1. Non-European society that contrasts with British history: Mayan
Historical focus: Cultural and intellectual development
The Maya were a powerful and intelligent civilisation
They settled in southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras AD
Anno domini – “in the year of the Lord.” AD always written in front of the number – AD 1
Maya
The name of the Mayan people
Mayan
The adjective to describe the culture of the Mayans, such as Mayan temple or Mayan beliefs
Mesoamerica
The region of middle America where the Maya settled, including Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, southern Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica
civilisation
An advanced society and way of life with laws and religious beliefs
central plaza
A central place for the Maya people to gather, trade and sell their goods. A bit like a marketplace
stepped pyramid
A magnificent building that uses steps to make a geometric pyramid. Probably used as a landmark to aid navigation in the rainforest
ball courts
The ball game Pok-A-Tok was played in ball courts. Players had to get a rubber ball through a high stone hoop.
stelae
Tall monuments made from sculpted stone that give us great clues to life in the past.
glyphs
The Maya invented their own writing system using symbols called glyphs to represent a word or sound.
codices
Books that the Maya created to explain rituals, astronomy and their calendar system..
aqueduct
A human-made channel for carrying water.
The word originates from Latin: aqua (water) + ducere (to lead) = aqueduct
rainforest
A dense forest, rich in wildlife. Usually very hot and humid. Sometimes called a jungle.
deforestation
The removal of trees from a forest to change the use of land; fields may have replaced trees
society
the order of importance people held.
King - nobles - priests - merchants - farmers and slaves. Warriors had a class of their own.
rituals
rules and organised ways of doing things led by priests
equinox
when the sun crosses the celestial equator (twice each year) - the day and night are the same length
Cultural and Intellectual Development
Economic Structure
Social Structure
Political Changes
Famous People, and developing a Timeline. 
BRITAIN MAYAN
Timeline
About AD 250: The time of great achievement for the Maya – farming, writing, astronomy
About AD 600: City-states expanded. Rainforests were destroyed to make way for more people
AD 750: Cities started declining. A drought in AD 840 hit the region and may have started to make life very hard for the Maya
AD 900: Drought, war and deforestation led to many Mayan cities being deserted
About AD 250: Romans had control of Britain and it was divided into two provinces.
About AD 600: Britain was divided into 7 Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Christianity was taking hold
About AD 840: Anglo-Saxons and Vikings fought for control of Britain.
About AD 900: Alfred the Great died (AD 899) Eric Bloodaxe, the last Viking King of York, killed (AD 954)

2. Maya: a contrasting society with British history
Word
What it means
Clue

3. DOWNLOAD and EDIT here https://b. socrative

8. Session 1 and 2
Who were the Maya?
Where did the Mayan civilisation exist?
What were the significant periods of the Mayan people?
The Maya mainly lived in countries we now call southern Mexico and Guatemala.
Mesoamerica describes the region the Maya lived (middle America)
About AD 250
Classic period (early)
Large cities emerged
Writing, mathematics and astronomy were invented well ahead of Europeans
Farming started to thrive
About AD 600
Classic Period (late)
Tik’al and Palenque cities thrived
Populations expanded
Art, writing, astronomy and calendars were at the height of development
Wars raged between city-states and about AD 750 it all started to decline
About AD 900
Classic period (terminal)
Deforestation led to drought, soil erosion, famine and disease
People revolted and left the city-states in search of a better life
Session 3 and 4
Farming and forest life: what do we think Mayan life was like? How do we know?
What were city-states? Where did they exist?
Study Palenque or Tik’al
Session 5 and 6
What great inventions did the Maya create?
What beliefs did the Maya have and what temples were built?

9. Session 7 and 8
What happened to the Mayan civilisation?
Why do archaeologists think it rose and fell from power?
Session 9 and 10
Remember events at the same time, but in Britain (AD 250 – AD 900)
Compare and contrast British and Mayan events, culture, beliefs, intellectual development and society.
Session 11 and 12
The Mayan civilisation fell to its ruin quickly because of over farming the land.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Why?