Lesson video

Hello explorers.

My name is Ms. Creno.

Today's captivating journey takes us into the heart of ancient Mesoamerica, where Majestic city's rose amidst to landscape teaming with vibrant life and profound mysteries.

In this lesson, we delve into the world of Maya cities and the geography that shaped the remarkable civilization of the Maya.

This history lesson is part of a unit about non-European societies.

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to describe Mesoamerica and the cities that the Maya built there.

And it is my job to support you with this lesson's learning resources and materials.

Before we start the lesson, there are some key words I would like to introduce you to.

They are, Maya, Mesoamerica, ceremonial and ballcourt.

Let's find out what these words mean.

The Maya are and in.

Maya.

The Maya are and indigenous people of Mexico and Central America.

Mesomerica.

Mesoamerica is an area of land that stretches from the southern parts of North America and extends to the Pacific coast of Central America.

Ceremonial.

Ceremonial means something that refers to a ceremony, or is used in a ceremony.

And lastly, ballcourt.

In Mesoamerica, a ballcourt is a large stone structure used to play the Mesoamerican ball game, pok-ta-pok.

Today's lesson about Maya cities and the geography of Mesoamerica has two learning cycles.

The first one is entitled Mesoamerica.

Let's begin by where Mesoamerica is.

Meso America is an historical and cultural area located between North America and South America.

It's known for its deep rooted history, varied cultures and remarkable civilizations.

Mesoamerica spans from Central Mexico down through parts of Central America, like a bridge connecting North and South America.

Mesoamerica includes several countries in central America, including parts of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.

Let's check for understanding of what we have just learnt.

Explain to your learning partner why Mesoamerica is like a bridge connecting the two larger continents.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready to reflect on your answer, press play.

Let's investigate an answer that you could have given.

Mesoamerica is located between North and South America and links the two continents.

Or, you could have said, Mesoamerica is like a bridge because it's the area of land between North America and South America, and it connects them.

Well done if you answer was similar to either of these.

Imagine yourself transported back in time to a place that had lush rainforests, towering mountains, and fertile valleys, a place to where the ancient civilizations thrived for millennia.

This would be the geography of Mesoamerica where their ingenuity and resourcefulness, the ancient civilizations that inhabited Mesoamerica crafted all inspiring cities that stood as testaments to their remarkable achievements in architecture, astronomy, art, and governance.

But before we embark on our expedition through Mesoamerican cities, let us first pause to explore the geographical tapestry that provided the backdrop for their extraordinary civilization.

Mesoamerica is a diverse region with a range of geographical features and terrains, such as rich fertile land in the highlands, mountains and planes, and humid rainforests in the lowlands.

This varied landscape played a crucial role in shaping the growth of ancient civilizations.

Mesoamerica's home to several mountain ranges which influence weather patterns and water supply.

The mountains act as giant barriers that block the wind and make it rain.

It's because when the wind blows from the sea towards the land, it has to go over the mountains.

As the air goes up, it gets colder.

And the moisture in the air turns into clouds and rain.

All this rain is of course important for growing food.

The rain helps plants to grow big and healthy.

People in Mesoamerica use the water from the mountains to water their crops like maize and beans.

The open plains of Mesoamerica are big, flat areas of land with soil that's good for growing plants.

The fertile soil is ideal for farming.

This ability to grow food in different environments allowed civilizations to thrive and feed and support growing populations.

The dense lowland rainforests are home to a rich variety of plants and animal species.

The people of Mesoamerica have been living near rainforests for thousands of years.

They've learned how to use the trees and plants to build their homes, make tools, and create beautiful crafts.

They use the timber from the trees to build sturdy houses and gather materials like vines and leaves for weaving baskets and making art.

Mesoamerica also has both Pacific and Caribbean coastlines providing access to the sea, which was important for trade and fishing.

The geographical features also provided natural defences for settlements and cities by making it more difficult for invaders to attack and allowed civilizations to develop and flourish with a greater sense of security.

The ancient civilizations that developed in Mesoamerica greatly impacted human history by creating sophisticated societies with advanced farming methods and remarkable architectural achievements like pyramids, temples, and ballcourts.

They also produced elaborate artwork, pottery, and writing systems, including hieroglyphics.

One of the ancient civilizations that lived in Mesoamerica is the Maya.

Let's take a moment to reflect on our learning.

Which of the following is not a geographical feature of Mesoamerica? Is it a, rainforests? B mountains, C deserts, D planes.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Did you say that the answer was deserts? Well done if you did.

Rainforests, mountains and planes are all geographical features of Mesoamerica.

We are now ready for the first learning task of this lesson.

It says, the Maya developed in Mesoamerica.

Match the Mesoamerican geographical feature to the way it shaped the Maya civilization.

The geographical features are, mountain ranges, plains, rainforests, and coastal areas.

How it shaped the Maya civilization is, fertile soil ideal for farming, trade and fishing, influenced weather and water supply, timber for construction.

Pause the video here and once you are ready for the answer, press play.

So let's match the geographical feature to how it shaped the Maya civilization.

The first one, mountain ranges.

Well, the mountain ranges influenced the weather and the water supply.

Plains.

Plains had fertile soil ideal for farming.

Rainforests provided timber for construction, and the coastal areas were good for trade and fishing.

Well done if you managed to get all of those correct.

