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The Maya Civilisation
History | UKS2 | Unit Overview
Introduction
This unit of work will teach your class all about the ancient Maya civilisation. The children will learn who the ancient Maya people were
and where and when they lived. They will use maps and atlases to locate Maya cities and identify countries in Mesoamerica. In addition
to this they will learn about the religious beliefs and rituals of the ancient Maya people and find out more about some of the many
gods they worshipped. The children will also learn about the Maya number system and have the opportunity to read and write Maya
numbers and solve number problems. They will learn about the Maya writing system too and practise writing words using logograms
and syllabograms in the hieroglyphic style of the ancient Maya people. The children will learn about the work of the explorers John Lloyd
Stephens and Frederick Catherwood and have the opportunity to analyse historical pictures of the cities they discovered. They will also
learn about the types of food eaten by the ancient Maya people and they will find out about the significance of corn and chocolate,
arguing which was most important in a class debate.
Assessment Statements
By the end of this unit...
...all children should be able to:
Health & Safety
If using the Maya recipes, ensure parental consent is sought
beforehand and that the children are not allergic to any of the
ingredients.
• Say where the ancient Maya people lived,
naming some major features and cities in them.
• Know some of the main Maya gods and what
they represented.
• Read and write some basic Maya numbers,
explaining what syllabograms and logograms
are.
• Know that corn and chocolate were important
foods and be able to identify some reasons for
this.
...most children will be able to:
Home Learning
Maya Calendars: In this task the children learn about the Maya
calendar system, researching and explaining about one of the
calendars in more detail. They also produce a diagram or model to
demonstrate how it works.
Jade Investigation: In this task the children research the importance
of this precious rock to the ancient Maya people. They find out how
Jade was used and create their own presentations to demonstrate
their learning.
• Explain different ritual elements of the ancient
Maya religion and describe some of the main
gods in greater detail.
• Read and write larger numbers, combining
some syllabograms to create glyph blocks and
write some words.
• Research and provide some of their own ideas
about the significance of corn and chocolate.
• Describe the different features of Maya cities
and be able to appreciate what it would have
been like to live there, answering questions to
demonstrate their understanding of different
aspects of the Maya civilisation.
...some children will be able to:
Wider Learning
The World Museum in Liverpool are holding a Maya exhibition from
May - November 2015. Visit their website for more details.
Other useful websites: Mexicolore, The British Museum and Mayan
Kids.
• Demonstrate a full understanding of ancient
Maya culture and history by composing their
own historically valid accounts about different
aspects of the Maya civilisation, through asking
and answering historically valid questions.
• Explain how the number and writing system
works in more detail, be able to use Maya
numbers to complete sums and write words
using the Mayan syllabary by choosing suitable
syllabograms to create their own glyph blocks.
To look at all the resources in the Maya Civilisation unit click here.
To find out more about PlanIt download our free guide here.
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Lesson Breakdown
Resources
1. Meeting the Maya
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
I can discuss why people and events from a particular
time in the past were important, placing them within an
historical sequence. SOC 2-06a
2. Religion and Gods
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
• Access to books/internet for
research
3. Maya Number System
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
I have discussed the important part that numbers play in
the world and explored a variety of systems that have
been used by civilisations throughout history to record
numbers. MTH 1-12a
4. Exploration and Discovery
I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to
research events in the past. SOC 2-01a
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
I can discuss why people and events from a particular
time in the past were important, placing them within an
historical sequence. SOC 2-06a
5. Mayan Writing
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
6. Food
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my
own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and
differences. SOC 2-04a
• Access to books/internet for
research
• Ingredients for recipes
(optional)
Made in conjunction with Dr. Diane Davies, Specialist and Consultant on the Maya - www.mayaarchaeologist.co.uk
To look at all the resources in the Maya Civilisation unit click here.
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Lesson Breakdown
Resources
1. Meeting the Maya
Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and
understanding of world history, establishing clear
narratives within and across the periods they study by
learning about the Maya civilisation and understanding
who they were and when and where they lived.
•I can discover facts about the Maya civilisation and
explain who the Maya people were and when and
where in the world they lived.
2. Religion and Gods
Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful
selection and organisation of relevant historical information
by learning about the religious beliefs and practices of the
Maya people and the gods they believed in.
•I can explain the religious beliefs of the Maya people,
understand how they worshipped, name some of
the main gods and know what they represented to
the people.
• Access to books/internet for
research
3. Maya Number System
Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful
selection and organisation of relevant historical information
by learning about how the Maya invented and used their
calendars and number system.
•I can understand how the Maya number system
works.
4. Exploration and Discovery
Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed
from a range of sources and that different versions of
past events may exist, giving some reasons for this by
identifying and using sources of evidence to learn about
the Maya cities and some of the people who explored and
documented them.
•I can identify and use a range of evidence sources
to help me understand more about the Maya
civilisation.
5. Mayan Writing
Regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid
questions about change, cause, similarity and difference
and significance through learning about the Mayan writing
system.
•I can explain what the Mayan writing system
consists of, how words are constructed and what
codices are.
6. Food
Note connections, contrasts and trends over time and
develop the appropriate use of historical terms by learning
about the food the ancient Maya people ate and its
religious and cultural significance.
•I can describe a range of foods that were eaten by
the ancient Maya people and explain why certain
foods were particularly significant.
• Access to books/internet for
research
• Ingredients for recipes
(optional)
Made in conjunction with Dr. Diane Davies, Specialist and Consultant on the Maya - www.mayaarchaeologist.co.uk
To look at all the resources in the Maya Civilisation unit click here.
National Curriculum Aim Lesson Context Child Friendly
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