St. George’s CE Primary School
Year: 6
Prime learning
challenge:
Learning challenge planner
Date: 31.11.16
Teacher/s: Mrs Potts
Who Were the Mayans and What Have We Learnt From Them?
Present
What are they interested in? What motivates them?
TTThe children are fascinated with history having enjoyed previous history based learning challenges. They enjoy using their
research skills and setting themselves questions to try and answer. They have a reasonable knowledge of chronology for the time
periods already studied but need to become more secure with this and be able to use the vocabulary which is associated with
this. The children like being ‘detectives/investigators’ and this interest will be built upon by using a mixture of historical resources for
the children to interpret as clues.
Pre-learning
Class spider diagram for ‘The Mayans’
Children complete their own timeline for the periods of
history they have already studied to check their
understanding of chronology.
Wow! The memorable experience to engage children with the LC
Mayan artefacts archaeological dig in school
Mayan treasure hunt
ICT – virtual experience life as a Mayan (scholastic game)
Mayan visiting workshop
SMSC
Social – how effective was the Mayan society?
Moral – discuss the morality of human sacrifice.
Spiritual – compare and contrast the religious beliefs of the
Mayans with other religions the children have studied – are
there any similarities?
Cultural – what impact has the Mayan culture had on
modern cultures today? What legacies have they left?
VALUES: (School values: Love, Compassion, Friendship, Thankfulness,
Honesty, Forgiveness, Hope)
Peace – link to current news
‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of
God’ (Matthew 5:9).
Other values – Thankfulness (thinking of what the Mayan legacy was
and being grateful for the ideas they passed to future civilisations)
Honesty, Love ( Mayan love for their gods and family as they are
willing to sacrifice their life for them), Hope, Forgiveness, Compassion
(how did the Mayan community look after and care for each other?)
Friendship.
Wisdom – discussing the choices the Maya made in their civilisation –
were they wise? Why/why not?
BRITISH VALUES: Democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual
respect and tolerance of those with different faiths & beliefs
Fairtrade – link to chocolate.
BLP:
Children will raise their own questions from the evidence
studied and collaborate together to find ways to answer
these questions. They will make links between elements of
the Mayan civilisation and modern civilisations today. They
will revise their own views about the way the Mayans lived
their lives and whether they agree with the principles
behind their society rules and beliefs as the children gather
more information about the Maya.
LC1
Learning challenge questions & NC
references
Where did the Mayans live?
Interpret a range of sources of
geographical information including
maps.
Understand how our knowledge of
the past is constructed from a
range of sources.
LC2
LC3
Why is their game of Pitz
significant?
How did the Maya number system
differ from ours?
Note connections, contrasts and
We will show British values by studying democracy – was the Maya
civilisation democratic? Why? Why not?
We will study the rule of law – did the Maya follow laws? Why are laws
important in society? Who do you think should decide what the laws
are?
Subject learning challenges
WALT – locate the ancient Maya cities
Maps - using an atlas can the children locate the countries that the Mayans populated eg. Belize,
Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico etc?
Using google maps can the children locate and mark on a map the locations of the ancient Mayan
cities?
Use the Ancient Maya on the Map powerpoint – look at where in the world the Maya lived and what
we mean by central America and Mesoamerica.
Use ancient Maya on the map prompt questions to stimulate discussion.
WALT – to use a range of sources to create a description of the sites of ancient Maya civilisation.
Description – using aerial photographs, plans, Frederick Catherwood drawings and e-resources children create their own short description of the locality of a Mayan civilisation.
WALT – understand the game of Pitz, its significance to the Mayans and its legacy to the modern world
Watch a re-enactment of the game of Pitz being played – you tube. Discuss – what do the children
think are the rules of this game?
Children to then research this game and find out the rules and why this game was important to the
Maya.
Discuss the legacy of this hoop and ball game – basketball.
In PE session children in groups design their own ball and hoop game.
This is then written as instructions leaflet – independent writing opportunity. In another PE session the
instructions are given to another group who have to try & follow them to play the game. The group then
peer assesses the effectiveness of these instructions.
WALT – understand the Maya number system.
How did the Maya count?
How did their number system work?
How does it compare to ours?
How did historians discover what the number systems meant?
trends over time.
