# data[].attributes.body
Activity:

Explain to your students that some early Pueblo homes had no windows or doors and people entered through a trapdoor on the roof. Other Pueblo homes are multiple stories with movable ladders. Together find different pictures and examples of Pueblo homes. Discuss the similarities and differences. Then have your students make a model of a Pueblo home. They may wish to use clay or make a diorama. Encourage your students to be creative. Then display their models so they can share them with the rest of the class.

Using the following websites to explain about different houses that they have and can try to recreate.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/world-heritage/pueblo-de-taos/

The Pinterest link has what other students have done when creating these.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/24206916725306964/

https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&len=2&q=pueblo%20indians%20project&eq=pueblo%20indian&etslf=10949&term_meta[]=pueblo%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=indians%7Cautocomplete%7C1&term_meta[]=project%7Cautocomplete%7C1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pueblo I Houses | Pueblo Indian History for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pueblo I farmsteads included pithouses, roomblocks, and plazas.

# data[].attributes.body
Objective: 
Students will learn about hierarchy through a simulation and learn about how people would move up or down with the mita system.

Activity: Students will be given 1 sticky note that will be one of the 4 different pieces of paper. On 6 different pieces of paper, one from each category, put an M on it before giving it to the students. Take the students to the gym or outside to the bleachers. The students will stand on the bleachers in the order of their hierarchy. The following colors will represent the different levels:
Blue:Farmers or slaves (commoners)
Yellow:Merchants or Artisans
Green:Nobles
Pink: Council (Priesthood) or part of the Royal Family
Purple: King or High Priest

The teacher will have the blue students on the bottom row, yellow on a row above them, green above the yellow, the pink 2 rows adobe the green, and purple 2 rows above the pink.
The teacher will then explain what each level represents and how their order limited them and how they could move up and down on the pyramid. The teacher will then ask students to raise their hand if they have an M on their sticky note. The teacher will pair 2 Ms together and based on their place in the hierarchy, they will move up or down. (The women will be the only one that will move up or down based on her “husband”)

Photo and Article to Read:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
wludh.ca is currently unable to handle this request.

# data[].attributes.body
The teacher will talk about the difference of the primary and secondary sources. The students will create a note sheet that the teacher will explain the different information.
The teacher will then have the students get into groups. The students will do a scavenger hunt bingo to find primary and secondary sources throughout the school. They need to find at least 8 different sources and 1 free space. When they fill all of the spaces they win a prize.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/51580358207861244/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This is a culmination of my own anchor charts, plus the best anchor charts that I could find online. This is a great place to find effective charts that get to the heart of what you are teaching in workshop. If you have a favorite chart that you'd like to add, please contact me!

# data[].attributes.body
Objective:

Students will learn about the writing, mathematics, architecture and art of the pyramids.

The students will have the opportunity to add art, an observatory, or even add writing from the Aztec Achievements to their pyramid

Students will complete the Padlet by answering the questions and take a picture of their pyramid

# data[].attributes.headline
Which Cultures Lived In the North and Northwest?

# data[].attributes.subject
Which Cultures Lived In the North and Northwest?

# data[].attributes.body
Before the activity the teacher will talk about the key features from each culture that is covered under the section (Northwest: totem pole and potlatch, Arctic: igloo, Subarctic: hunting).

For this lesson, students will create a totem pole from toilet paper and paper towel rolls and decorate each totem with the characteristics from each culture

# data[].attributes.headline
What was the Makeup of Incan Society? (Day Two)

# data[].attributes.subject
What was the Makeup of Incan Society? (Day Two)

# data[].attributes.body
For this lesson, students will simulate the mita system, through a card barter system. Using the hierarchy that was covered in day four, the students will receive cards based on their class order.

# data[].attributes.body
For this lesson, students will use their landmass from the day before to create an aqueduct and dike system by using straws and water.

Before creating the aqueduct and dike system the students will watch the video to help them understand how water will move through the straws towards the landmass.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
How to... Science, Craft Plus Other DIY Fixes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to make a Straw Syphon - Simple Science Experiment - Uses Everyday Items

# data[].attributes.body
For this lesson, students will learn about Mayan structures and how they were built. This is the first day of a two day lesson, the next day they will be decorating the structures.

Using the link below, students will go on virtual field trips to different Mayan Pyramids.

# data[].attributes.headline
What Early Cultures Inhabited North America?

# data[].attributes.subject
What Early Cultures Inhabited North America?

# data[].attributes.body
Students will be able to explain and outline the different cultures that inhabited North America in the early makings of North America. The students will be able to construct and design their own ancient artifact. Pottery, jewelry or tools.

Activity: The students will create their own artifacts after learning about artifacts from Native North Americans since they did not leave written records or information.

This website has an article of many different artifacts found and are in the smithsonian.

hsonianmag.com/history/exclusive-greatest-haul-native-american-artifacts-looted-180956959/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Collections | National Museum of the American Indian

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NMAI is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere through partnership with Native people and others. The museum works to support the continuance of culture, traditional values, and transitions in contemporary Native life.

# data[].attributes.body
Students will learn about the Olmecs and Zapotecs and their way of life. The students will create their own Olmec big head statue. This will connect to what they learned about the Olmecs, and how they were known for their art and creating statues from stone to represent their rulers. Here is a link to how to make these clay statues!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a culminating activity for our latest novel study, my students created MatchBook Summaries. For each chapter in the book, students wrote a summary about key events in the chapter, provided a related quote, and designed a matching illustration. The writing and drawings were displayed on cardstock paper strips that were folded like a matchbook. The MatchBook Summaries were attached inside a manila folder to provide an outline or overview of the whole novel. The project has been a great way to practice writing thorough explanations about story details and locating specific quotes that provide text evidence to support student responses.

