Unit:
|Unit: |Rites and Rituals |
|Term: |Summer 1 |
|Year: |5 |
|Medium Term Planning Week 1 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Week 1 hr = approx. time |
|The Unit launch sees pupils undertake a challenge as archaeologists and explorers discovering the ancient Mayan civilisation. |
|Pupils then learn about the social customs of the Mayans and the structure of their society before writing a job description for a Mayan priest in their English lesson. |
|In geography pupils investigate the ways the Mayans maintained a supply of fresh water and its importance to their civilisation. |
|The applied maths lesson sees pupils study the Mayan calendar and use the timeline they have created in history. |
|Pupils consider the importance of music in Mayan culture and then sing a song in their music lesson, whilst in art pupils create decorative designs for a mask influenced by Mayan art. |
|Please see over for English and Languages Medium Term Planning Week 1. |
|Launch Lesson 2hrs |Applied Mathematics 1hr |History 1hr |Geography 1hr |Music 1hr |Art and Design 2hrs |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|describe an environment in which the |solve problems involving converting |develop a chronological |describe where our water comes from|appreciate the importance of music |appreciate that the Mayans decorated almost |
|remains of an ancient civilisation have|between units of time |overview of Mayan history |and how it is supplied |in Mayan culture |everything and art was often used to glorify |
|been discovered | | | |sing a Mayan song |their kings or gods |
|explain the challenges archaeologists | | | |compare modern day ritualistic |create decorative designs for a mask influenced |
|face when working in remote and | | | |songs to those of the past |by Mayan art |
|inhospitable areas | | | | |appreciate how the Mayans used intricate glyphs |
| | | | | |when writing picture-symbols |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|brief archaeologists on the challenges |place events on the Mayan Long Count |identify and label the three |describe some ways in which the |sing a Mayan song |produce and evaluate some design ideas for |
|they will face when working in a jungle|calendar |main era of Mayan history on a |Mayans maintained a supply of fresh|recognise that music was an |decorating mask which will be made in subsequent|
|environment | |timeline |water |important and integral part of |lessons |
|devise some possible explanations about| |describe some key features of |describe some ways in which we |Mayan culture | |
|what might have happened to the people | |one of these era |maintain a supply of fresh water in|suggest examples of modern day | |
|who built the pyramids in the jungle | | |our modern lives |rituals and music | |
|and explain why | | | | | |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|provide as much information as I can |count straight from 1 BC to 1 AD |devise a suitable scale for my |identify different things I use |listen carefully to the song to |complete several sketch ideas for the mask I am |
|for the archaeologists | |timeline |water for in my life |help me learn to sing it |going to make |
|help me to prepare for my trip into the| |mark on the different periods |think how our lives would be |identify occasions I know of where |use Mayan artwork for inspiration (style, |
|jungle by talking about the problems I | |of Mayan history, especially |different if water was not easily |music may be part of the ceremony |shapes, symbols, colours etc.) |
|will face and the equipment I will need| |the Classic Era which lasted |available |or ritual | |
|organise problems under headings such | |from 250 to 900 A.D |think how rainwater can be | | |
|as Climate and Communications | | |collected | | |
| | | |find out about how water is | | |
| | | |supplied in my local area | | |
|English Medium Term Planning Week 1 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Day 1 1hr |Day 2 & 3 2hrs |Day 4 & 5 2hrs |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|adapt ideas from a text into a different |actively participate in a group or class discussion |use the language conventions and organisational features of a familiar text type |
|format | | |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|convert a text into a series of cartoon |contribute views and thoughts to a class discussion about marriage in the Mayan world |write a job advertisement for a Mayan priest |
|drawings |and our own | |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|show a different technique used to beautify|listen attentively and respectfully to what others are saying |study and discuss the layout and language of modern job advertisements and use them when|
|children in each of my cartoons |contribute my own ideas clearly and thoughtfully |writing my own |
| |explain my views and challenge others to explain theirs | |
[pic]
|Languages Medium Term Planning Week 1 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Languages 1hr |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB: Objectives are all language learning objectives that reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
|Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words and phrases |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including using a dictionary |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and |
|patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world |
|Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |
|sing a Mayan song |
|compare the lyrics in Mayan, French and English for content and phonics |
|read a French text on the history of chocolate |
|complete a reading comprehension, working with a partner or in groups to understand a French text and write answers in English |
|optional: look at a cartoon ‘potted history’ of chocolate and design and label a scene |
|learn about the origins of chocolate and links to Mayan culture |
|Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |
|listen with care |
|repeat with care |
|join in with singing |
|remember your French phonics and compare how sounds are written in different languages |
|work with a partner to read a French text and answer questions in English |
|optional: look at a cartoon ‘potted history’ of chocolate and design and label a scene |
|learn about the origins of chocolate and links to Mayan culture |
