Chichen Itza in the Yucatan Peninsula
 

Courtyard in Copan
 
 

Introduction
      The Maya Lesson is intended for Spanish-speaking ESL students at the BSM Level of 1-3 who are at the second- to sixth-grade reading levels in the primary language and at the second- to fourth-grade reading levels in English.  This is a combination ELD and Social Science Lesson.  Not only does this lesson reach aspects of the standard 7.7 in Social Science, but it introduces them to concepts which may be used in any aspect of social science study (including cultural universals and some geographical terminology). 
   

Subject:  World History/ELD
Topic: The Maya
Grade Level: 7th (ESL--from second-grade to fourth-grade reading levels)
Student Lesson name and URL: http://berners.bcoe.butte.k12.ca.us/~lwinstea/student/

Standards Addressed

Seventh Grade
Social Science as well as English Language Focus
Maya

7.7  Students compare and contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social and structures of the Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations, in terms of:

1. the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America and South America and their effects upon Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies (focus only on the Maya)
2.  the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life, warfare, religious beliefs and practices, and slavery
3. how and where each empire arose and how the Aztec and Inca empires were defeated by the Spanish (only in terms of the Maya)
4. the artistic and oral traditions and architecture in the three civilizations (only in terms of the Maya)
5. the Mesoamerican achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the development of the calendar and the Mesoamerican knowledge of seasonal changes to the civilizations' agricultural systems (in terms of the Maya)

ELD standards addressed via 
Reading Comprehension: 
      2.1 Identify the structural features of popular media--Point out text features such as title, tables of contents, and chapter headings.
Reading Fluency &Systematic Vocabulary Development:
      1.4 Monitor expository text for unknown words or words with novel meaning by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning--Read aloud simple words presented in literature and content area texts; demonstrate comprehension by using one or two words or simple sentence responses.
 
 

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will see a video concerning the Maya to help activate prior knowledge.  (Or, you may conduct alternative stimuli from reproducible lessons or the mayacalendar links as well.)
2. Students will also develop prior knowledge concerning the Maya in Spanish first by reading then answering open-book questions.
3. Students will  be able to define terms concerning the Maya and cultural universals in both Spanish and English
4. Students will be able to write in the correct terms in a cross-word puzzle.
5. Students will be able to match concepts and terms in English and in Spanish.
6. Students will be able to identify various Maya sites.
7. Students will be able to navigate the net using specific search engines.

Student Activities
Students will 1) work on math problems using Maya hieroglyphs, 2) take an open-book Warm-Up Quiz from the reading of their text which will activate prior knowledge. Enabling activities include reviewing word/concepts, completing crossword puzzles, surfing web links that show geographic as well as Maya sites. Culminating activities include a post-test in Spanish concerning Maya history --similar to open-book warm-up, a word/concept quiz, and then a Maya slide show activity/web page in both English and Spanish the last day to conclude our unit..

Lesson A
A-1.    Introductory Activity - Day 1

1. (Day 1) Maya video--Stimuli/Attention Getter
2. Alternative on-line introductory activities
   1. Only go to the  reproduciblelessons.2 and have students explore play around the site in Spanish and English  
   2. Go to mayacalendar to do mathematical problems using Maya numerical hieroglyphs.

A-2.    Enabling Activities - Day 2-4

1. (Day 2) Warm-Up Quiz which is open book.  It's based on textbook "La Historia Mundial para una Edad Universal--ISBN 0-8359-0806-2") or in English "World History for a Universal Age".  The open-book Warm Up is in form of a fill-in-the-blank/multiple choice setup. Questions and answers in Spanish. Purpose:  create prior knowledge in native language. Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD. If you have trouble accessing this page, surf the web: 1) blackboard.com, 2) go to left-hand side and insert WHELD, 3) insert password "maya", 4) either preview course or other.  Students will have to enroll in course.
2. (Day 3) Go over word/concept definitions in mayaglossary and matching (cultural universals focus)
3. (Day 4) Open-book crossword puzzles, Maya Crossword Puzzle.1, Maya Crossword Puzzle.2, Maya Crossword Puzzle.3
4. (Day 5) "Word/Concept Quiz" using Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD If you have trouble accessing this page, surf the web: 1) blackboard.com, 2) go to left-hand side and insert WHELD, 3) insert password "maya", 4) either preview course or other.  Students will have to enroll in course.
5. (Day 6) Final Maya Exam using Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD If you have trouble accessing this page, surf the web: 1) blackboard.com, 2) go to left-hand side and insert WHELD, 3) insert password "maya", 4) either preview course or other.  Students will have to enroll in course.

A-3.    Culminating Activity - Day 5

1. (Day 5) Slide Show--enjoy the images and check out the links (in English and Spanish).

Assessment

1. (Day 5) "Word/Concept Quiz" using Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD If you have trouble accessing this page, surf the web: 1) blackboard.com, 2) go to left-hand side and insert WHELD, 3) insert password "maya", 4) either preview course or other.  Students will have to enroll in course.
2. (Day 6) Final Maya Exam using Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD If you have trouble accessing this page, surf the web: 1) blackboard.com, 2) go to left-hand side and insert WHELD, 3) insert password "maya", 4) either preview course or other.  Students will have to enroll in course.

Note: Assessment based on their finals assessment scores. However, the final grade will be based on their English Learner Bilingual Syntax Measurement Level (or California English Language Development Level), as well as their reading level as students differ in terms of their experience with the English language.

Results
Result Chart of scores from quizzes and tests.

Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Introductory Activity
In-class video regarding Maya or alternative stimuli--see supplementary links below.

Web Resources for alternative introductory activities:

mayaglyphs
mayacalendar
reproduciblelessons
reproduciblelessons.2
codex

Enabling Activities - Links and Internet Search
Go to Maya Glossary, Matching #1, Maya Crossword.1 Maya Crossword.2, Maya Crossword.3.  For quizzes and exams use this Course URL: http://www.blackboard.com/courses/WHELD

Culminating Activity
(Day 5) Slide Show

)