Throughout this unit, we have studied three ancient civilizations that have left behind a great legacy. After looking at the artifacts, building structures, beliefs, and diets, we have learned so much about these amazing civilizations. Now, it's your turn to try your hand at creating an ancient Mesoamerican civilization! Use the lessons, readings, and most importantly, your imagination to create a world of your own.
First, you will have to pick a place to build your empire. Will it be in Peru, Mexico, or some other region in the Americas? After you have chosen a place, you will need to create a map that shows where everything is in your empire. Some things you can include in your empire are:
- roads
- houses
- shrines
- pyramids
- forests
- islands
- lakes
- shops
- schools
Draw a map and describe what life is like in your ancient civilization. Some questions to think about are:
- What is the weather like?
- How many people live there?
- What kinds of animals live there?
- What kinds of jobs do people have?
- How are the people ruled? Is there only one King or Queen?
Use the 'Map' document to write down your ideas.
The Maya, Inca, and Aztecs had very rich and unique cultures. What is the culture like in your civilization? Some questions to think about are:
- What do people eat?
- What kind of art do they make? How about music?
- What do the buildings look like?
- Do they believe in any gods?
- What is the language like?
Use the 'Culture' document to write down your ideas.
Finally, the Maya are famous for a ball game that they played, where they used different parts of their body to pass a rubber ball around.
Come up with a game or sport for your civilization!
Use the 'Fun and Games' document to plan out the rules of your game or sport.
Exercise
Please open the exercise to continue.