A Tale of Two Ancient Cities
Activity: Students take an online journey to two important ancient
cities located in what is now Central America: Teotihuacán and Chichén
Itzá. They'll learn about the monuments, cultures, and surrounding geography
of these cities, and create a travel brochure with important facts and
images.
Background: Though most ancient cultures supported themselves through
farming, large urban areas were beginning to develop that served as religious,
cultural, and economic centers. One example is Teotihuacán, a city named
for the early Central American people who built it. The city was so impressive
it was used by a later society, the Aztec, as a sacred place for worship.
Another ancient city, Chichén Itzá, was built by the Maya on the Yucatán
Peninsula. Both ancient cities are known for their unique pyramids.
- Divide the class into four groups, assigning two groups to Teotihuacán
and two groups to Chichén Itzá.
- Write the following questions on the board:
- What were the main buildings and structures of the ancient city?
- What was the purpose of each structure? (How did people use each
building or monument?)
- Describe the geography around the city.
- What important artifacts were found in this ancient city?
- Have students research the answers to these and other questions using
the library and the sites listed below.
- Students can use their answers to create a travel brochure for the
city. Encourage them to include a map of their city and images of the
monuments.
|