MatchBook Summary Materials

manila file folders

12-inch rulers

white cardstock cut into strips

colored pencils, markers, crayons, etc.

glue stick or Elmer's glue

paper cutter

paper scorer (recommended)

Directions

Each student will need cardstock strips for each chapter of the novel you are using. For our novel, Kavik the Wolf Dog, the book had 13 chapters. I have 27 students. 27 x 13 = a lot of cutting, so prep your materials ahead of time for this writing activity! Cut the cardstock into strips that are 7 1/2″ x 2 3/4″.

I have THIS PAPER CUTTER that has grooves for paper scoring. You use a tool that looks like a dull knife and press lines into the paper strips. The score lines make the students matchbooks fold perfectly every time. I made the grooves on the paper strips at 1″ from one end and 3 1/4″ from the other end.

Have students create grid lines in light pencil on the interior of their manila folders. Many will make mistakes while they measure, so I model where to measure and draw lines as they measure at their work space. Because the folders are wide, I have students mark 2-3 dots across the folder at the spot where we need lines and then the ruler lines up against the dots to draw a straight line. It took some time for the students to create the grid, but it was great measurement practice.

After students have pencil guidelines in the manila folders for their MatchBook cards, they begin creating the chapter summary matchbooks. The folded cards have the chapter name or number on the outside of the small flap at the bottom. The outside top has a simple illustration that relates to the chapter. The interior of the matchbook has the chapter summary and supporting quote (optional). The students had been writing summary statements while we were reading the novel, so they had the sentences ready to transfer to the folded cards. I gave them a graphic organizer like this Chapter Summaries Chart to keep in their language arts notebook while we were completing the novel unit.

Students glue the back of the matchbook inside the grid lines in the manila folder. We had trouble with some of the matchbooks falling off if students were not heavy enough with the glue stick, so you may want to use Elmer's liquid glue. Remind students not to over-squeeze the Elmer's glue, or you will end up with the opposite problem.

Once all matchbooks were attached to the inside the folder, students designed the outside to look like our book cover.

MatchBook Summary Tips

I encouraged students to complete all cards before gluing to the interior of the folder. Some grid spaces were not big enough for cards due to the notches for the file folder tab. The cards need to be in numerical or chapter order, so the students may want to place all cards before gluing. I let students decide if they wanted to place the cards in order by going all the way across horizontally and then starting a new line or stacking the cards in columns from left to right.

If cards are glued to the interior before designing the outside, the surface is bumpy. I had some students create the book cover style illustration on a separate piece of paper and attach it to the outside of the file folder.

To see my complete novel unit for Kavik the Wolf Dog, CLICK HERE. To check out more creative writing activities to go with any novel study, CLICK HERE. I got inspiration for this activity from THIS BLOG POST.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a culminating activity for our latest novel study, my students created MatchBook Summaries. For each chapter in the book, students wrote a summary about key events in the chapter, provided a related quote, and designed a matching illustration. The writing and drawings were displayed on cardstock paper strips that were folded like a matchbook.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who were the People of the Eastern Woodlands?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who were the People of the Eastern Woodlands?

# data[].attributes.body
Attached is a link explaining how to make a longhouse.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In the northeastern United States, longhouses were the dominant type of home among Native Americans. These houses were built from tree trunks lashed together and then covered with slabs of tree bark. The houses measured as much as 20 feet high, 20 feet wide and 50 to 150 feet long. While up to 60 people lived in these early apartment houses, each family had its own living area. Mats and screens divided the longhouse into smaller rooms, and many areas even included second floor platforms that provided additional sleeping areas.

Tape the lid to the cylindrical oatmeal container, and then cut the container in half lengthwise. Keep one half to serve as the roof of your longhouse and set the second half aside for another project.

Cut three one-inch holes in the top of the oatmeal container roof to serve as smoke holes.

Glue the oatmeal container roof to the shoe box. Now you have the basic structure of the longhouse.

Cut a hole in one end of the shoebox to serve as a door.

Use the paintbrush to spread glue all over the longhouse. Glue on the strips and squares of brown crepe paper, overlapping and scrunching the pieces to resemble tree bark. Your longhouse model is done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Make a Longhouse For a School Project | Synonym

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the northeastern United States, longhouses were the dominant type of home among Native Americans. These houses were built from tree trunks lashed together and then covered with slabs of tree bark. The houses measured as much as 20 feet high, 20 feet wide and 50 to 150 feet long.

# data[].attributes.headline
Who were the People of the Eastern Woodlands?

# data[].attributes.subject
Who were the People of the Eastern Woodlands?

# data[].attributes.body
Students will get to choose if they want to make a wigwam or a longhouse. They will get to personalize it to if it were their own home if they were apart of the Eastern Woodlands! Attached is a link explaining wigwams and how to make a wigwam.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wigwam Village

Wigwams
What was a Wigwam? The Wigwam was a typical birch bark structure used as a shelter or house style that was built by many tribes of the Northeast woodland cultural group who made them their homes. Learn about the structure and the interior of the Wigwam with pictures and images with facts and information about the tribes who used them, including the Abenaki, Sauk, Fox, Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Wampanoag. The picture is of a Chippewa (Ojibwe) village at Sault Ste. Marie on the St. Marys River in Ontario, Canada in 1846.

