Walk-In  A’s, please get orange Medieval textbooks for your table.  Copy the question and answer in sentences:  Why do you think many Mesoamerican civilizations believe in and worshipped the Sun God?

Answer  Ancient people realized that in order for their crops to grow, they needed the sun. Without crops, they would all die too.  The sun was so important, they must have believed it was a god, and had to be honored and pleased with offerings.

Speculate…!  What could some of those offerings be…?

Mayan Ball Games

Build background…  In your notebook, make a large square, then divide it into 4 boxes, like the example.  Label the boxes:  Football  Soccer  Baseball/softball  Lacrosse

Share your prior knowledge…  Get into a group of 3 or 4 people.  Share what you know of the games in the chart.  Write HOW TO SCORE in each of the boxes. If no one in your group is sure, you may leave it blank.  Also discuss:  What are common features of the games?  What are the rewards of winning? Consequences of losing?  What happens if you break a rule while playing?

Class Discussion  What commonalities exist among these four games?  What do you think the ultimate WORST consequence would be for losing a game?

Read about Mayan Ball Games!  We will read together pages  Would it make you nervous to play on a Mayan team? Why or why not?

Video Clip  Watch this video clip in Discovery Education, Me Oh Maya (Time Warp trio).

What changes would you make?  At your table, REVISE the rules of the Mayan game and come up with a new set of rules and consequences that do not involve human sacrifice!