Objective

Beliefs
• The Maya were
poly
_____theistic
• The Maya believed in
more than 160 gods
• Primary gods were forces
of nature
– Examples: sun god, rain god,
corn god, god of death
jaguar was an
• The __________
important animal in the
Mayan religion
 Chocolate God
• Yes, the Mayans even prayed
to the chocolate god!
 Close your eyes and
pray to the chocolate god…
 • The Maya
Sacrifices believed that
gods had
• See video clip on YouTube created the
world and
could
influence or
destroy it.
• The Maya
believed they
could please
the gods with
a gift of
human
blood.
• Two teams of
nobles played the Pok-a-tok
game.
• Players tried to hit a
rubber ball through
a stone hoop using
their elbows, wrists,
and hips.
• All levels of Mayan
society watched
and bet on the
game.
• Members of the
losing team may
have been
sacrificed.
 • The Maya’s used
The Mayan Calendar their knowledge
of mathematics
• See video clip on YouTube and astronomy
to develop a
complex
calendar system.
• The Mayans used
two calendars:
– 365-day solar
calendar
– 260-day sacred
calendar
The Mayan Calendar
• The Mayans had two
calendars: a 260-day
sacred calendar and
365-day solar calendar.
• Ready to learn how to
use the sacred
calendar?
 The Sacred Calendar
• The sacred calendar has 260 days. Each day in the
sacred calendar consists of a number, represented by
dots and bars, and a day name, represented by a
glyph (symbol).
• The smaller round contains the numbers. A dot
represents 1. A bar represents 5. How many numbers
are on the smaller round? 13
• The larger round contains the day names. How many
glyphs are on the larger round? 20
• 13 x 20 = 260 days
Pretend you are a Mayan priest.
You must solve these problems.
• When to get married?
– Today is 5 Chuen. The parents of Ix Nic (nic means “little
flower”) and Ah Bacal (bacal means “corncob”) would like
your advice on when their daughter and son should marry.
– Consult the sacred calendar to determine which day in the
next 9 days would be the best for their wedding ceremony.

• When to go to war?
– Today is 1 Ix. The ruler of your city wants to attack a rival
Mayan city in 12 days.
– Consult the sacred calendar to determine whether you
would recommend that the ruler go ahead with the attack
as planned.
 Answer Key
• Problem 1: 7 Ben might be the best day for the
wedding because the symbol for Ben, a maize
seedling, combines parts of the names of the
bride and groom. Others might wait until 1 Ahau.

• Problem 2: 13 Cimi might not be a good day to

attack because Cimi means death and the symbol
is a human skull. Others, however, might
interpret this as a good sign.
 Homework: A Day in the Life of a
Mayan _______________
• Write a 2 page short story
– Genre: Historical Fiction
– Topic: A Day in the Life of a Mayan
_______
• Follow the plot diagram and include
a conflict, rising action, climax,
falling action, and resolution.
• Use at least five pieces of dialogue!
• Use as many vocabulary words as
possible.
– Use the brainstorming chart on the
back to help you!
• I will post the PowerPoints online if
you need more inspiration.
• Merits will be given to the best
work! The best stories will be read
aloud on Friday!
 Objective
• SWBAT locate the
Mayan civilization
on a map.
Where is the Mayan
civilization?
• Step 1: Use the map
on page 418 to label
all countries.
• Step 2: Use the map
on page 261 to shade
in the Mayan
civilization. Use a
marker to color code!
In which five
countries can you
find Mayan ruins?
 Objective
• SWBAT explain how the geography of the
Mayan civilization affected its economy.
Use the map on page 261 in your textbook to
complete this section on page 7 of your notes
 Resources in the Peten Jungle
Resource Use
• Rubber tree • Rubber ball for pok-a-tok
 Resources in the Peten Jungle
Resource Use
• Cocoa trees • Chocolate
 Resources in the Peten Jungle
Resource Use
• Quetzal feathers • Headdresses for kings
 Resources in the Peten Jungle
Resource Use
• Plants such as the give and • Medicines
take palm
• Population grows…
• Not enough land to grow enough food to feed
all of the people!
• Slash and burn agriculture: Clear land by
cutting and burning plants and trees, then
plant more crops!
• Without the trees, the soil does not hold nutrients…
• The soil quality becomes too poor to support crops!