yes, I know. We’ve heard about your people. Your
armies have conquered Tulum and Cozumel on the
eastern coast.”
He sighs. “Yes, we have conquered them.”
I wonder why he isn’t proud of his armies.
STOP AND CHECK
Describe Prince Jaguar
Moon and K’an.
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CHAPTER 2
An AMbassador
K’an is very amusing, and his tales of España
make the entire court laugh.
I talk with my father about K’an. “Father, K’an
makes everyone in the court laugh, but he never
laughs. He just looks annoyed.”
My father says, “Perhaps he’s a fool or a liar.”
I am confused. He doesn’t seem crazy to me.
“What if he is being truthful, Father? Aren’t you
worried?” I ask.
“España is very far away. Why do you worry
about the tales of one silly boy?” my father asks.
I am still worried. I ask, “Was I wrong to name him
an ambassador?”
My father says, “No, that was clever of you. At
worst, we’ve been entertained, and at best, we’ve
learned a lot about España.”
I nod, but I am not sure what I should do.
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K’an is strange, but I enjoy his company. One day,
I take him for a tour of the city.
K’an’s exotic looks attract attention everywhere
we go. Some people laugh at him. Others stare
at him.
We stop to watch some young nobles play
pok-a-tok on a ball court. K’an is fascinated by the
game. We watch the players try to get the rubber
ball through the stone hoop. How can the players
move the rubber ball without using their hands or
feet? It seems like a miracle to K’an.
“Will you play with us, Ambassador?” a young
noble asks, and K’an accepts the invitation.
K’an doesn’t know how to play the game, but he
shows a lot of skill.
“Ow!” he yelps. He hurts his leg, but K’an
continues to play the game.
K’an
pok-a-tok ball
Language
Detective
Noble is a singular noun. Find the
plural form on this page.
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K’an and I leave the pok-a-tok players. We climb
the Eastern Temple. Halfway up the temple, we stop
and look around. We can see the entire city.
I exaggerate to K’an about Chakal. I tell him
that the city is a thousand years old, although I
don’t really know that this is true. I also tell him,
“Everything you see belongs to us.” I can see Xocha
territory in the distance, but I can’t resist. “Does
España have cities like this?”
“There are many cities, but they are not as
magnificent as this,” K’an replies.
I wonder if he is trying to flatter me. “Do the
España cities have pyramids as incredible as these?”
K’an replies, “No, we don’t have pyramids. I have
never seen such tall buildings.”
I examine his face. I believe he’s telling the truth. I
point to our many magnificent temples and palaces.
“There’s the tomb we are building for my father. Do
your kings have such spectacular tombs?”
K’an says, “We have many great tombs and
monuments. But none as large as that.”
Language
Detective
City is a singular noun. Find the plural
form on this page.
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temple
pyramids
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I point out the bustling markets, the corn fields
and cacao plantations, and the lush jungle. Each
time, K’an replies that España has nothing better.
“I’ll race you to the top of the pyramid,” he says,
grinning. Pyramids aren’t for racing, but I can’t help
myself. I chase after him. I let him win the race. As I
gasp for breath, I ask, “What do you really want from
us, K’an?”
His smile quickly disappears. He says, “I want
nothing, but many people from España want gold.
They will fight you to get it.”
“Let them try!” I shout. “Our army will defend us.
We have brave warriors.”
K’an says, “I’m sure they are brave. So were the
warriors from Tulum, but they were defeated.”
In Other Words I just have to
do it. En español, I can’t help myself
quiere decir no puedo evitarlo.
STOP AND CHECK
What do K’an and Prince
Jaguar Moon learn from
each other?
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CHAPTER 3
K’an’s Legacy
I ask my father later, “What kind of people
are the España? K’an seems ashamed of them.”
My father doesn’t seem to know. He asks, “What
do you think?”
“I think I need to know more about them,” I say.
My father nods.
So I plan a big feast. K’an declares that he has
never eaten such delicious food. Then we begin to
discuss trade with España.
K’an says, “They aren’t interested in trading.
They’ll steal and enslave all of you. You will not be
able to defeat them!” Then K’an takes out a strange
knife from inside his clothing. He hits the table with
it. He says, “This knife is made of steel. It is much
stronger than your stone knives!”
K’an has insulted us and his own people and
his own army. I rebuke him, “You are no longer an
ambassador.”
I order the guards to drag K’an away, and I order
my guests to leave.
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When the guests are gone, I take the strange
knife and show it to my father. The blade is similar
to silver, but it is not silver. The blade is also very
sharp like a stone knife, but it is not brittle. The blade
bends and does not break. “These knives would be
useful,” I say.
My father nods, but says nothing.
He begins to cough. He is shivering, but his skin
feels like fire. I call for his doctors. I am sure my
father is upset because of K’an.
knife
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Eventually my father drifts off to sleep, but the
following morning, he is worse. Other people are
also getting sick. Two priests, a doctor, and one of
my uncles are coughing and feverish. All of them
attended last night’s banquet. People are worried.
Priests and doctors arrive to help the king, but by
the afternoon, the king is dead.
I summon the priests and advisers to the throne
room. Someone suggests that the gods are angered
by K’an’s presence at the court. We agree to punish
K’an immediately.
I command that K’an leave Chakal and
never return.
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It’s been a few months since I became king. I am
constantly busy with royal duties.