We have now come to the second part of this lesson, and it is entitled Establishment of Maya Cities.

Even though there is evidence to suggest that the Maya civilization was established thousands of years ago, it was around 750 BCE that the Maya began the monumental task of city building.

Just like other ancient civilizations, they chose locations near rivers for their settlements.

One example is the Maya city of Copan built near the Copan River.

Maya cities were all designed and laid out differently, but they shared common features such as the ceremonial centre, temple pyramids, ballcourts, and palaces.

Let's check for understanding.

Is the statement true or false? All Maya cities were identical in layouts and design.

True or false? Did you say that was false? Well done if you did.

Let's justify why we say it is false.

In other words, let's give a reason why it's false.

Is it A, the cities were all different and shared no common features, or B, they were diverse, but shared common features such as the ceremonial centres, temple pyramids, and ballcourts.

The answer of course is, B.

Maya cities were all diverse, but shade common features.

Good job.

At the heart of each city was a ceremonial centre, which was where the Maya people gathered for important events such as religious rituals, political activities, trade and community gatherings, the city's buildings, then spread out from the centre.

The ceremonial center's buildings included towering temples dedicated to the gods, ballcourts for ritual games and elegant palaces for rulers and the city's nobility.

The temple pyramids were used for ceremonies that the Maya belief connected them to their gods and helped keep the world in balance.

The Maya believed in many gods and goddesses who controlled different aspects of nature like the sun, rain, and crops.

They thought that by performing ceremonies and rituals, they could ask their gods for help and keep the world in balance.

At the top of the temple pyramids, there were special alters where priests could perform ceremonies and offer gifts to the gods.

These ceremonies might involve dancing, singing, and burning incenses as offerings to honour the gods.

The Maya thought it was very important to keep their gods happy so they would perform ceremonies regularly throughout the year.

They believed that if they pleased the gods, they would be rewarded with good harvests, healthy families, and protection from harm.

The ballcourts were where the Maya played pok-ta-pok.

A challenging and exciting game, a bit like basketball, but much harder.

Players use their hips, elbows and knees to hit a rubber ball and score points.

It was a challenging game that required skill, agility, and teamwork.

They played it for fun, but also for special reasons such as to celebrate victories or for religious ceremonies.

And with in the ceremonial centre, there were also elegant palaces for rulers and the city's nobility.

Let's check for understanding.

Label this image of a Maya city ceremonial centre with three buildings that could be found there.

Pause the video here, and when you're ready for the answer, press play.

Three buildings that could be found in a ceremonial centre were, temple pyramids, bull courts and palaces.

Well done if you got all three correct.

The cities also contained standing stones known as stelae.

These monuments were sometimes decorated with images and hieroglyphic writings, showing scenes from Maya life and pictures of their rulers.

They were just beautiful pieces of Maya art, but also explained how important and connected to the gods the rulers were.

Most Maya cities also had causeways.

Causeways were like highways of the ancient Maya world.

They were raised, paved roads made of stone that connected different parts of a city or ceremonial centre.

Just like how roads connect different places in our cities today, causeways helped people travel from one important area to another.

Causeways were not only practical, but also impressive feats of engineering.

The Maya were skilled builders who used their knowledge of mathematics and architecture to construct these raised roads with precision and care.

They were an essential part of Maya cities showcasing the advanced civilization and organisational skills.

The architecture and art found in Maya cities provide invaluable insights into their religious beliefs, how their societies were organised and their cultural practises, they reflect the Maya's deep connection to their environments, their gods, and their rulers.

Let's consolidate what we have just learned.

Which of these statements correctly explains what a Maya stela is? Is it a Maya temple pyramid or a stone monument dedicated to a Maya ruler? The answer is, a stela is a stone monument dedicated to a Maya ruler.

Well done.

Which of these statements correctly explains what a Maya causeway is? Is it A, a raised road connecting buildings or parts of a city, or B, an area where animals were kept? The answer is A.

A causeway is a raised road connecting buildings or parts of a city.

We are now ready for the second learning task of this lesson.

Which features of Maya City's do these definitions refer to? Here are the definitions, raised paved roads that connected buildings within ceremonial centres or cities.

Buildings dedicated to the gods, where they played pok-ta-pok, standing stones, decorated with images and hieroglyphic writings, buildings where rulers and nobility lived.

Pause the video here, and when you are ready for the answer, press play.

Let's investigate the answers.

Raised paved roads are connected buildings within ceremonial centres or cities are causeways.

Buildings dedicated to the gods.

Well, those were temple pyramids where they played pok-ta-pok, those were ballcourts.

Standing stones decorated with images and hieroglyphic writings are stelae, and buildings where rulers and nobility lived, those were palaces.

Well done if you've got all those features correct.

We have now come to the end of this lesson about Maya cities and the geography of Mesoamerica.

But before we go, let's summarise what we have learned.

The Maya civilization lived in Mesoamerica.

Mesoamerica has a range of geographical features such as mountains, fertile planes, rainforest and coastal regions, which made it a good location for ancient civilizations.

Most Maya cities had a ceremonial centre with temple pyramids, ballcourts and palaces.

Stelae were stone monuments decorated with images and hieroglyphic writings.

Causeways connected temples and other buildings within ceremonial centres or cities.

I have really enjoyed accompanying you on this historical learning adventure, and I hope to see you again very soon.