Native American Houses

Site Index

Wigwam Definition
What does the word Wigwam mean? Definition: The word Wigwam derives from the word used by the Abenaki tribe meaning house. The wigwam, also known as a 'wetu' or Birchbark house, was a form of shelter and home used by various Native American Indian tribes, notably those who lived in the Northeast woodland. The wigwam was usually a round, dome shape structure that was 8-10 feet tall and 12 - 14 feet across. Wigwams were constructed by Algonquian-speaking people using a wooden framework of poles that were covered with sheets of birchbark, and other available materials such as tule mats, animal hides and blankets, which were held in place by ropes or poles. Canvas was sometimes used to cover wigwams starting in the late 1700s.

The 'Wigwam'
The word 'wigwam' was once used to describe all Native Indian homes, regardless of structure, location or cultural group. Overuse of the term "wigwam", and the perception of its meaning, led to the stereotype of "uncivilized" Native American Indians. Overuse of the word wigwam has also led to considerable confusion as to the types of house styles and shelters used by different tribes. The correct meanings and use of names for similar types of shelters are as follows:

WIGWAM: The term 'Wigwam' is used to describe the semi-permanent types of shelters used by the Northeast woodland cultural group. Wigwam is the word for "house" in the Abenaki tribe

WETU: The word 'Wetu' is the word for "house" in the Wampanoag tribe. It is another name for a wigwam

BIRCHBARK HOUSE: The term 'Birchbark house' is also used as an alternative name for a wigwam

WICKIUP: The word 'Wickiup' is used to describe similar, primitive dwellings to wigwams but used by tribes in the Southwestern United States

What is the Difference between a Wigwam and a Tepee?
The difference between a wigwam and a tepee is as follows:

The wigwam was used by tribes of the Northeast woodland cultural group whereas the tepee was used by nomadic tribes of the Great Plains

The wigwam was a semi-permanent structure, unlike the tepee which was completely portable

The woodland tribes had access to forests and used birch bark as coverings for their wigwams. The Great Plains tribes had access to the bison and used buffalo hides as tepee tent coverings.

Wigwams took more time to build whereas tepees were easily erected and quickly taken down

Wigwams were domed, round-roofed shelters whereas tepees were always pyramid-shaped tents

Who lived in a Wigwam?
The Wigwam was generally used as a shelter by the Native Indian Tribes who lived around the Great Lakes and the East Coast who had access to birch bark from the abundant forests and woodlands in their territories to enable them to build their wigwams. The names of the Algonquian tribes who lived in the wigwam style house included the Wampanoag, Shawnee, Abenaki, Sauk, Fox (Meskwaki), Pequot, Narragansett, Kickapoo, Ojibwe (Chippewa) and Otoe (Winnebago). Wigwams were suitable for tribes who stayed in the same place for months at a time. The Algonquian-speaking Northeast Indian tribes who used wigwams lived together in villages during the farming season tending their crops of corn, pumpkin, squash, beans and tobacco. During the hunting season small family groups would move to hunting camps. When a family moved to a new location, the frame of the wigwam was left in place and suitable coverings were taken with them. When the family returned they simply unrolled the covering they always carried, and placed it over the frame. If a wigwam frame was not available, they would make a new one. Some of these tribes went on to adopt the fortified villages of Longhouses (used by the Iroquoian-speaking tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy) to offer defence from hostile tribes.

The Shape of the Wigwam - Round, Dome Shape
The shape of the wigwam was generally a round, dome shape with a round roof. However, tepees were also built in a pyramid shape as can be seen by the following pictures.

Abenaki Pyramid Shaped Tepee

Round, Dome Shaped Wigwam

Why was the Wigwam built as a Native Indian shelter or house style?
Every tribe choose a type of housing to suit their lifestyle, the climate, the environment and the natural resources (known as biomes) that were available to them. The wigwam was chosen as the most suitable type of shelter and house style because it suited the lifestyle of the tribes who lived in the woodland areas, was easy to build and made good use of the trees in their locations.

Wigwam

Interesting Facts and information about the Wigwam

Definition, pictures and description of the Wigwam

Built as a shelter and house style by tribes of the Northeast woodland cultural group

Fast Facts, pictures and description of the Wigwam - Exterior and interior

Interesting Homework resource for kids on the history of the Native American Indians

How was a Wigwam built?
The basic materials used to build a Wigwam were the branches of flexible trees, or saplings. About 16 holes were dug around a circle 12 - 14 feet across. The holes were dug into the ground about 8-12 inches deep. The sapling poles were placed firmly in the holes then bent in an arch to form the dome shape of the wigwam. The poles of the frame was lashed together with tough bark fibers of the basswood tree. Hoops (ribs) were then fastened over the frame. Birchbark sheets were then tied to the framework to form the roof and walls. A layer of thatch, or dried grass, was sometimes placed over the birchbark for added protection to the dwelling. Woven tule mats, hides, canvas and blankets also covered the wigwam if these were available, kept in place by ropes and poles. Space was left for a doorway with an entrance flap that allowed people to creep into the wigwam. A smoke-hole from the top allowed smoke from the fire to escape, and fresh air to circulate.

