This is a fourth grade geography lesson in which students use their atlases to locate the countries where the ancient Mayans lived.

Where Would I Find the Mayans?






Annotation
This is a small group, hands-on geography lesson in which students will work in pairs to locate information about the countries in Central America that were once home to the great Mayan civilization. Students will use the atlas to learn specific information about each country.

Primary Learning Outcome
Students will be able to locate Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and the Yucatan area of Mexico on a map of North America. They will be able to give the form of government, capital city, and population. They will also be able to identify the predominate language of each country.
Using the World Atlas web site, students will color code their maps of Central America. They will design a visual arts poster with each country's flag represented.

Assessed QCC
Grade 4
Social Studies
Strand: Core Social Study Skills
30
Topic: Information Processing
Standard: Locates and utilizes information from a variety of sources, e.g., books,                 newspapers, atlases, glossaries, photographs, laser-disks, computer software, others.

Grade 4
Social Studies
Strand: Core Social Study Skills
56
Topic: Map and Globes
Standard: Compares maps and make inferences from them.

Total Duration
50 minutes

Materials and Equipment
1. One atlas per group
    Hudson, J.C. & Espenshade, E.B. (Eds.). (2000). Rand McNally Goode's World Atlas.
    (20th ed). USA: Rand McNally.
2. Handouts & Maps
3. Pencils and colored pencils
 
 









Procedures
Step One
Each pair of students will locate the four major countries in which the ancient Mayans occupied. They will use the atlas to complete the graphic organizer with relative information about each country.

Step Two
Students will use colored pencils to locate and color the four major countries. They will also create a visual arts display that includes a colored representation of each of the four countries flags.

Step Three
Student will present their information to the class in the form of an oral report. Each pair of students will be required to report on one country.

Assessment
The pairs of students will be graded to see that they have located the information to complete the graphic organizer. The students will be not graded on the visual arts poster but each group will be required to complete one.

Accommodations
Students who lack computer skills will be paired with the more skillful users.

Modifications
The EIP students will be allowed more time to complete the assignment. Some students may not be required to complete the visual arts poster but will be allowed to use the printer to print out the different flags.

Extensions
Students who complete the assignment early may use the National Geographic web site to locate other information about the four countries.
 
 

Country
Language
Population
Form of Government
Capital City
Belize
 .... ... ... ...
Honduras
 ...>>> ...>> ... ...
Guatemala
 ... ... ... ...
Yucatan
 . . . ...

 
 
 
Name _________________________                        Date ________________
 
 

Students will locate the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Yucatan on the map. Use a colored pencil to color each country.
 
 
 








 

 
 
1. Identify the four countries in which the ancient Mayans were located.

Answer: Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Yucatan, Mexico.

 
 
2. What do you think happened to the Mayans?

Answer: Answers will vary but the students should present answers such as another tribe invaded the country , there was a terrible drought that destroyed all the crops, or there was some type of epidemic.
 

 

Rubric for Lesson


Content
5
3
0
...Map 
Student is able to complete map and locate the Mayan countries.
Student is able to provide 2 - 3 countries on the map.
No Attempt.
Student completes graphic organizer for each country.
Student is able to complete each part of the graphic organizer.
Student completes part of the graphic organizer.
No Attempt.
Completes Country flag.
Student is able to complete flag art work for each of the 4 countries.
Student completes 2-3 parts of the  flag art work.
No Attempt.
Ability to work with a group.
Student was on task and participated well with the group.
Had problems working with the group.
No Attempt.
Total Points

Rubric for Question 2


Content
5
3
0
Student provides answer.
Student is able to support answer logically based on Mayan studies.
Student answers question but cannot support with evidence learned. 
No Attempt.
Total Points
 ... ... ...