|Medium Term Planning Week 2 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Week 2 hr = approx. time |
|In English pupils learn more about the Mayan approach to medicine, their religion, the temples they built and the sacrifices they made. Pupils also write a match report on the Mayan’s favourite team sport was known as the|
|Ball Game. |
|The history lesson focuses on a study of the pyramids built by the Mayans before pupils make a model of one. |
|In geography pupils learn about Mayan farming techniques including the system of raised-field farming. |
|In music pupils sing a Mayan song before they practise a chant which will is first spoken and then sung, whilst in art pupils build up card with papier-mâché to create a 3D design for their Mayan mask. |
|Please see over for English and Languages Medium Term Planning Week 2. |
|Applied Mathematics 1hr |History 1hr |Geography 1hr |Music 1hr |Art and Design 2hrs |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|solve problems involving numbers up to |describe key features of a historic era using |explain how farmers have to adapt to the |sing a Mayan song |cut out a mask shape from card |
|three decimal places |appropriate terminology |environment around them |compose a chant using the Mayan song as a |build up the card with papier-mâché to |
| | | |stimulus |create a 3D design |
| | | |use a pentatonic scale to compose | |
| | | |be a holpop | |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|work out the likely height and length of |describe in detail an example of Mayan |explain why Mayan farmers could grow crops |sing a Mayan song |cut out the base for their mask |
|the steps |architecture, making effective use of |in areas that were not naturally easy to |create a chant which will be first spoken |build up the base with papier-mâché to |
| |specialist vocabulary |farm |and then sung |create a 3D mask |
| | | |use the pentatonic scale to pitch to their | |
| | | |chant | |
| | | |take a turn at being the holpop | |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|use half of the width of the pyramid in |describe the building in as much detail as I |explain how the Mayans created their raised|sing confidently and clearly |make the base wide enough to curve around |
|my calculations |can, commenting on its purpose and the number |fields |share my ideas for the chant with the rest |my face |
| |of layers, sides, steps, platform, etc. |explain how the canals served a number of |of the class |cut the eyes holes to match my eye position|
| | |purposes |use the 5 note pentatonic scale to compose |build up the papier-mâché to match my 3D |
| | | |a melody for the words |design |
| | | |take a turn at being the holpop |make a hole level with the eyes to tie the |
| | | | |sting or elastic on to |
|English Medium Term Planning Week 2 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Day 6 & 7 2hrs |Day 8 & 9 2hrs |Day 10 1hr |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|perform improvised role-play based on the reading of a text |write well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes |perform an improvised role-play based on |
| | |the reading of a text |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|stay in character as a Mayan priest and/or someone consulting one |write a detailed match report on a Mayan sporting event |stay in character as doctor or patient |
| | |during role-play |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|stay in character during the role-play activity (try to think and behave as if I was a |borrow and adapt the style of real sports journalists by reading my reports in |include plenty of detail in my conversation|
|Mayan priest) |newspapers and listening to them speak on the radio |to make it sound authentic |
|help others to stay in role |write in the past tense about the game that I am reporting on |stay in character throughout the role-play |
| |include interviews with players who took part in the game |activity |
| | |help others to stay in role |
[pic]
|Languages Medium Term Planning Week 2 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Languages 1hr |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB: Objectives are all language learning objectives that reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
|Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words and phrases |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including using a dictionary |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and |
|patterns of the language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world |
|Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |
|begin to learn the verb Avoir |
|understand the terms; singular/ plural/ masculine/ feminine/ infinitive |
|work with a partner to play games to help language acquisition |
|learn about Mayan chocolate spices |
|express opinions on spices (use prior learning) |
|optional: make some Mayan Chocolate drops |
|Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |
|listen and repeat with care |
|ask questions if you don’t understand something |
|work with a partner to practise the new language |
|play games to help you learn new language |
|use your knowledge of French to express opinions |
|optional: take care and follow instructions when making the chocolate drops |
|Medium Term Planning Week 3 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Week 3 hr = approx. time |
|In English, pupils study the Mayan system of writing before giving a description of aspects of Mayan painting, pottery, sculpture and weaving. |
|The Mayan number system is the focus for the applied maths lesson this week. |
|In history, pupils learn more about the importance of the sun, moon and planets to the Mayans before they discuss comparisons between modern and Mayan astronomers. |
|How the Mayans used terracing to grow crops on hillsides and mountains is the focus for the geography lesson this week and pupils also examine how this system is still used today across the world. |
|In music, pupils learn about Mayan musical instruments before playing percussion instruments in performing their rhythm and chant. |
|In their art lesson, pupils continue to make their mask inspired by Mayan art. |
|Please see over for English and Languages Medium Term Planning Week 3. |