The Interior of the Wigwam
A 3 feet central hearth, consisted of a fire pit encircled by stones, heated the wigwam in cold weather, and was used for cooking in rainy weather. Sleeping platforms, with beds were made with dried grasses and covered with deerskin, were constructed at least half way around the wigwam and used as seats during the daytime. The space beneath the platforms were used for storage. Woven mats or deerskins were used as floor coverings.

Wigwams - Native American houses - Shelters - Teaching resource - Teachers - Interior - Facts - Exterior - Built - Kids - Wigwams - Houses Of Indians - Native Indian Homes - Homes Native Tribes - Shelters Indigenous Tribes - Pictures - Images - Wigwam - Pics of Wigwam - Paintings - Culture - Native Americans - Wigwam - Native Indian Americans - North American Indians - Life - History - Facts - Information - Info - Native - American - Indian - Short - Kids - House Building -Design - Construction - Building Techniques - Children - Facts - Studies - Native American Houses and homes - Wigwams

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wigwam Village Wigwams What was a Wigwam? The Wigwam was a typical birch bark structure used as a shelter or house style that was built by many tribes of the Northeast woodland cultural group who made them their homes.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a video that explains how the Incans used quipus.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Threads That Speak: How The Inca Used Strings to Communicate | National Geographic

# data[].attributes.body
The students will learn about the Aztec Empire. They will also learn about the Aztec calendars and sundials. The students will create a sundial of their own. Here is a guide to the materials and how to make a sundial!

# data[].attributes.body
Students will learn about how the government in Inca worked and what it did for its people. They will also learn about how the incan empire expanded by taking the land of other people because they had such an organized society. This will link to the quipu and how the Incans use quipus. A quipu is a record keeping device that is made up of knotted strings. They used these to keep records of people or goods. Attached is a link showing how to make a quipu! This will connect to how the Incans documented information to their organized society.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Did the Geography of the Andes Shape Life? Continued 

# data[].attributes.subject
How Did the Geography of the Andes Shape Life? Continued 

# data[].attributes.body
(See Wednesdays activity to further expand on this and offer a hands on activity)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
HISTORY'S HISTORIES You are history. We are the future.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Inca Empire was a complex society with a population of around 12 million people. They had large stone cities, beautiful temples, an advanced government, a detailed tax system, and an intricate road system.

The Inca, however, didn't have a lot of basic technologies we often consider important to advanced societies. They didn't use the wheel for transport. They didn't have a writing system for records (though they did have mailmen to aid communication!). They didn't even have iron for making tools. How did they create such an advanced Empire?

The Inca were problem-solvers. When faced with a problem, they came up with some interesting and effective solutions. The Inca empire's rapid expansion in the 15th century CE also played a role in the development of new technologies. Expansion put new demands on the Inca government and as the empire grew, Inca rulers needed to find new ways to unite the many different peoples under their control. Expansion also led to an intermingling of cultures. Just as it always does, cultural interactions led to new ways to understand and to meet technological challenges.

Their job was made all the more difficult due to their unique geographical considerations. In fact, while it's easy to relate advances in farming, government, record keeping, and architecture to the needs defined by the rapid expansion of the empire, geography shaped their technological adaptations.
​
Below are some of the important innovations and technologies used by the Inca Empire.
three things did the Inca government do as soon as it conquered a new tribe?
Expansion and Growth
During their period of rapid expansion in the 15th century, the Inca needed to incorporate numerous new tribes into their growing empire. Big challenges included moving troops, keeping records, and carrying communications and trade goods. In order to meet those challenges three things happened as soon as a new tribe was conquered or voluntarily joined the Inca empire.

At the top of the Inca "to-do list" was the construction of new roads. Roads were built to both move troops and to connect the new province to the rest of the empire. Secondly, a detailed count was made of every person and item in the conquered territory. Government officials counted and kept records of everything - the number of people, the amount of gold and silver, even how many vases there were. Just as in ancient Egypt where all things belonged to the pharaoh, in the Inca empire everything was the property of the Sapa Inca. With the count completed, a governor was appointed to run the new territory. ​

If the government needed workers somewhere, some of the conquered people were sent to help out and some were sent to join existing ayllus (a group of Inca families) in various parts of the empire. People who were moved about often did not speak the language of the group they were joining. This pretty much wiped out all chance of rebellion. Of course, communicating where workers were needed was another challenge. The road system the Inca built was part of the solution to their "communication problem." An innovative mail delivery system was the other part of the solution.

Solving their transportation, record keeping and communication issues was an effective way of handling a rapidly expanding empire. In no time, the new territory was absorbed into the Inca empire. The empire continued to have a common language, a common government, and huge surpluses of food and goods that were kept in storehouses so that they would be available during times of need. ​

Brain Box: Which of the three things was most effective in uniting the Inca's growing empire?

Inca Roads and Bridges
Just as the ancient Romans did, the Inca connected their vast empire with a system of roads. by the geographic challenges they faced, Inca engineers built their roads across plains, deserts, rivers, ravines, and mountain passes up to 15,000 feet high. Inca roads linked settlements and administrative centers. The main purpose for the roads was for communication, moving army troops, and to transport goods. Commoners were not allowed to travel on the roads. were Inca roads used for?

