History- ancient Maya (Upper KS2) Lesson 2 BUNDLE

**This lesson introduces a non-European society that provides contrasts with British history - the ancient Maya civilization. **

INCLUDED:

• Lesson slides
• Student Reader
• Source Pack

This is Lesson 2 of a series of four, knowledge-rich curriculum lessons.

Each lesson combines an accessible student reader with high-quality historical sources, explicit vocabulary instruction and regular retrieval opportunities.

Activities encourage pupils to think like historians: examining evidence, making inferences, asking questions and connecting new learning to prior knowledge.

Lesson 2 introduces the following key knowledge:

-The Maya developed a sophisticated writing system using hundreds of signs called glyphs.

-Some glyphs represented whole words; others represented sounds or syllables.

-Maya scribes recorded rulers, battles, ceremonies, deaths and important dates.
Writing survives on stone monuments, buildings, pottery and a small number of books called codices.

-At Copán, the Hieroglyphic Stairway contains more than 2,200 glyphs and is the longest known Maya inscription.

-At Palenque, inscriptions helped historians reconstruct the lives of rulers, including K’inich Janaab’ Pakal.

-Maya writing was not fully deciphered until the 20th century.

-Being able to read the inscriptions transformed Maya archaeology: rulers who had previously seemed anonymous could be identified by name, family relationships and dates.