|Applied Mathematics 1hr |History 1hr |Geography 1hr |Music 1hr |Art and Design 2hrs |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|explore the place value of digits in |explain the significance of peoples beliefs|explain how farmers have to adapt to the |create a rhythmic accompaniment for our |cut out a mask shape from card |
|different bases |in their lives |environment around them |song |build up the card with papier-mâché to |
| | | |perform a chant and rhythm using the Mayan |create a 3D design |
| | | |song as a stimulus | |
| | | |discover Mayan musical instruments | |
| | | |use a pentatonic scale | |
| | | |be a holpop | |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|convert numbers to base 20 and back again |explain why the Sun, Moon and planets were |explain why Mayan farmers could grow crops |create, develop and play a rhythmic pattern|cut out the base for their mask |
| |so important to the Mayan people |in areas that were not naturally easy to |over a steady pulse |build up the base with papier mache to |
| |give examples of ways in which the |farm |choose musical instruments similar to those|create a 3D mask |
| |behaviour of Mayans was affected by their |explain why Mayan farming ideas are still |of the Mayans | |
| |beliefs |important today |play the rhythm with the chant | |
| | | |use the pentatonic scale | |
| | | |take a turn at being the holpop | |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|think carefully how the column headings in |try and think like a Mayan! |explain how Mayan farmers adapted by making|play confidently and clearly |make the base wide enough to curve around |
|base 20 relate to those in base 10 |think why it was so important to watch the |terraces |share my ideas for the rhythm with the rest|my face |
| |movements of a god-planet as it moved |explain how terraces help farmers to grow |of the class |cut the eyes holes to match my eye position|
| |across the sky |more and better crops |choose instruments which are like those of |build up the papier-mâché to match my 3D |
| |think why I have to be so careful about |investigate the use of terraces in our |the Mayans |design |
| |choosing the right time to act |modern world |take a turn at being the holpop |make a hole level with the eyes to tie the |
| | | | |sting or elastic on to |
|English Medium Term Planning Week 3 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Day 11 & 12 2hrs |Day 13 & 14 2hrs |Day 15 1hr |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|actively participate in a group or whole class discussion |write well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes |learn a piece of poetry by heart and |
| | |improvise actions to go with it |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|make a useful contribution to our discussion by listening well and sharing ideas and |give a detailed oral description to someone who could not see the thing being described|perform the poem/prayer with appropriate |
|thoughts | |physical actions |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|listen attentively and respectfully to what others are saying |describe my object in as much detail as I can, i.e. size, colour, distinctive features |recite my poem/prayer clearly and with |
|contribute my own ideas clearly and thoughtfully, building on others’ ideas | |expression |
|explain my views and challenge others to explain theirs | |include an action to go with each line |
[pic]
|Languages Medium Term Planning Week 3 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Languages 1hr |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB: Objectives are all language learning objectives that reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
|Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words and phrases |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including using a dictionary |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; |
|how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world |
|Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |
|learn about the Mayan Ball game |
|use phonic knowledge to help read out loud with accuracy |
|continue to learn the verb avoir |
|play games to reinforce language acquisition |
|Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |
|read out loud with care using your phonics to help you |
|play games sensibly to help you learn |
|join in! |
|Medium Term Planning Week 4 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Week 4 hr = approx. time |
|In English pupils devise a board game based on reading of non-fiction texts about Mayan warriors before describing how the Mayans built a complex network of roads across their civilisation. |
|In the applied maths and history this week pupils study the aspects of the Mayan calendar. |
|The importance of trade to the Mayans is the focus for the geography lesson and pupils learn about the importance of obsidian in Mayan life and how the demand for resources such as obsidian can result in trade. |
|In music pupils perform a chant and rhythm using a Mayan song as a stimulus, whilst in art they decorate their Mayan mask. |
|The Unit ends with pupils analysing the ending of the Mayan civilisation and why they abandoned their cities. |
|Please see over for English and Languages Medium Term Planning Week 4. |
|Applied Mathematics 1hr |History 1hr |Geography 1hr |Music 1hr |Art and Design 2hrs |Unit Conclusion 2hrs |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|solve problems involving |identify similarities and differences|explain why a particular resource is in |create a full performance of a |decorate a mask in a style |analyse possible explanations for |
|converting between units of |between aspects of life in the past |high demand |ritualistic piece |influenced by the artistic |the Mayans abandoning their cities |
|time |and present day | |perform a chant and rhythm using the|achievements of the Mayans | |
| | | |Mayan song as a stimulus | | |
| | | |be a holpop | | |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|work out when the Mayan |state in what ways the Mayan calendar|explain the importance of obsidian in |perform a full version of their |decorate a mask using colours, |identify two or more different |
|calendar cycles coincide |system and our own are similar and |Mayan life |composition |shapes, patterns and images that the|reasons why the Mayans may have |
| |different |explain how the demand for resources such|decide upon the structure for |Mayans would recognise |abandoned their cities |
