Mesoamerican and Andean CivilizationsMaya, Aztec, and Inca

Standard 7.7

Why do we study the Mayans, Aztecs, & Incas? The Mayans, Aztecs, & Incas are the

ancestors of many peoples in Mexico, Central America, & South America.

A lot of goods that we use today came from them.

Studying them helps us understand patterns in history Effect of people on nature Movement of ideas, diseases, & goods across

continents

Make a Unit Cover Page After viewing this video and the Following Pictures!

Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations The Maya, Aztec, and Inca

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2hurybwhNc

Terms to Understand Meso = “middle” So “Mesoamerican civilizations”

means…?

Andean refers to the Andes mountains in South America

So “Andean Civilizations” means…?

Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations Olmec 1500-400 BC

Gulf Coast of Mexico, “mother culture” of all other mesoamerican civilizations. Disappeared without a trace.

Maya 250-900 AD Located in Yucatan Peninsula, achievements in

astronomy. Disappeared without a trace. Aztec 1300-1521 AD

Found in Mesoamerica, made sacrifices, & built city of Tenochtitlan. Defeated by Spanish.

Inca 1400-1572 AD Found in Cuzco Valley (South America), no

written language, & built cities in mountains

Mesoamerican Geography and AgricultureStandard 7.7.1 - Students study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.

Geography of Mesoamerica Mesoamerica

“Middle America” – The southern part of Mexico and most of Central America

Elevation

Volcanoes

The height of land above sea level

The higher you go, the colder it gets

Different elevations support different crops Varied economy

Create mountains Fertile Soil Highland lakes in

some craters

Agriculture

Farming Mesoamericans farmed all

kinds of land

Slash and Burn Agriculture (rainforests)

Farmers cut down trees and burn them—ashes make the land fertile for crops

Move to a new place after a few years

Surplus

Urban

More than is needed AgricultureSurplusesCities

“of the city”

Agriculture Leads to Urban Societies

Think – Pair - Share How has

geographic diversity affected the natural resources and crops found in mesoamerica?

How did the diverse geography of mesoamerica encourage trade?

Think – Pair - Share How has

geographic diversity affected the natural resources and crops found in mesoamerica?

How did the geography of mesoamerica encourage trade?

Landforms and climate provided mesoamerica with a variety of natural resources and growing conditions

Resources varied from region to region. People looked to trade with other regions to get things they did not have.

Reading Questions Pg. 372-3771. What 2 classes of

people lived in Olmec cities?

2. What is glyph writing?

3. How did Olmec culture spread through other parts of Mesoamerica?

4. Why do many historians consider the Olmec civilization to be the mother culture of Mesoamerica?

Exit Slip – 1 Paragraph Describe why

the development of agriculture leads to the development of urban societies.