Ancient Mayan Civilization
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Ancient Maya: A Journey to the Land of Kings and Pyramids! 🏺🌿
Who were the Maya, and how did they build one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient world? How did they create a 365-day calendar, master astronomy, and build towering pyramids deep in the jungle—all without modern tools? Now, your elementary students can take an extraordinary virtual field trip back in time to Ancient Mesoamerica, where the mysteries of the Maya come to life!
📽️ “Ancient Maya: A Virtual Field Trip” is a visually stunning, curriculum-aligned educational video that takes students on an exciting journey through the ruins, traditions, and incredible achievements of this ancient civilization. From the temples of Chichén Itzá to the lost city of Tikal, students will discover the people, innovations, and culture that made the Maya one of the greatest civilizations in history!
💡 What Your Students Will Learn:
✅ Who the Maya were and where they lived (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador)
✅ The Classic Period (250–900 CE) – When the Maya built great cities like Palenque, Uxmal, and Tikal
✅ The incredible Mayan pyramids, temples, and palaces that still stand today
✅ How the Maya tracked the stars and created a highly accurate 365-day calendar
✅ The hieroglyphic writing system, with over 800 glyphs used to record history and religion
✅ The social structure of the Maya, from powerful kings and priests to skilled farmers and artisans
✅ The importance of Mayan mythology, gods, and rituals, including ceremonies at sacred pyramids
✅ The famous Mayan ball game, where winners gained honor—and losers sometimes faced sacrifice!
🌟 Why Teachers Love This Video:
🕒 No-Prep, Standards-Aligned Content – A complete, engaging lesson, ready to go!
🎥 Visually Captivating & Student-Friendly – Keeps students excited and engaged.
🎯 Brings History, Science & Culture to Life – Helps students connect ancient innovations to today.
📚 Perfect for Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations & World History Lessons – Encourages critical thinking and exploration.
💡 Take Your Students on an Unforgettable Journey to the Ancient Maya! Give your students a front-row seat to the temples, myths, and achievements of the Maya—without ever leaving the classroom! Subscribe today and bring history to life! 🚀
Video length: 22:15 minutes.
Learning Resources with this Video*
Quizzes – PDF & Online
Ancient Accomplishments
The Ancient Mayan Ball Game
Making a Mayan Structure
Phenomenal Pyramids
Important Ancient Mayan Cities
Draw A Scene
Universal Resources
National Standards
*Links are active on Full Video page.
Classroom Ideas
Ancient Mayan Civilization
Ancient Timeline
Create a timeline that shows what was happening in each of the Ancient Civilizations at certain points in time. For example, who created calendars and at what point in time? Who was building pyramids and when?
Mapping
Have students print out a map of the Ancient Mayan Civilization and identify where the sites in the video are located.
Ancient Civilization Comparisons
Divide your class into smaller groups, with each group responsible for further researching how each ancient civilization has benefited the world. They need to bring props to show (photos, food, items that represents tools and discoveries by each group).
Mayan Ball Game
Have students research the all-important ball game that was such an important part of their lives. Try to write out the rules, and try to play the game.
Diorama
Create a diorama of a Mayan city.
Pyramid Comparison
Have students compare the structure and purpose(s) of the Egyptian vs. Mayan pyramids. Discuss how they are similar and different. Discuss the techniques used to build each style of pyramid.
International Landmark Geometry
Identify geometric shapes found in famous structures such as Chichen Itza. Create structures using various geometric shapes (popsicle stick pyramid, toothpick tower, etc.)
Archaeology
Contact your local college or university to see if they have an archaeology program. If so, see if your class can visit them and learn what has been discovered by structures and buildings left behind different ancient civilizations.
Venn Diagram
After studying about a specific ancient civilization (Ancient Greece, Romans, Mayans, Egypt, etc. ), have a class discussion about what a day in the life of a person would be like.
Classroom Ideas for ALL Videos
Here are dozens and dozens of ideas that you can use in your classroom along with our videos!
Topics Covered In This Video
Who were the Mayans?
Where did they live?
The many Mayan accomplishments
Mesoamerican civilizations
Mayan night sky observatories
Mayan calendar(s)
Stelae & glyphs
Social structure
Mayan kings
Warfare & territory expansion
Common population
Mayan cuisine & lifestyle
Bartering & valuables
Mayan engineering
Palenque
Tikal
Uxmal
Teotihuacan
Chichen Itza
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Ancient Egypt: Land of the Pyramids
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