1. Bell Work: Settle? Unit 6: The Americas
You are a hunter-gatherer in North America. All of your life you have been moving south, following herds of animals. This year you have found a place where the climate is warmer and there are more kinds of plants to eat. Some people say this would be a good place to stay and try to make a permanent home, but others think you need to keep moving. Do you think your people should keep going or settle down in this new place? Why?
Label it “Settle.”

2. Bell Work: Mayan Trader
Unit 6: The Americas
Bell Work: Mayan Trader
You live in a village in the lowlands of Mesoamerica. Your family members have always been weavers, and now your aunts are teaching you to weave cloth from the cotton grown by nearby farmers. Traders from other areas often pass through your village. They tell wonderful stories about strange animals and sights they see in their travels. After talking to the traders who buy your cloth, you begin to think about becoming a trader, too. Why might you want to become a trader? Label it “Mayan Trader.”

3. Bell Work: Mayan King Unit 6: The Americas
You are a Maya farmer, growing corn on a farm near the city. Often you enter the city to join the crowd at a religious ceremony. You watch the king and his priests, standing at the top of a tall pyramid. They wear capes of brightly colored feathers and many heavy gold ornaments that glitter like the sun. As the king offers a sacrifice to the gods, a ray of sun strikes the pyramid. How do these ceremonies make you feel about your king? Label it “Mayan King.”

4. Bell Work: Sports Unit 6: The Americas
How important are sports in modern times? In what ways might people in the future view us as being extreme? Label it “Sports.”

5. Bell Work: Beauty Unit 6: The Americas
What makes a person beautiful? Do all cultures have the same standards for beauty? Why or why not? Do religious beliefs play a role in what is considered beautiful? Label it “Beauty.”

6. Bell Work: Founding Unit 6: The Americas
This drawing depicts the myth about the founding of the Aztec’s capital city. Gathering clues from the picture, write what you think the myth might be. Label it “Founding.”

7. Bell Work: Dias de los Muertos
Unit 6: The Americas
Bell Work: Dias de los Muertos
Read the printed explanation about los Dias de los Muertos at your desk. Do you have any traditions that center on this time of the year? What do your traditions have in common with the Days of the Dead? Write down as many similarities and differences as you can.Label it “Dias de los Muertos.”

8. Unit 6: The Americas
Bell Work:
Label it “.”

9. Unit 6: The Americas
Bell Work:
Label it “.”

10. Unit 6: The Americas
Bell Work:
Label it “.”