Sixth graders discover the great civilizations of the ancient Americas — the Maya, Aztec, and Inca — and their remarkable achievements in astronomy, engineering, and farming, built entirely apart from the rest of the world.
Students will be able to…
Long before Europeans arrived, great civilizations rose in the Americas — building pyramids, cities on lakes, and empires in the mountains. Who were the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, and what did they achieve?
Project this and match each civilization or idea to its achievement — tap one, then tap what it did.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Before Europeans arrived, great civilizations rose in the Americas — who were they?
Students investigate.
Students analyze.
Students communicate.
Students conclude.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards (Ancient Civilizations / World History).
Use context to analyze the civilizations of the Americas.
Explain how geography shaped these civilizations.
Analyze their achievements and change over time.
Use reasoning to take informed action.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students trace how a food like chocolate or corn, first grown in the ancient Americas, spread to become popular around the world. A printable ancient-Americas sheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.