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9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 10 of 16

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.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 9.8; 9.8a; 9.8c · the Maya, Aztec and Inca, their environments, cities and achievements, and their conquest by Spain

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. Moctezuma II ruled the Aztec when the Spanish came.
  2. Words like chocolate and tomato come from Nahuatl, the Aztec language.
  3. Spanish rule met resistance, like Tupac Amaru II’s revolt in Peru (1780). Millions speak Maya languages and Nahuatl today.

Example: English words like “chocolate” and “tomato” come from which language? Both foods came from Mexico. The Aztec spoke Nahuatl. Answer: Nahuatl

Maya, Aztec & Inca in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 10 of 16 in 9th grade Social Studies, after African Kingdoms & Empires 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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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

    The Aztec grew crops on floating gardens called…

    • chinampas
    • oases
    • rice paddies
    • terraces

  2. Question 2

    Maya cities such as Tikal were built in the…

    • Great Plains
    • Sahara
    • Andes Mountains
    • rainforests of Central America

  3. Question 3

    Today, millions of people in Peru and Bolivia speak…

    • Latin
    • Quechua, the language of the Inca
    • Nahuatl only

  4. Question 4

    Chichén Itzá was an important Maya city in the…

    • Andes
    • Amazon
    • Yucatán

  5. Question 5

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

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

  6. Question 6

    The Aztec Empire collected… from conquered peoples.

    • nothing
    • tribute
    • votes

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