Brain Box: With 25,000 miles of roads, how did travelers avoid getting lost? ​

Suspension Bridges: Some of the most impressive acts of Inca engineering were the many rope suspension bridges they included as part of their vast network of roads. The suspension bridges allowed travelers to cross both rivers and dangerous . These bridges were built using braids of reed or grass rope with wooden and fiber flooring. The braided cables that held the bridges safely in place were as much as five feet thick. They had to be strong to hold the weight. Hundreds of these bridges were built and, if one broke, local workers rushed to fix it so that travel could continue . Every other year, bridges were replaced. Pontoon Bridges: As another option for crossing the many creeks, streams, and rivers within the empire, the Inca also created a type of floating bridge called a pontoon bridge. To craft these bridges Inca engineers stretched reed mats between floating boats made of reeds. Doing so allowed travelers to cross short distances over surface level waterways.

Who Could Use the Roads?
The roads belonged to the government. No one could travel the roads without special permission. Common people certainly could not use the roads. The army used the roads, however, to move quickly and easily to any point in the Inca empire. Doing so allowed the army to quickly stop rebellions and to protect people from intruders. The roads also allowed the army to quickly bring supplies to victims of natural disasters. Llama trains could use the roads as officials collected food from farms and moved it to cities and to storehouses along the road. The roads also allowed the government to efficiently communicate with governors in far off provinces.

Mailmen of the Inca Empire
All governments need a way to communicate orders, instructions, and laws to their people. The Inca, however, did not have a written language. Yet, timely communication is essential for a government to be effective. Communication was made all the more difficult by how large the empire was.

To put their difficulties in perspective (sort of), imagine that you have a message that you need to get across the classroom. Like the Inca, however, you can't write it down. Now, imagine that the classroom is 2500 miles wide, far too great a distance to simply shout. If you will, also imagine that our very wide classroom is divided by deserts, rivers, ravines, and high mountains. If you can imagine that scenario, then you can begin to imagine the challenges faced by the Inca. What would you do? The Inca devised a reliable system in which young men ran in relay fashion along the roads carrying messages back to the capital. Those young men were the mailmen of the Inca empire. They were called Chasquis.

Many young boys in the Inca empire dreamed of one day becoming a mailman. However, only the best were chosen. Potential mailmen had to work hard to achieve their goal. They had to attend a special school that taught them how to be mailmen. In order to run the roads carrying important messages, the mailmen of the Inca empire had to be physically fit, as well as good listeners with great memories. ​

It was each runner's job to run a mile or two down the road. As he approached the next relay station, the runner blew loudly on a conch shell to alert the next runner to get ready. The next runner would appear, running alongside him. Without stopping, the first runner told the second runner the message. The second runner sped ahead until he reached the next relay station. And so it went, from one point in the empire to another.

Messages had to reach the Sapa Inca accurately. If it was discovered that a message was not accurate, punishment was severe. Punishment did not only descend upon the person who delivered the message but could track backward to anyone who had a part in that message. It was important to be accurate.

When messages were secret, runners carried the message in the form of a quipu, a series of knots and colored string. The quipu would be handed from runner to runner until it reached its destination where a special quipu reader would decipher the message.

This relay system was so effective that runners could move messages at a rate of about 250 miles a day. Without runners, controlling the vast Inca empire would have been next to impossible. With the work of the Chasquis, news and orders traveled rapidly and accurately from one end of the empire to the other. ​​

How did the Inca protect their cities against attack?

How did Inca architects make their buildings match the surrounding landscape?

The Inca were master builders, and t hey liked their buildings to match the surrounding landscape. Living high in the Andes mountains, they used stone. Inca stone workers were some of the best in the world. They were able to cut their stones so precisely that when fitted together there was no need to use mortar.

​Just like the mountains that surrounded them, buildings were constructed to last and to survive natural disasters such as earthquakes. Doorways and window sloped inward slightly at the top to better support the structure of their buildings and homes in times of storms, high winds, and earthquakes. Roofs were also slanted, creating an additional clever reminder of the surrounding mountains. Inca buildings were amazing structures.

​The architecture was formal yet simple. The Inca loved gold and silver, but they also liked things to be simple. The royals and nobles decorated the outside doors leading into their homes with gold, silver, and designs. Inside, the royals and nobles had simple paintings on the walls and solid gold decorations throughout their homes. The poor people were not allowed to decorate their homes. Their homes could contain only functional things or things necessary to do their jobs. ​

The Forgotten City, Machu Picchu One of the most magnificent Inca sites is the ancient city of Machu Picchu. Archaeologists were excited about finding the ruins of this city in 1911. One of the things that makes Machu Picchu truly special is that it was very nearly complete when it was found. While Machu Picchu is not as big as a normal Inca city, it seemed to have been untouched by time. Indeed, when it was found i t appeared to have escaped both the of the Inca civil war and Spanish Some archaeologists believe it was a country estate for the Sapa Inca. Others believe it was a religious retreat.
plunder.

It has been just over 100 years since Machu Picchu was rediscovered. At Machu Picchu, explorers found ruins of temples, palaces, fortresses, and a royal tomb. They found remains of pottery and the stone aqueducts that brought water into the city from over a mile away. They found remains of terrace gardens and homes for farmers, nobles, and priests. It was quite a find for the explorers who discovered it!

