The Mayans — Year 6 Lesson Plan
National Curriculum: History KS2 — a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history: Mayan civilisation c.AD 900
Overview
Pupils investigate the Ancient Mayan civilisation of Mesoamerica — a non-European society that developed complex systems of writing, astronomy, mathematics, and agriculture entirely independently from Europe. They examine the Maya at their peak (c.AD 900) and compare aspects of Mayan society with contemporary civilisations.
Learning Objectives
- Describe the location and timeline of the Mayan civilisation.
- Explain the achievements of the Maya in writing, astronomy, and mathematics.
- Compare Mayan society with a contemporary civilisation studied previously.
- Use archaeological evidence and primary sources to investigate the Maya.
Key Vocabulary
Suggested Lesson Structure
Show a world map and ask: where else in the world were advanced civilisations developing at the same time as Ancient Greece or the Anglo-Saxons? Introduce the Maya in Central America — a civilisation that flourished largely unknown to Europeans.
Cover key themes: location — modern-day Mexico, Belize, Guatemala; timeline — Classic Period c.250–900 AD (contemporary with Anglo-Saxons in Britain); cities — Tikal, Chichén Itzá, Palenque; achievements — hieroglyphic writing (the codices); a sophisticated calendar system (365-day solar calendar and 260-day ritual calendar); independently discovered zero; accurate astronomical observations; stepped pyramid temples (used for ceremony and astronomical alignment); farming innovations including terracing and irrigation. Decline — rapid decline c.AD 900 for reasons still debated: drought, warfare, environmental degradation. Descendants — approximately 7 million Maya people still live in Central America today.
Source investigation: pupils examine an image of the Temple of Kukulcán at Chichén Itzá and a page from the Dresden Codex. Write three inferences using the 'I can see… This suggests…' frame. Class discussion: what questions do these sources raise that they cannot answer?
Comparison task: pupils complete a grid comparing the Maya with Ancient Greece or Anglo-Saxon Britain in four categories: government, religion, written records, and scientific achievement. Conclude: what is most impressive about the Maya's achievements? What is most surprising?
Discuss: why do you think the Maya are less well known in Britain than Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece? What does this tell us about whose history gets told? How does archaeology help redress this balance? Connect to the present: Maya descendants maintain their culture today.
Common Misconceptions
- The Maya are an extinct civilisation — Maya people and their descendants continue to live across Central America and maintain aspects of their traditional culture.
- The Maya predicted the end of the world in 2012 — the Mayan calendar completed a major cycle in December 2012, but the Maya did not predict an apocalypse.
Prior Knowledge
Pupils should already be able to:
- Experience studying both a British and a non-European civilisation.
- Ability to compare civilisations using evidence.
- Skills in source analysis and historical inference.
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