The Maya Topic

#TheCompleteTopic17lessons

This comprehensive Maya KS2 topic features 17 carefully crafted lessons over five subject areas: Art, DT, Geography, History and PSHE. Each lesson includes: detailed lesson plans, engaging slides for impactful teaching input, activity ideas and adaptations to cater for all learners and a wealth of additional resources, including stunning pictures, games, quizzes and more.

With everything you need at your fingertips, you’re free to enjoy this unforgettable Maya adventure with your class without spending all of your free time planning!

A Knowledge Organiser is available to support the learning for the History lessons in this scheme. It is included in the Complete Topic download and the 'ALL History lessons in Topic' download, or it can be purchased individually.

#AllARTLessonsinTopic

Download this Maya Art KS2 planning pack to give your Year 3 or Year 4 class three great Maya art projects to get stuck into as part of their cross-curricular Maya topic. Analyse and recreate a Maya funeral mask, use clay to create Maya stela and recreate a section of the Bonampak murals.

Whether you decide to teach just one of the Maya art activities or all three, there's sure to be something to engage your children and challenge their artistic creativity!

These Maya Art KS2 lessons come fully prepared and ready to teach: there's a detailed lesson plan for each lesson, a corresponding slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas, and a range of printable resources to support your class as they carry out their Maya art activities independently. All you need to do is download, teach and enjoy with your class!

#AllDTLessonsinTopic

Download this Maya temple DT project and challenge your Year 3 or Year 4 class to create their own Maya model temple! It's a perfect cross-curricular opportunity for children to design a stable struture with both audience and purpose in mind.

Including a detailed lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas, and a range of printable resources, this KS2 DT lesson comes completely planned and ready to teach. All you need to do is provide the materials!

#AllGEOGRAPHYLessonsinTopic

These three Maya Geography lessons for KS2 are an engaging way to deepen your children's understanding of the ancient Maya civilisation.

Using a range of geographical sources, including maps, charts and pictures, children will explore where the Maya lived, uncover the unique climate and landscape of Mesoamerica and discover what life is like today for the modern Maya who still call this region home. Perfect for bringing Geography to life in your classroom!

Each of these Maya Geography lessons comes ready-prepared with a straightforward lesson plan, a teaching input slideshow and a range of printable resources to support children as they carry out their independent learning. It's all there just ready for you to download and teach to your class, meaning you can deliver engaging and challenging lessons without having to spend hours of your own time planning!

#AllHISTORYLessonsinTopic

Download this ready-to-teach series of ancient Maya History lessons for KS2 and take your Year 3 and Year 4 class on an exciting journey into the fascinating Maya civilisation. Children will discover where the Maya lived, learn about their daily lives, explore how their society was structured, investigate the evidence they left behind and delve into some intriguing Maya mysteries.

This comprehensive resource includes detailed lesson plans, engaging and informative slides, differentiated worksheets, fun activities, games, captivating images and more.

These KS2 Maya Civilisation History lessons are designed to immerse your class in this rich culture, providing a thorough overview of this remarkable period in Mesoamerican history. Perfect for inspiring curiosity, developing a sense of chronology and deep learning about the ancient Maya!

#AllPSHELessonsinTopic

These three KS2 PSHE lessons are the perfect way to embed PSHE into your Maya topic and encourage critical thinking in your classroom!

Your Year 3 or Year 4 class will consider the impact of the Spanish conquest on the Maya people of Mesoamerica, explore the concept of a hierarchy, social structure and leadership, and compare the way of life of the ancient Maya with our own modern lifestyles to assess which is healthier.

Each of these three thoughtful lessons comes fully planned and ready to teach with a detailed lesson plan, teaching slideshow and a range ofactivity ideas and printable resources to support children's independent learning.

#Lesson1ArtMayaMasks

Children explore the historical use of masks in the ancient Maya civilisation including masks worn by priests to connect with the gods, masks worn by warriors to intimidate their enemies and funeral masks worn by kings and queens, such as Pakal the Great to support their transition to a god in the afterlife.

Children will analyse the features and materials of these masks, focusing on the elements of shape, colour and texture. They will learn different ways to recreate Maya masks before designing and making an authentic mask of their own for a Maya ajaw or a headdress for a Maya priest or warrior.

This KS2 Maya Art Lesson Pack has everything you need to design and make Maya masks with your class, including: a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

#Lesson2ArtMayaArtefacts

Children analyse a range of Maya artefacts and discuss what materials they were made from, how they were made and what purpose they were used for.

Children are then challenged to shape, join and decorate clay to make their own Maya tile or stella using a range of techniques.