Machu Picchu is a good example of the Inca practice of shaping architecture around the natural features of the landscape. With thought to both the purpose of the construction and the natural surroundings, ridges were made into plateaus on which the Inca could build, and stone were used to create terraces for farming. Even today, visitors often comment on how the buildings so seamlessly blend with the surrounding hills. For example, the profile of the Sacred Rock actually ery often, windows and doorways were deliberately positioned to capture the best views of the surrounding mountains. mimics one of the mountain peaks behind it. V

Machu Picchu's Sacred Rock (LEFT), Royal Tomb (Center), and Condor Temple (RIGHT)

Some structures were partially carved out of the stone. Great examples include the Royal Tomb and the Condor Temple. The cave-like area of the Royal Tomb contains ceremonial series of steps, and represents the three levels of existence in the world of the Inca. The first step, symbolized by the snake, represents the underworld or death. The second step represents the present and human life and is symbolized by the jaguar. The highest step represents the spiritual realm of the gods and is symbolized by the condor. niches and an Inca cross carved from one wall. The cross resembles a

The Condor Temple is, in some ways, an even more impressive example of the Inca's skills at stone work. With the Condor Temple, the Inca architects included a natural rock formation in the form of a V as part of their design for the temple. The Inca skillfully shaped the rock into the outspread wings of a condor in flight. C ompleting the figure of a three-dimensional bird, the Inca

What are at least three things the Inca did to make up for their lack of a written language?

System of Measurement, the Quipu:
The quipu had a main string about two feet long. Many additional colored strings were tied to the main string. Using a base of ten, each string had knots in it. The color of the strings and the distance between knots all had meaning to the Inca. One of the specialized professions was the quipu reader. Very few people could read the quipu, which is true even today.

To get a simple idea of how archaeologists believe the quipu was used, imagine a main string with two strings hanging from it. To show the idea of age 12, for example, the first hanging string would have one knot in it (to represent ten). The second hanging string would have two knots in it (to represent two). The total would be 12. The main string would be color-coded to mean age. You would have to be able to read the quipu to answer the question, "the age of what?"

Freeze-Dried Foods: The Inca invented a system of safe food storage: freeze-drying. First, they stomped their food to remove as much water as they could. Then, during the day, they left their food out in the sun to dry and at night left it out in the cold to freeze. When they wanted to use the dehydrated foods, they simply added water.

Achievements Important to the Success of the Inca Empire: * Communication (roads, runners) * Specialized professions (engineers, metal workers, stone masons, other artisans) * Service tax (huge free labor force) * Technology (terrace farming, surplus crops, irrigation systems) * Strong central government (all-powerful Inca, strict laws, basic needs satisfied) * Terrace farming * Freeze-dried foods * Use of gold and silver * Marvelous stonework * Wonderful woven textiles * Aqueducts (the Sapa Inca loved his baths) * Suspension bridges * Panpipes * Systems of measurement (calendar, quipu)

Brain Box: Why do you think the Inca never invented the wheel? ​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Inca Empire was a complex society with a population of around 12 million people. They had large stone cities, beautiful temples, an advanced government, a detailed tax system, and an intricate road system. The Inca, however, didn't have a lot of basic technologies we often consider important to advanced societies.

# data[].attributes.headline
How Did the Geography of the Andes Shape Life?

# data[].attributes.subject
How Did the Geography of the Andes Shape Life?

# data[].attributes.body
Students will read a short article and watch a video to build off of book knowledge for why the geography of the Andes mountains caused for difficulty and adapting to learn to live Take sections of this article to have students annotate.

# data[].attributes.body
Introduce dikes and talk about how this correlates with how they lived and how it relates to the geography of their land. Have students build their floating land and create a replica of what land and farming looked like during this time period. Students will carve divots in the foam to represent where the water will go. They will also create the willow trees and label where things go and what purpose they have. (Students will then continue this activity on tuesday and build on dikes and aqueducts)

# data[].attributes.body
This article discusses the lives of the people of the Great Plains. For this activity, students will create their own tepee and decorate it in a way that represents themselves. After they are completed, each student will have the opportunity to share with the class if they want to.

# data[].attributes.headline
Settlement and Geography of the Americas 

# data[].attributes.subject
Settlement and Geography of the Americas 

# data[].attributes.body
Students will explore different types of environments that many of the Mayan civilians lived in. Across the Americas, there are many different types of terrain and environments. Using a guided notes sheet, students will complete this while going through the article.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Where Did the Maya Live?

The Maya civilization was one of the most dominant Indigenous societies of Mesoamerica (a term used to describe Mexico and Central America before the 16th century Spanish conquest).

Unlike other scattered Indigenous populations of Mesoamerica, the Maya were centered in one geographical block covering all of the Yucatan Peninsula and modern-day Guatemala; Belize and parts of the Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas; and the western part of Honduras and El Salvador. This concentration showed that the Maya remained relatively secure from invasion by other Mesoamerican peoples.

Did you know? Among the earliest Maya a single language existed, but by the Preclassic Period a great linguistic diversity developed among the various Maya peoples. In modern-day Mexico and Central America, around 5 million people speak some 70 Maya languages; most of them are bilingual in Spanish.

Within that expanse, the Maya lived in three separate sub-areas with distinct environmental and cultural differences: the northern Maya lowlands on the Yucatan Peninsula; the southern lowlands in the Peten district of northern Guatemala and adjacent portions of Mexico, Belize and western Honduras; and the southern Maya highlands, in the mountainous region of southern Guatemala.

Most famously, the Maya of the southern lowland region reached their peak during the Classic Period of Maya civilization (A.D. 250 to 900), and built the great stone cities and monuments that have fascinated explorers and scholars of the region to this day.

Early Maya, 1800 B.C. to A.D. 250

The earliest Maya settlements date to around 1800 B.C., or the beginning of what is called the Preclassic or Formative Period. The earliest Maya were agricultural, growing crops such as corn (maize), beans, squash and cassava (manioc). During the Middle Preclassic Period, which lasted until about 300 B.C., Maya farmers began to expand their presence both in the highland and lowland regions.