| | |as obsidian can result in trade |performance | |state which of these reasons they |
| | | |take a turn at being the holpop | |believe to be likeliest to be true |
| | | | | |and why |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|start all the cycles together |point out ways in which the Haab was |give reasons why: |perform confidently and clearly |use two or more contrasting colours |organise my reasons from most to |
|and work from there |similar and different to our |obsidian was in such high demand |share my ideas for the structure |use a combination of Mayan- style |least likely to be true |
| |calendar |trade developed between Mayan states |with the rest of the class |patterns, glyph-symbols and images |say why I have chosen my most likely|
| |try and explain some of the |there may have been tension when some |take a turn at being the holpop |include at least one real or |reason |
| |differences |Mayan states tried to restrict supplies | |mythical creature drawn in the |think how some reasons could be |
| | |of obsidian, jade or other valuable | |Mayan-style |combined together |
|English Medium Term Planning Week 4 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Day 16 & 172hrs |Day 18 & 19 2hrs |Day 20 1hr |
|Objectives: |Objectives: |Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |I am learning to: |I am learning to: |
|adapt ideas from a text into a different format |write well-structured explanations, descriptions and narratives for |use the language conventions and organisational structure|
| |different purposes |of familiar text types |
|Outcomes: |Outcomes: |Outcomes: |
|Pupils will: |Pupils will: |Pupils will: |
|devise a board game based on reading of non-fiction texts about Mayan warriors |explain clearly and in detail how the Mayans constructed their roads and |write a polite letter of thanks to a host who provided |
| |how these roads functioned as a network |them and other guests with a sumptuous meal |
|Success Criteria: |Success Criteria |Success Criteria: |
|Remember to: |Remember to: |Remember to: |
|include as much authentic detail in my board game as possible (anybody who plays it |use a range of appropriate connectives to help me write better |set out my letter of thanks in the correct way |
|should learn a great deal about Mayan warfare by doing so) |explanations |comment on what I particularly appreciated about the meal|
| | |acknowledge the hard work that went in to preparing such |
| | |delicious food |
|Languages Medium Term Planning Week 4 |Unit Narrative |
|NB: Please adapt and differentiate all objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class |
|Languages 1hr |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB: Objectives are all language learning objectives that reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
|Objectives: |
|I am learning to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of words |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek clarification and help |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words and phrases |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar written material, including using a dictionary |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the language; |
|how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to English |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world |
|Outcomes: | |
|Pupils will: | |
|use cognates to decode French text |write their birthday, age and Saint’s day in sentence form |
|ask and answer questions: Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire? Mon anniversaire est le…… |create a Mayan inspired French birthday card |
|Quelle age as-tu? J’ai …ans | |
|complete a simple listening exercise | |
|compare the Mayan Haab calendar with our own | |
|learn about Saint’s days in France | |
|Success Criteria: | |
|Remember to: | |
|read carefully and recognise French words that are similar to English words (cognates) |write carefully your birthday, age and Saint’s day in French |
|work well with a partner when asking and answering questions |take care in making a French Birthday card-decorate it with Mayan pictures |
|say your birthday and age in French | |
|listen carefully and write down when someone’s birthday is | |
|learn about the Haab Calendar- how is it different to our calendar? | |
|work out when your Saint’s Day is | |
|Applied Computing |
| |
|In this Unit, pupils will need to use the internet to research information about the Mayans. They could look at their rituals, their understanding of astronomy, architecture or any other area of interest. |
| |
|It is important that pupils research something of interest to them, as the focus of this unit will be for pupils to present their findings to the class. |
|Use their existing knowledge of internet searching to enable them to find useful information and add it to a PowerPoint or other presentation software. This is an opportunity to reinforce the skills learned in the Year 5 |
|Unit "Poles Apart". |
| |
|Pupils can use the existing skills in PowerPoint to create a presentation no longer than 6 slides, including the title slide. However, they should not produce filler slides with "contents" or "The End" written in them. |
|Discuss why you wouldn't use these slides in a public speaking scenario. |
| |
|Give pupils a couple of hours to complete their presentation and ensure that they understand the objective is not to produce a great presentation, but to see how well they present the material. Their presentations should:|
|summarise Information |
|be clear and concise |
|use bullets, not large chunks of text that could be read |
| |
|Give pupils the opportunity to decide what they are going to say. They could use the notes feature of PowerPoint to assist them with this. Discuss with them what makes a good presenter. You might choose to show them some |
|videos such as these: |
| |
| |
| |
|Once pupils have a presentation, dedicate some time to allow them to present it to the class. |
| |
|Pupils should be able to display some of the traits of a good presenter such as: |
|body language - not crossing arms or hiding their face |
|talking to the audience - not reading from the board or a script |
|speak clearly - don't mumble or speak in a monotone |
|positioning - do not talk with their back to the audience |
|talk around the subject - not simply regurgitating what is on screen |
