1. Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations
Maya, Aztec, and Inca
Standard 7.7

2. Why do we study the Mayans, Aztecs, & Incas?
The Mayans, Aztecs, & Incas are the ancestors of many peoples in Mexico, Central America, & South America.
A lot of goods that we use today came from them.
Studying them helps us understand patterns in history
Effect of people on nature
Movement of ideas, diseases, & goods across continents

3. Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations The Maya, Aztec, and Inca
Make a Unit Cover Page After viewing this video and the Following Pictures!
Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations The Maya, Aztec, and Inca

12. Terms to Understand Meso = “middle”
So “Mesoamerican civilizations” means…?
Andean refers to the Andes mountains in South America
So “Andean Civilizations” means…?

14. Mesoamerican and Andean Civilizations
Olmec BC
Gulf Coast of Mexico, “mother culture” of all other mesoamerican civilizations. Disappeared without a trace.
Maya AD
Located in Yucatan Peninsula, achievements in astronomy. Disappeared without a trace.
Aztec AD
Found in Mesoamerica, made sacrifices, & built city of Tenochtitlan. Defeated by Spanish.
Inca AD
Found in Cuzco Valley (South America), no written language, & built cities in mountains

16. Mesoamerican Geography and Agriculture
Standard Students study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.

17. Geography of Mesoamerica
“Middle America” – The southern part of Mexico and most of Central America
Mesoamerica

20. The height of land above sea level
The higher you go, the colder it gets
Different elevations support different crops
Varied economy
Create mountains
Fertile Soil
Highland lakes in some craters
Elevation
Volcanoes

21. Agriculture
Farming
Mesoamericans farmed all kinds of land

22. Slash and Burn Agriculture (rainforests)
Farmers cut down trees and burn them—ashes make the land fertile for crops
Move to a new place after a few years

23. Surplus
Urban
More than is needed
AgricultureSurplusesCities
“of the city”

24. Agriculture Leads to Urban Societies

25. Think – Pair - Share
How has geographic diversity affected the natural resources and crops found in mesoamerica?
How did the diverse geography of mesoamerica encourage trade?

26. Think – Pair - Share
How has geographic diversity affected the natural resources and crops found in mesoamerica?
How did the geography of mesoamerica encourage trade?
Landforms and climate provided mesoamerica with a variety of natural resources and growing conditions
Resources varied from region to region. People looked to trade with other regions to get things they did not have.

27. Reading Questions Pg
What 2 classes of people lived in Olmec cities?
What is glyph writing?
How did Olmec culture spread through other parts of Mesoamerica?
4. Why do many historians consider the Olmec civilization to be the mother culture of Mesoamerica?

28. Exit Slip – 1 Paragraph
Describe why the development of agriculture leads to the development of urban societies.