This KS2 Maya Art lesson pack has everything you need to design and make clay Maya artefacts with your class, including: a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

#Lesson3ArtTheBonampakMurals

Children explore the murals found in the temples of Bonampak, Chiapas, Mexico which date back to the 8th century. They will learn about fresco techniques and examine the colours and images depicted in the murals.

Children then experiment with recreating parts of the mural images for themselves using the colour mixing techniques they have learned about.

This KS2 Maya Art Lesson Pack has everything you need to recreate the Bonampak murals with your class, including: a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

#Lesson4DTMayaTemples

Children investigate the design of a range of ancient Maya temples and consider what materials, tools and techniques to use in order to create their own model Maya temple.

Children will also consider how to strengthen, reinforce and decorate their structure to ensure that their temple is aesthetically pleasing, strong and stable.

This KS2 Maya Temple DT lesson comes completely planned and ready to deliver to your class. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan with activity ideas and adaptations, a slideshow for the teaching input, and a set of printable resources to support children as they make their own Maya temple model.

#Lesson5GeographyExploringMesoamerica

Where did the ancient Maya live? Children will learn how to use atlases and the digital maps of geographical information systems to find out just that!

Children will apply their understanding to name and locate the modern-day countries of Mesoamerica and their capital cities, along with the nearby seas and oceans.

This KS2 Ancient Maya Geography lesson comes with an easy-to-follow lesson plan, an engaging slideshow for the teaching input, activity ideas and a range of printable resources, including a Maya map, to support your class as they learn where the ancient Maya lived.

#Lesson6GeographyComparingMesoamericaandtheUK

Children use a world map to describe the physical location of the countries of Mesoamerica and the UK using precise locational language vocabulary.

Once children have a good understanding of the countries relative locations and their proximity to the equator, they will develop their understanding of the climates, landscapes, plants and animals found in these regions, using a range of geographical information sources - including digital maps,

This KS2 Ancient Maya Geography Lesson Pack gives your Year 3 or Year 4 has everything you need to compare the physical geograpahy of Mesoamerica and the UK with your class, including: a detailed lesson plan, PDF lesson slides and printable resources.

#Lesson7GeographyMayaCulture

Children will learn how the modern Maya live, work and interact with their environment in this lesson focusing on human geography and culture.

Children will explore the impact of the Spanish conquistadors on the religious practices, language and architecture of the Maya and also discover how modern Maya people have kept aspects of their traditions and culture alive throughout the centuries.

An easy-to-follow lesson plan, slideshow and printable worksheets and other resources are all included in this Maya KS2 Human Geography Lesson Pack, leaving you free to deliver a great lesson without having to spend hours planning!

#Lesson8HistoryHistoricalEvidence

In this first History lesson, children will discover where and when the ancient Maya civilisation developed. They will learn how historians and archaeologists have used the temples, pyramids stone monuments and other artefacts left by the Maya to find out about their society and way of life.

Children then apply their understanding by studying a range of historical artefacts and interpreting what these reveal about the past.

This ancient Maya civilisation KS2 lesson pack is completely planned and ready to deliver to your keen historians. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable resources to support your children as they investigate artefacts left behind by the ancient Maya.

#Lesson9HistoryMayaCitystates

Now children understand the context of the ancient Maya civilisation, they will learn about how its society was governed and organised. Children will learn about the Maya city-states, their social hierarchy and the roles, power and status of each social group.

Then, children will reflect on how people’s lives and experiences would have differed according to their social group and why we have more information about the lives of some social groups than others.

This ancient Maya city-states lesson contains all you need to teach your children about the society of the ancient Maya. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable resources.

#Lesson10HistoryMayaGodsandReligion

Children begin this lesson by generating questions they have about the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Maya. They will develop their understanding of the role that gods and goddesses played in different areas of the daily lives of the Maya and explore the different ways that the Maya worshipped their deities.

Children apply their understanding by designing their own deity for modern times or by reenacting the Maya creation story.

With a comprehensive lesson plan, engaging teaching slides, activity ideas, information sheets and a Maya creation story board, this Maya Religion KS2 Lesson Pack is completely ready for you to download and teach.

#Lesson11HistoryMayaAchievements

In this lesson, children will learn about the achievements of the ancient Maya, including their writing and number systems and the development of accurate calendars based on their astronomical observations.

They will consider the significance of these achievements and how their impact on future societies and generations. Alternatively, they can participate in a 'hands-on' activity carousel to form a better understanding of the Maya calendar, writing and number systems.

This fully resourced planning pack includes everything you need to teach your children about the achievements and contributions of the ancient Maya.

#Lesson12HistoryMayaCivilisationTimeline

For this lesson, children will learn about the key periods in the development of the Maya civilisation: preclassic, classic and postclassic and explore aspects of change and continuity across these. Children will also learn how to practically construct timelines, including how to use bars to represent periods of time and arrow to mark distinct events.