|know your subject! |
| |
|You could use this as an opportunity to assess pupils on their public speaking by creating a tick sheet using the points above. Offer feedback on what pupils could improve and what they did well. |
|Unit Launch Lesson |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|describe an environment in which the remains of an |brief archaeologists on the challenges they will face when working in a |provide as much information as I can for the archaeologists |
|ancient civilisation have been discovered |jungle environment |prepare for my trip into the jungle by talking about the problems I will face and the |
|explain the challenges archaeologists face when |provide some possible explanations about what might have happened to the |equipment I will need |
|working in remote and inhospitable areas |people who built the pyramids in the jungle and explain why |organise problems under headings such as Climate and Communications |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Photographs of a ruined Mayan pyramid (available on the internet and included in the PowerPoint presentation that accompanies this Unit) |
|Information cards about the Central American jungle (included in the body of text below under Activities) |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|The following mystery activity introduces pupils to the exciting world of Mayan civilisation by involving them in an Indiana Jones- style mystery! Read through the two paragraphs of text below with pupils and show them |
|photographs of a ruined Mayan pyramid in the jungle: |
|Imagine this! You are part of a small team exploring the steamy jungles of Central America. You have been travelling deeper and deeper into the jungle in search of the remains of a long lost civilisation that is rumoured|
|to have existed in these parts. Suddenly, a week into your mission you come across something truly amazing. In front of you, poking up through the forest canopy, its mighty stones covered in vines and creepers, is a |
|giant stepped pyramid! You and your team have made one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the century! Who built this amazing structure? What was its purpose? What happened to the people that built it? |
|In the days that follow, it becomes apparent that the pyramid is just one of many buildings that lay hidden in the jungle. Peeling back some of the vines that cover them, you go on to discover the remains not only of a |
|pyramid but also of a whole complex of stone buildings. It is obvious that each building has been carefully constructed by an advanced civilisation, and you suspect that they may have been deliberately positioned to |
|align with the rising and setting Sun and the movements of the planets! |
| |
|Pupils should work together in teams of three or four to prepare a briefing for the archaeologists who are going into the jungle of Central America to investigate their discoveries. They should start by describing what |
|they discovered in the jungle and then go on to outline some of the challenges that the archaeologists will come up against when investigating them further. They will need to help them recognise the challenges posed by: |
|Climate |
|Vegetation |
|Insects, animals and people |
|Transport and communications |
|Supplies |
| |
| |
|The text and information cards below will help pupils to prepare their briefing for the archaeologists: |
| |
|You have now returned to your base to meet with the archaeologists who will be investigating your discoveries in the jungle. Describe in as much detail as you can what you found in the jungle and then warn them about the|
|different challenges that they will meet when working in the jungle environment. Here are some points that the archaeologists will need to know: |
| |
|The jungle is thick and difficult to move through |
| |
|There are no real roads and sometimes tracks are difficult to follow |
| |
|The temperature is very high, especially in the dry season |
| |
|It rains very often and the downpours are heavy, especially in the wet season |
| |
|The combination of heat and rain creates high levels of humidity (like a steamy bathroom) |
| |
|Insects constantly bite any exposed body parts |
| |
|There are some dangerous animals such as snakes and jaguars |
| |
|The locals are not always friendly and may not be very happy about coming across strangers in their territory |
| |
|Although it rains a lot, there is not much standing water in the jungle |
| |
|Some plants are highly poisonous whilst others can be eaten |
| |
|The jungle canopy makes it difficult to see what is on the ground from the air |
| |
|The remains of most of the buildings are still covered in vines, decomposing leaves and jungle debris |
| |
|The remains that you discovered are possibly just one part of a whole city that could take years or even decades to investigate |
| |
| |
|Plenary and further discussion: |
|Finally, you could inform pupils that the activity that they have taken part in reflects what really happened in the 1930s, when explorers and archaeologists first came across some of the amazing remains of the Mayan |
|civilisation in Central America. Inform pupils that they will be studying this ancient civilisation throughout the rest of this Unit. |
| |
|Support: |
|Reduce the number of information cards for pupils who have difficulty with reading |
| |
|Challenge: |
|Ask pupils to discuss what they think may have happened to the people who built the pyramids and the other ruined buildings that the explorers discovered in the Central American jungle. Encourage them to come up with at |
|least two different possible explanations. (We will return to this mystery in the Unit conclusion!) |
|English Lesson Plans |
|English Lead Lesson 1/20 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|adapt ideas from a text into a different format |convert a text into a series of cartoon drawings |show a different technique used to beautify children in each of my cartoons |
| |
|Life cycles |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Pictures of Mayan children available on internet |
|PowerPoint presentation that accompanies this Unit |
|Non-fiction texts including the information shown below |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|The birth of a child was a very special and significant moment for the Mayans. A healthy baby was a symbol of wealth and good fortune. Each child was given a formal name by a priest and a pet name by their family. Boys’ |