The Middle Preclassic Period also saw the rise of the first major Mesoamerican civilization, the Olmecs. Like other Mesamerican peoples, such as the Zapotec, Totonac, Teotihuacán and Aztec, the Maya derived a number of religious and cultural traits-as well as their number system and their famous calendar-from the Olmec.

In addition to agriculture, the Preclassic Maya also displayed more advanced cultural traits like pyramid-building, city construction and the inscribing of stone monuments.

The Late Preclassic city of Mirador, in the northern Peten, was one of the greatest cities ever built in the pre-Columbian Americas. Its size dwarfed the Classic Maya capital of Tikal, and its existence proves that the Maya flourished centuries before the Classic Period.

Mayan Pyramids of the Classic Maya, A.D. 250-900

The Classic Period, which began around A.D. 250, was the golden age of the Maya Empire. Classic Maya civilization grew to some 40 cities, including Tikal, Uaxactún, Copán, Bonampak, Dos Pilas, Calakmul, Palenque and Río Bec; each city held a population of between 5,000 and 50,000 people. At its peak, the Maya population may have reached 2,000,000 or as many as 10,000,000.

Excavations of Maya sites have unearthed plazas, palaces, temples and pyramids, as well as courts for playing the famous Maya ball game ulama, all ritually and politically significant to Maya culture. Maya cities were surrounded and supported by a large population of farmers. Though the Maya practiced a primitive type of "slash-and-burn" agriculture, they also displayed evidence of more advanced farming methods, such as irrigation and terracing.

The Maya were deeply religious, and worshiped various gods related to nature, including the gods of the sun, the moon, rain and corn. At the top of Maya society were the kings, or "kuhul ajaw" (holy lords), who claimed to be related to gods and followed a hereditary succession. They were thought to serve as mediators between the gods and people on earth, and performed the elaborate religious ceremonies and rituals so important to the Maya culture.

The Mayan Calendar and Culture

The Classic Maya built many of their temples and palaces in a stepped pyramid shape, decorating them with elaborate reliefs and inscriptions. These structures have earned the Maya their reputation as the great artists of Mesoamerica.

Guided by their religious ritual, the Maya also made significant advances in mathematics and astronomy, including the use of the zero and the development of complex calendar systems like the Calendar Round, based on 365 days, and later, the Long Count Calendar, designed to last over 5,000 years.

Serious exploration of Classic Maya sites began in the 1830s. By the early to mid-20th century, a small portion of their system of hieroglyph writing had been deciphered, and more about their history and culture became known. Most of what historians know about the Maya comes from what remains of their architecture and art, including stone carvings and inscriptions on their buildings and monuments.

The Maya also made paper from tree bark and wrote in books made from this paper, known as codices; four of these codices are known to have survived. They are also credited with some of the earliest uses of chocolate and of rubber.

Maya Life in the Rainforest

One of the many intriguing things about the Maya was their ability to build a great civilization in a tropical rainforest climate. Traditionally, ancient peoples had flourished in drier climates, where the centralized management of water resources (through irrigation and other techniques) formed the basis of society. (This was the case for the Teotihuacan of highland Mexico, contemporaries of the Classic Maya.) In the southern Maya lowlands, however, there were few navigable rivers for trade and transport, as well as no obvious need for an irrigation system.

By the late 20th century, researchers had concluded that the climate of the lowlands was in fact quite environmentally diverse. Though foreign invaders were disappointed by the region's relative lack of silver and gold, the Maya took advantage of the area's many natural resources, including limestone (for construction), the volcanic rock obsidian (for tools and weapons) and salt.

The environment also held other treasures for the Maya, including jade, quetzal feathers (used to decorate the elaborate costumes of Maya nobility) and marine shells, which were used as trumpets in ceremonies and warfare.

What Happened to the Maya?

From the late eighth through the end of the ninth century, something unknown happened to shake the Maya civilization to its foundations. One by one, the Classic cities in the southern lowlands were abandoned, and by A.D. 900, Mayan civilization in that region had collapsed. The reason for this mysterious decline is unknown, though scholars have developed several competing theories.

Some believe that by the ninth century the Maya had exhausted the environment around them to the point that it could no longer sustain a very large population. Other Maya scholars argue that constant warfare among competing city-states led the complicated military, family (by marriage) and trade alliances between them to break down, along with the traditional system of dynastic power.

As the stature of the holy lords diminished, their complex traditions of rituals and ceremonies dissolved into chaos. Finally, some catastrophic environmental change - like an extremely long, intense period of drought - may have wiped out the Classic Maya civilization. Drought would have hit cities like Tikal especially hard, because rainwater there was necessary for drinking as well as for crop irrigation.

All three of these factors - overpopulation and overuse of the land, endemic warfare and drought - may have played a part in the downfall of the Maya in the southern lowlands. In the highlands of the Yucatan, a few Maya cities, such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Mayapán, continued to flourish in the Post-Classic Period (A.D. 900-1500). By the time the Spanish invaders arrived, however, most Maya were living in agricultural villages, their great cities hidden under a layer of verdant rainforest.

Do the Maya Still Exist?

Descendants of the Maya still live in Central America in modern-day Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and parts of Mexico.

The majority of modern-day Maya live in Guatemala, which is home to Tikal National Park, the site of the ruins of the ancient city of Tikal. Roughly 40 percent of Guatemalans are of Mayan descent.