LC4
LC5
What is the Mayan creation story
and how does it differ from other
creation stories?
Who did the Mayans worship?
Use Maya Number system powerpoint – discuss.
Complete the Maya number system worksheets – differentiated 3 levels
WALT – compare and contrast creation stories.
1. Look at the Mayan creation story.
What is the creation story?
Who were the two brothers?
What makes the legend legendary?
Wha are the features of a legend /myth?
What are famous myths /legends in England?
Address and sometimes devise
historically valid questions about
change, cause, similarity and
difference and significance
Read and respond to the Mayan legend. Drama and freeze frame scenes from the story- thought track.
Photo of group, stick in LC book. Annotate around this with the creation story facts/ personal comments
on this.
Why is chocolate associated with
the Mayans?
WALT – find out what Maya people grew and ate.
What did Maya people eat? How did they get this food? How do you think their diet was different to
what we eat today? Why?
Note connections, contrasts and
trends over time and develop the
appropriate historical terms
Look at the Maya food powerpoint.
WALT – look at the characteristics of Mayan gods and design my own.
- consider the similarities and differences between ancient religions and different religions today.
1. What do you know about Maya gods? What is a common feature of religion in many ancient
civilisations? What other things did the Maya believe in? Why might they have had this view?
Why do we not believe the same today? Use the Maya gods and beliefs powerpoint.
Activity – group discussion using the Maya Gods and beliefs prompt cards – similarities and
differences and considering reliability of sources.
Children design their own Mayan god – remember the drawings and carvings of Maya gods
always show their side profile.
Children to make tortillas and the chocolate drink invented by the Mayan.
Discuss fairtrade chocolate. Can the children design their own chocolate drink?
LC6
What can we learn about the
Mayans from their ruined cities?
WALT – research information about Chichen Itza and present this in the form of a tourist information
leaflet.
Construct informed responses that
involve thoughtful selection and
organisation of relevant historical
information.
What do you already know about Chichen Itza? What can we learn about the ancient Maya from the
buildings they left behind?
Use the Chichen Itza powepoint. Children make notes of key facts – use Chichen Itza mind map
worksheet.
Further research to be completed online.
Children create a tourist information sheet about Chichen Itza. Include pictures and text. What are the
interesting facts a tourist might want to know? Can you think of a great title for your leaflet? Use the
Chichen Itza tourist leaflet frame to support.
LC7
Would you be any good as a
Mayan fashion designer?
Understand how our knowledge of
the past is constructed from a
range of sources.
MATHS LINK – MAKE A MAYAN PYRAMID BASED ON AREAS AND PERIMETER.
WALT – design our own Mayan headdress.
What was their clothing like? – set as a homework task.
What did a Mayan headdress look like? Why did they wear them? What type of jewellery did they
wear?
TASC wheel activity – design a Mayan headdress.
WALT – make jewellery in the style of ancient Mayan jewellery.
TA supported activity – make Mayan jewellery (http;//www.wackykids.org/maya_jewellrey.htm)
Add Main question – who were the
LC
Mayans and what have we learnt
from them?
FURTHER BIG WRITE INDEPENDENT WRITING OPPORTUNITY – MAYAN STATUE ARTEFACT - CHILDREN TO
WRITE MYSTERY STORY BASED AROUND THIS.
To compare and contrast Ancient
Maya with modern society and
other historical societies.
Summative piece of work linked to main learning challenge question – passage of writing to include the
main points of learning about the Mayans. What have we learnt from them? – describe the Mayan
legacy. Look at slides of ancient Maya eg Hieroglyphs, Codex (like a book), Stelae, biography of rulers,
a carving of a god, a temple, craftwork, pottery, an observatory, a calendar and a ball court.
Children complete for each
 I think it is a /they are ….because…
 Describe how it is / they are similar to the modern equivalent
 Describe how it is /they are different to the modern equivalent
 Describe how it is /they are similar to the equivalent from another historical period
 Describe how it is /they are different to the equivalent from another historical period.
Can you arrange events from
Children to make own timeline of the main events of the Mayan civilisation – assessment task, no preteaching.
ancient Maya in chronological
order?
Develop a chronologically secure
knowledge and understanding of
British, local and world history,
establishing clear narratives.