|names were preceded by the prefix Ah and girls by the prefix Ix. |
|Mayan ideas about beauty were very different to our own. They thought that being slightly cross-eyed was attractive! This explains why parents dangled a bead of resin in front of their baby’s eyes so that it would |
|eventually go cross-eyed. They also thought that having a flat forehead was desirable. Hence, they tied a board to their child’s forehead to ensure that it stayed flat as the child’s head grew. As children got older, |
|boys had a resin beads sewn into their hair and girls wore a red shell dangling from their waists. These items symbolised purity. They were not removed until children reached adolescence. Older children had their noses, |
|lips and ears pierced. |
| |
|Girls remained at home helping their mothers with household chores until they were old enough to marry at about 15 years of age. They spent their time learning how to cook, weave and clean the house. Once boys were about|
|14 years of age they painted their faces black and went to live in a communal house occupied by other young unmarried males. There they played games and learnt about crafts and warfare. They left the communal house when |
|they reached 18 years of age and were considered old enough to marry. |
| |
|Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Pupils could read about Mayan ideas of beauty and compare them with our own. They could then draw four cartoons, based on the text above, showing different ways in which Mayans |
|‘beautified’ their children. One cartoon could show the child’s forehead being flattened; another could show ear and tongue piercing and so on. |
| |
|Pupils could discuss what happened to Mayan boys and girls as they grew older. They could compare and contrast this with their own lives. In pairs or threes, they could role-play Mayan parents telling their young |
|children what will happen to them when they are older. |
| |
|Support activity: |
|Crossed eyes |
|Flattened forehead |
|Tongue and lip piercing |
|Teeth sharpened to a point |
|Resin beads sewn into hair |
|Which of the Mayan ideas of beauty listed above do pupils find strangest and why? |
| |
|Challenge activity: |
|Research and list some other curious ideas of beauty from cultures past and present. This could link to work that pupils may have done in other Inspire Curriculum Units such as Amazing Amazon and Fever, Fire and Fashion.|
|English Lesson 2 & 3/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|actively participate in a group or class discussion |contribute views and thoughts to a class discussion about |listen attentively and respectfully to what others are saying |
| |marriage in the Mayan world and their own |contribute my own ideas clearly and thoughtfully |
| | |explain my views and challenge others to explain theirs |
|Life cycles |
|Mayan marriages were arranged by the parents of the bride and groom. The groom was usually 18 to 20 years of age and the bride was 15 to 17 years of age. For the first few years of their married life a young couple were |
|expected to live with the bride’s parents, under the authority of the bride’s father. Most Mayan men only had one wife. However, some wealthy Mayan nobles had several wives. Divorce was very common amongst the Mayans and|
|so only first marriages were formally celebrated. If a wife was discovered to be cheating on her husband with another man, it could result in a punishment of death. |
|The Mayans lived lively lives! Every month of the Mayan calendar brought with it festivals, celebrations and feasts. The Mayans dressed up in very colourful costumes and often drank very large quantities of alcohol. They|
|loved dancing and had over 1,000 different dances in their culture. Men and women usually danced separately. Some festivals were very big affairs, attracting as many as 15,000 spectators at a time. |
|When they died, people were often buried in caves or under the floor of their homes. Children were sometimes buried in earthenware jars. The families of the dead person mourned for a long time, often wailing very loudly.|
|They believed that the noise of the wailing would keep away Ah Puch, the fearsome God of Death. They believed that he was like a hunter waiting to capture anyone who was ill, sick or injured and drag them off to Mitnal, |
|the ninth and lowest layer of the Mayan Underworld, an eternally cold and dark place, where wrongdoers were punished and tortured. |
|Have pupils look up the word polygamy in the dictionary and discuss what it means and whether it is permissible in our modern society in the UK and other countries. Then, based on their reading of the text above, groups |
|discuss whether polygamy was allowed in Mayan society and how widespread it was. Linked to this work pupils could also research the meaning of linked vocabulary such as monogamy and bigamy and discuss the prefixes that |
|come at the beginning of each word, i.e. mono, bi and poly. They could then discuss as a group or whole class similarities and differences between Mayan marriage and marriage in the UK. |
|Shared read a description of the God of Death, ah Puch. Be sure to include the information that he is often associated with owls and usually accompanied by a dog, Pupils then write a personal response to this concept, |
|imagining the impact on Mayan children their own age and younger. How does this scary being compare to the things that frightened them most as young children or now? He looked quite terrifying with his popped eyes and |
|decomposing flesh! |
| |
| |
|English Lesson 4 & 5/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|use the language conventions and organisational features of a |write a job advertisement for a Mayan priest |study and discuss the layout and language of modern job advertisements and use them |
|familiar text type | |when writing my own |
|Rich Man Poor Man |
|Divide the class into four or more mixed ability groups of five or six pupils. Give each group one of A, B, C or D (below) on a card. Have them read their card together and discuss what life in this class would be like. |
|Pupils make notes as they go. Explain at the outset that they will be switching groups and presenting about their new knowledge as part of a new ‘expert’ group. After 15 minutes or so, ‘jigsaw’ the groups (e.g. by |