I have to discuss treaties and alliances with
neighboring states. My batabs, the local chiefs, help
me with matters of state. Commerce is growing, and
we are richer than ever, but many people have the
coughing sickness. Many nobles, generals, servants,
and workers have died from the disease.
We have made many sacrifices to the gods,
but they continue to be angry, and the sickness
continues. The priests are no use. They just predict
upheaval as priests always do.
One day at the palace, I spot a box on the dusty
floor of an alcove. Inside the box is K’an’s knife.
In Other Words than before. En
español, than ever quiere decir que antes.
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I have an idea. I call the priests to the throne
room. I show them the knife.
“Maybe K’an’s knife is cursed by the gods,” I tell
them. “Take the knife to a volcano and cast it into the
lava. Then destroy this room and build a new temple
in its place,” I command.
The priests hurry to obey me. “Yes, King
Jaguar Moon.”
I hope the gods will be pleased and the sickness
will stop. Then Chakal will become strong again and
remain strong forever.
STOP AND CHECK
What happened after
the prince became king?
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Summarize
Use important details from
Details
Point of
View
The Ambassador to summarize
what you have learned about
life in the ancient Mayan
culture. Use the graphic
organizer to help you.
Text Evidence
1. How do you know The Ambassador is historical fiction?
GENRE
2. Whose point of view does the author mainly provide?
What is the main way he has done this?
POINT OF VIEW
3. What is the denotation, or literal meaning, of the word
fake on page 4? What are the connotations of the
word fake? CONNOTATIONS AND DENOTATIONS
4. From K’an’s point of view, write about Jaguar Moon’s
decision to make him an ambassador.
WRITE ABOUT READING
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Compare Texts
Read about how the ancient Mayans built their huge
pyramids and temples.
The Best Pyramid
The Mayans began to build pyramids more than
2,000 years ago. The first pyramids were used
as platforms that drained rainwater away from
important buildings. Later the platforms were made
with blocks of limestone to make them permanent
structures. Then they were built wider and taller to
impress people and the gods. Many were rebuilt to
make them bigger. The Temple of the Magician at
Uxmal was rebuilt and enlarged at least five times.
Most pyramids had an outer layer of solid stone.
The outer layer was often covered in stucco, which
was carved and painted.
Some Mayan states did not have limestone, so
they had to transport the rocks. It was difficult to
Goodshoot / Fotosearch
transport without roads, carts, or pack animals.
Many Mayan pyramids
still exist today.
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Make Your Own Mayan Pyramid
Make your own Mayan pyramid. For the activity, you
will need:
•
lots of plain wooden or plastic blocks
•
a square platform
•
paper or cardboard
•
scissors and glue
What to Do
1. Put blocks on the square platform. This will be the base
for the pyramid.
2. Build the four sides of the pyramid using wooden or
plastic blocks. Make sure the sides are even and the
blocks are stable.
3. Keep count of how many blocks you are using.
S
iC
4. Find an image in a book or on the Internet of a Mayan
Ill t ti
temple built on the top of a pyramid. Make a temple out
of paper or cardboard. Place it on your pyramid.
5. Make steps in the middle of each side of your pyramid.
The Mayans built the biggest and most stable pyramids
by building over existing ones. They built some pyramids
several times over hundreds of years. The pyramids
grew bigger and more impressive each time.
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6. Become an ancient architect. Add more blocks to the
outside of your pyramid to make it bigger. Count how
many more blocks you use and compare this with the
other students’ pyramids.
Cross-section of a Mayan Pyramid
Illustration: Sergi Camara
This diagram shows
how a Mayan pyramid
was made bigger.
New, stepped
limestone blocks
laid over existing
pyramid
Existing, older pyramid structure
Make Connections
How do you know that building pyramids was very
important to the Mayan people? ESSENTIAL QUESTION
What feature of pyramids makes it possible for Jaguar
Moon and K’an to race to the top of the pyramid?
TEXT TO TEXT
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Historical Fiction Historical fiction uses real times and events
to tell a story. Some characters may have been real people,
but the details, such as dialogue and some place names,
are invented.
Read and Find Look for signs that tell that a story is set in
the past and in a place like one that existed at that time. Look
for buildings, costumes, or games that you can research as
evidence. For example, you can check if pok-a-tok is a real game
that was played at that time in the Mayan culture. You can find
information about Mayan culture at the time period on the
Internet or in a reference book. Historical fiction does not have
nonfiction features such as diagrams, maps, or charts. The story
in The Ambassador has the features of fiction, such as a setting,
characters, and a plot. The illustrations are based on facts so that
you will be able to see how Mayan states looked in the past.
Your Turn
Work with a partner. Research the places you read about in
The Ambassador; for example, Tulum or Cozumel. Find out
about the Mayans who lived there. Did they build things?
What kinds of games did they play? Then create a chart to
compare and contrast these places with the Mayan culture
of the fictional city of Chakal in The Ambassador.
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Literature Circles
Fiction
Setting
Where did The Ambassador take place?
At what time in history did it take place?
Characters
How does Jaguar Moon change from the
beginning to the end of the story?
Sequence of Events
What happened in The Ambassador?
What happened first, then, next, and then last?
Plot
What was Jaguar Moon’s problem?
What did he do to try to solve it?
Conclusions
What can you conclude about Jaguar Moon?
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Ancient Societies
GR U • Benchmark 50 • Lexile TK
Grade 6 • Unit 2 Week 3
www.mheonline.com
ISBN-13 978-0-02-118673-0
MHID 0-02-118673-1
99701
EAN
9 780021 186730
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