They will also learn how to practically construct timelines, including how to use bars to represent periods of time and arrow to mark distinct events.

This KS2 ancient Maya timeline lesson pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class construct and interpret historical timelines.

#Lesson13HistoryComparingtheancientMayaandAngloSaxons

For this lesson, children will investigate the similarities and differences between the daily lives of people living in the ancient Maya civilisation and Anglo-Saxon England c.900 CE.

Children will use research and role-play to find out, compare and contrast what life was like for ordinary citizens in both societies. There is also an opportunity for writing a historical narrative in role.

This KS2 Ancient Maya History Lesson Pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class to contrast the ancient Maya and Anglo-Saxons!

#Lesson14HistoryTheendoftheMayaCivilisation

In the last History lesson of the topic, children will investigate some of the reasons for the decline of the ancient Maya civilisation and its city-states. They will consider different interpretations and perspectives of the historical events associated with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mesoamerica.

Children will also discover that, although the last city-states were abandoned to the jungle in the sixteenth century, the Maya still live in Mesoamerica today.

This a lesson pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class to create an informative documentary about the fall of the ancient Maya civilisation.

#Lesson15PSHESpanishConquest

Children investigate the effects that the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors had on the Maya population, including their society and ways of life.

Children are encouraged to consider these historical events from the different viewpoints to understand the multiple perspectives an experiences of the Spanish and the Maya,

This KS2 PSHE Lesson Pack is ready to download and teach. There's a lesson plan with activity ideas and adaptations, a slideshow for the teaching input and a range of printable resources to support your class as they consider the human impact of the Spainsh conquest on the Maya population.

#Lesson16PSHERulersandResponsibilities

Children reflect on the meaning of 'hierarchy' and 'status' in the context of the ancient Maya civilisation and society today.

Children explore the similarirites and differences between the two societies, their social hierarchies and the systems of government and consider what it means to be a good leader.

The PSHE Leadership Pack has a detailed lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, activity ideas and adaptations along with a range of printable resources to support your class in their learning.

#Lesson17PSHEMayaLifestyles

Children discuss what it means to have a healthy lifestyle - including diet and exercise as well as the effects of pollution and access to medicine and health care.

They reflect on what makes it easier and more challenging to be healthy in modern society before comparing and contrasting the lifestyle of the ancient Maya with modern lifestyles today.

This Healthy Lifestyles KS2 Lesson Pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class in their learning.

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Curriculum Objectives covered

• to create sketch books to record their observations
• use sketchbooks to review and revisit ideas
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including drawing with a range of materials
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including painting with a range of materials
• to improve their mastery of art and design techniques, including sculpture with a range of materials

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria
• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through talking, drawing, templates, mock-ups and, where appropriate, information and communication technology.
• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]
• select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics
• explore and evaluate a range of existing products
• evaluate their ideas and products against design criteria

• locate the world’s countries, using maps to focus on Europe (including the location of Russia) and North and South America, concentrating on their environmental regions, key physical and human characteristics, countries, and major cities
• identify the position and significance of latitude, longitude, Equator, Northern Hemisphere, Southern Hemisphere, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circle, the Prime/Greenwich Meridian and time zones (including day and night)
• understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom, a region in a European country, and a region within North or South America
• describe and understand key aspects of physical geography, including: climate zones, biomes and vegetation belts, rivers, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes, and the water cycle
• describe and understand key aspects of human geography, including: types of settlement and land use, economic activity including trade links, and the distribution of natural resources including energy, food, minerals and water
• use maps, atlases, globes and digital/computer mapping to locate countries and describe features studied

• a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from: early Islamic civilization, including a study of Baghdad c. AD 900; Mayan civilization c. AD 900; Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300

• what constitutes a healthy diet (including understanding calories and other nutritional content).
• the characteristics of a poor diet and risks associated with unhealthy eating (including, for example, obesity and tooth decay) and other behaviours (e.g. the impact of alcohol on diet or health).
• that mental wellbeing is a normal part of daily life, in the same way as physical health
  
• the benefits of physical exercise, time outdoors, community participation, voluntary and service-based activity on mental wellbeing and happiness
• simple self-care techniques, including the importance of rest, time spent with friends and family and the benefits of hobbies and interests.
• the characteristics and mental and physical benefits of an active lifestyle.
• the importance of building regular exercise into daily and weekly routines and how to achieve this; for example walking or cycling to school, a daily active mile or other forms of regular, vigorous exercise.
• the risks associated with an inactive lifestyle (including obesity).
  
• the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs
• that in school and in wider society they can expect to be treated with respect by others, and that in turn they should show due respect to others, including those in positions of authority