|numbering around each group 1 to 5 or six) so that new groups of four are formed composed of one ‘expert’ pupil to report on what they have learned about the Mayan class system. Allow 10 or 15 minutes so each ‘expert’ |
|can share knowledge with the new group. |
|Mayan society was divided into four groups. The smallest yet most powerful and wealthy group in each Mayan state were the nobles. The king was the most important noble and he was believed to be half human and half god. |
|He claimed that his power came directly from the gods and that other citizens would therefore be foolish to challenge his authority. Some kings held a cloth in front of their face so that ordinary citizens could not |
|speak directly to them. Kings often built temples so that they would be remembered long after their deaths. |
|Mayan society was divided into four groups the second most powerful class were the priests and scholars. These learned men knew about history, mathematics, astronomy and medicine. They were both feared and respected for |
|their knowledge. They helped the king and the other nobles to govern the kingdom by giving advice and carrying out administrative tasks. They organised the religious rituals that were so important to the Mayans, |
|including human sacrifice. |
|Mayan society was divided into four groups the third class was made up of merchants and craftsmen. The merchants sold and traded goods with other Mayan cities while craftsmen such as builders and potters had special |
|skills that every Mayan state needed. |
|Mayan society was divided into four groups. The largest yet poorest class were the farmers and slaves. These people spent their entire lives producing enough food to feed their families and the rest of the population. |
|Subject to the rule of the nobles and the priests, they passed their days toiling away to support not only themselves but also those above them. Slaves included people who were prisoners-of-war, orphans and criminals. |
|Some slaves were slaves for life but others seem to have been allowed to buy their release or earn it through good behaviour. |
|Pupils then write a job description for a Mayan priest, king, craftsman or farmer. Explain they must choose outside their original expert group (to make it more challenging and to make use of new knowledge) They will |
|need to look at the language and layout of real job advertisements. These are available online and in newspapers. |
|Shared read some examples and agree key layout and language features to provide W ‘toolkit’ for them to work to. |
|Pupils need to think about the skills, qualities, experiences and attributes that a Mayan would need to have to do the job. They should also think carefully about who would be placing such an advertisement and why. |
|(Children will find out more about priests in particular in subsequent lessons) |
|Model writing an advertisement for your own or your TA’s job, allowing pupils to contribute ideas if you wish. Have them assess it against the toolkit. |
|You could also have pupils draw, caption and label a hierarchy chart or diagram showing how Mayan society was organised, based on their reading of the text above. It might look like a large triangle or pyramid with those|
|in charge at the top but pupils may have other ways in which they wish to represent their ideas. Good questions to consider will be: |
|Who had most wealth, power and influence and why? |
|Who had least wealth, power and influence and why? |
|How did the rulers maintain control when there were so few of them? |
|English Lesson 6 & 7/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|perform improvised role-play based on the reading of a text |stay in character as a Mayan priest and/or someone consulting one |stay in character during the role-play activity (try to think and behave as if I was |
| | |a Mayan priest) |
| | |help others to stay in role |
|Blood for the Gods |
|Using suitable images, shared read the text below with the children, having them make notes of key points as they go. |
|The Mayans were very religious people. They had a great many gods each one of whom had a benevolent side and a malevolent side. These gods often had many different names and identities. The most important god was |
|Itzamná, the creator god, the god of the fire and god of the hearth. Two other important gods were Chak and Ah Puch. Chak was the god of rain and harvest. He is often depicted with catfish whiskers, scales and lightning |
|bolts. Ah Puch (see lessons 2 and 3) was the god of death. He is often associated with owls and is shown with rotting skin and popped eyeballs. |
|The Mayans built huge temples where they made sacrifices to the gods to prevent them from becoming angry. Humans as well as animals were sacrificed when crop failure threatened or war was imminent. Temple servants known |
|as chacs held down the head of the person about to be sacrificed while others called nacos specialised in removing the heart of the victim. The Mayans believed that the gods were most likely to be happy if a human child |
|was killed as an offering to them! |
|People believed that it was important to offer their blood to the gods. The richer a person was the more blood they were meant to offer. For this reason rich nobles pierced their lips, tongues and ear-lobes. They |
|sometimes passed a rope or cord through the pierced part of the body to ensure that it bled freely. Their blood was then collected and smeared onto a statue of the god whom they wished to appease. Sometimes blood was |
|mixed with flour and turned into bread. |
|Today, descendants of the Mayans live in Central America. Some of them still make sacrifices to the gods but they only kill small animals. The days of human sacrifice are over! |
|Pupils then role-play in pairs priests giving advice to different Mayans wishing to win favour with the gods. What advice would the priest give to a king about to start a war or a farmer who is worried that that his |
|crops might fail? What sacrifices should each make? What promises might the king or farmer make in return for good fortune, prosperity or good health? |
|Based on what they have learnt in this lesson, pupils develop a job advertisement for a Mayan priest (some will have started in the previous lesson). |
|English Lesson 8 & 9/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|write well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for |write a detailed match report on a Mayan sporting event|borrow and adapt the style of real sports journalists by reading my reports in newspapers and |
