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7th grade · Social Studies · Unit 6 of 9

Maya, Aztec & Inca

Empires of the Americas

What your child practices

How the Maya, Aztec (Mexica) and Inca arose, their cities, farming, achievements in mathematics and astronomy, and how the Aztec and Inca empires were defeated by Spain. Maya, Nahua and Quechua peoples are living communities today.

Maine Learning Results learning standard: History 1; Geography 2 · the Maya, Aztec and Inca and how their lands shaped them

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. The Maya built cities like Tikal in the rainforests of Central America, with skill in math and astronomy.
  2. The Aztec farmed on floating gardens called chinampas. The Inca cut terraces into mountains and used the mit’a labor tax.
  3. Spain defeated the Aztec and Inca empires. Maya, Nahua and Quechua peoples are living communities today.

Example: What were chinampas? The Aztec capital stood in a lake. They built floating gardens on the water to grow crops. Answer: floating gardens the Aztec used to grow crops

Maya, Aztec & Inca in Maine

In the Maine Learning Results, this is unit 6 of 9 in 7th grade Social Studies, after Japan: Land, Beliefs & Values and before Renaissance & Reformation.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Maine Department of Education

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Books like the Codex Mendoza help historians because…

    • they are about Rome
    • they are written in English
    • they record Aztec life in pictures and words

  2. Question 2

    Moctezuma II ruled the… when the Spanish arrived.

    • Maya city of Tikal
    • Aztec Empire
    • Inca Empire

  3. Question 3

    Today, millions of people in Mexico and Guatemala speak…

    • Maya languages and Nahuatl
    • only English
    • only Latin
    • Greek

  4. Question 4

    Cusco was the capital of the…

    • Mali Empire
    • Inca Empire
    • Aztec Empire

  5. Question 5

    The Maya developed a number system that included…

    • no numbers above 10
    • Roman numerals
    • only even numbers
    • a symbol for zero

  6. Question 6

    Under the Inca labor tax called mit'a, people…

    • served as priests
    • worked on public projects for the state
    • paid in silver coins

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