Fact Check

We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Mayan Civilization: Calendar, Pyramids & Ruins| HISTORY

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Maya, a civilization of Indigenous people in Central America, created a complex Mayan calendar and massive pyramids before their empire collapsed into ruins.

# data[].attributes.body
This article is split into sections and each section talks about a different achievement of the Incas. In the activity, we will discuss how water had to be diverted from rivers and brought into the cities. Students will be split up into groups and given the same materials. They will go outside and create a road/terrace that will effectively divert water. The group that diverts the water the best will get a reward

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The Incas were magnificent engineers. They built a system of roads and bridges across the roughest terrains of the Andes. Through their system of collective labor and the most advanced centralized economy, the Incas were able to secure unlimited manual labor. They built more than 14,000 miles of paved road that connected Cusco, the capital, to all corners of the empire.

Bridges were built everywhere in the empire. Their suspension bridges were built using natural fibers. Indigenous people still use the same technique in remote areas in the Andes.

Communication was very important to maintain Inca policy. Considering that the Incas did not know the use of the wheel and that their only transportation was llamas or alpacas, it is astonishing that they were able to control such large territory and maintain peace until they were invaded by the Spanish conquistadors.

The success of empire's centralized economy led to social harmony and to its fast expansion. The Inca's central planning economy was, perhaps, the most efficient and successful ever seen. Collective labor from the ayllu was at the center of the economic productivity. Every member was obliged to contribute with his labor as tribute and in exchange they received food, clothing, housing, education and health care security.

The Inca economy did not use money as an exchange unit or markets to trade. However they did trade with other tribes outside their boundaries. Every unit of production was carefully planned and distributed where it was needed.

As an agricultural economy, the Incas made sure that they stored enough food in case of bad weather or war so they grew more food than they needed. They built storage buildings called tambos along roads for food to be distributed to nearby villages. The surplus would be kept in storage as a safety net. Production was planned by the central government, each village would produce a specific product and be distributed to other villages the same way food was distributed.

Medicine

The medicine practiced by the Incas was related to religion and rituals. They believed that illnesses were brought by bad spirits or were related to witchcraft. Medicine men were shamans who used plant extracts, fresh or dried plants, life or dead animals and minerals accompanied by chants, prayers and dance. Shamans were thought to have special curative powers. Their most important discovery and one that is widely used in current Andean society is the use of plant extracts such as digitalis purpurea, maticaliz camomilla and plantago paralias, among others.

The Incas also performed cranial surgery called trepanation in order to cure mental illnesses or injuries. They drilled a hole in the patient's skull, let them bleed and then performed a ritual in order to let the bad spirits out.

Fortifications and buildings

The Incas developed superb architecture and engineering techniques without the use of the wheel and modern tools. Their buildings have proved earthquake resistant for 500 years and today they serve as foundations for many buildings. The Incas were skilled stonemasons; they used granite and limestone to build their cities and forts to protect them.

One great example of a fort is Ollantaytambo. Inca Pachacuti built it and Manco Inca refortified it after the conquistadors had invaded Cusco, Ollantaytambo served as a temporary capital of the Inca Empire.

The most magnificent community the Incas built is the citadel of Machu Picchu built between the mountains of Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu.

Quipus

The Incas did not have a written language but had an accounting system. The quipu was a collection of colored strings of alpaca, llama or cotton threads used to record accounting information in the form of knots. The knots signified numeric values using the decimal system. They used the quipu as a record keeping device to track debts, production or any numerical information.

The earliest quipu was found in the City of Caral, it dates approximately to 2600 BC. It confirms the hypothesis that the Incas inherited many aspects of their culture from earlier civilizations they conquered.

Aqueducts and agricultural terraces

Early on the Incas found out that they could not rely on rainfall for their water supply so they learned to divert water from nearby rivers. They built water canals that required the most advanced hydraulic engineering capabilities. Most canals were carved from rocks and the joints were filled with clay. Aqueducts were angled up and down the slopes of mountains in order to reach agricultural terraces and cities.

Because of the rugged and inconsistent terrain of the Andes the Incas created agricultural terraces to maximize their use of fertile land. They cut terraces resembling steep stairs into the hills to create flat land. They used their advanced irrigation system to carry water to the terraces. Terraces also reduced land erosion. They were highly successful and allowed its agricultural production to be maximized. Andean staples such as corn, potatoes and quinoa fed most of the Inca population. The government knew that as long it kept feeding its population social uprising would be kept to a minimum.
Back to Inca Civilization category
Tags: archeology peru, Inca, Inca achievements, Inca Architecture, Inca civilization, inca culture, Inca empire, incas, Peru history, peru inca

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Achievements of the Incas | Discover Peru

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Incas were magnificent engineers. They built a system of roads and bridges across the roughest terrains of the Andes. Through their system of collective labor and the most advanced centralized economy, the Incas were able to secure unlimited manual labor.

# data[].attributes.body
This video talks about the daily lives of the Aztecs. In the activity, each student will bring in something that they made or purchased (food, toy, etc.) We will discuss how each Aztec town had their own “craft” and would trade with neighboring towns. The students would have trade the goods that they brought in with one another. After this, they would reflect on the process in their journals.

# data[].attributes.body
This video gives a brief overview of Mayan civilizations, including religion. Students will do a four corners activity where each corner of the room will be labeled as a different god. I will present a problem to the class and students will walk to the god that they think the Mayan people would pray to for this problem. Students would be asked to explain why they chose that god.