|different purposes | |listening to them speak on the radio |
| | |write in the past tense about the game that I am reporting on |
| | |include interviews with players who took part in the game |
|Dangerous Games |
|Begin by looking at some examples of ‘live’ commentary and post-match sports journalism on video clips and in national and local newspapers. Agree key features of both styles of reporting, e.g. tenses, language, layout |
|etc. for a class toolkit. |
|What did the Mayans do for sport? Share each paragraph in turn, and have pupils work in twos and threes to orally compose and share a parallel commentary on their choice of W popular ‘Ball Game’ they know well, watch |
|often and, ideally, play, also. (Football, perhaps?) |
|Like us, the Mayans loved to play and watch sport. Their favourite team sport was known as The Ball Game and there were ball courts in every Mayan city. These courts were built of stone and their measurements varied. The|
|court walls sloped inward, and hanging high on the walls were stone rings. They used a hard rubber ball, about 30 centimetres in diameter, to play the game. |
|The aim of this game was to pass the ball around, without having it touch your hands, and then get the ball to pass through one of the rings. Because the rings were so high and players were not permitted to use their |
|hands, it was very hard to get the ball through a ring. If a player succeeded in getting a ball through a ring, the game usually ended. |
|Players were often seriously injured or even killed during the course of a game. The ball itself was heavy and hard and must have hurt many players. The hard stone courts would also have caused many injuries. Referees |
|appear to have actively encouraged violent play between the teams. To protect their bodies, players wore padding on their knees, elbows, hips and wrists. Some even wore grilled helmets similar to those worn by American |
|football players today! |
|For the Mayans, sport and religion went hand in hand. Ball games were always very solemn affairs, filled with ritual importance. Religious leaders attended, and sacred songs were sung and played. Other religious |
|activities took place as well. |
|Winning teams were treated as heroes at huge celebration feasts held in their honour after the game. However, the cost of defeat was very high. Losers were frequently put to death! This tied in with the Mayan belief in |
|human sacrifice and the gods’ desire for blood. |
|Pupils then write up a ‘live’ match commentary OR a post-match report for an important Ball Game that took place in a Mayan city. Their post-match report could include interviews with members of the victorious team and |
|an award for man of the match and so forth. It could resemble a Mayan Match of the Day with comments and analysis from pundits The ‘live’ commentary could include part of a Ball Game match during which a team scores a |
|goal by passing the ball through the stone hoop as well as live commentary on the game itself! Presenters could even add Mayan prefixes to their names such as Ix Izzy or Ah Jack. |
|English Lesson 10/20 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|perform an improvised role-play based on the reading |stay in character as doctor or patient during role-play |include plenty of detail in my conversation to make it sound authentic |
|of a text |listen to others’ ideas and contribute their own |stay in character throughout the role-play activity |
|participate in a group discussion |make notes of what they have learned |help others to stay in role |
|Mysterious Medicine |
|Divide the class into four or more mixed ability groups of five or six pupils. Give each group one of A, B, C or D (below) on a card. Have them read their card together and discuss how this aspect of medicine differs |
|from C21st medicine in our country. Pupils make notes as they go. Explain at the outset that they will be switching groups and presenting about their new knowledge as part of a new ‘expert’ group. After 15 minutes or so,|
|‘jigsaw’ the groups (e.g. by numbering around each group 1 to 5 or six) so that new groups of four are formed composed of one ‘expert’ pupil to report on what they have learned about the Mayan class system. Allow 10 or |
|15 minutes so each ‘expert’ can share knowledge with the new group. |
|Medicine and religion were not separate things in the minds of the Mayans. They believed that if a person became ill it meant that their spirit had been captured by an angry god as a punishment for their misdemeanours. |
|Treatment was about purifying the person in various ways in the hope that their cleansed spirit might be released. Purification methods included going without food (fasting), having sweat baths (similar to a modern |
|sauna) and using a range of herbal remedies that were smoked or rubbed on the body. |
|Only a very small number of Mayan men were allowed to practise medicine. These individuals were known as shamans. They had to be extremely knowledgeable about herbs and other forms of treatment. Mayans believed that |
|these men had the ability to communicate with the gods and were therefore able to select the correct treatments for their patients. A Mayan shaman was therefore a mixture of sorcerer and scientist. A man was not allowed |
|to become a shaman unless he had received many years of education. |
|In many ways, the Mayans were extremely advanced in medicine. They knew how to set broken bones so that they mended well. They also knew how to sew up (or suture) serious wounds and cuts using human hair. The Mayans were|
|also highly skilled at dentistry. They filled cavities with iron pyrites! |
|The Mayans believed that all foods, plants and illnesses were either Hot or Cold. Foods such as onions, peppers and ginger were ‘hot’ whereas cheese was ‘cold’. Sudden temperature changes in the body as a result of |
|mixing ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ food and drink could be a cause of illness. They thought that people suffering from ‘hot’ illnesses (such as fever and vomiting) should only be treated with ‘cold’ herbs. ‘Cold’ illnesses such as |
|cramps, constipation and paralysis should be treated with ‘hot’ herbs. |
|Pupils then work in pairs to role-play a doctor meeting a patient in modern times and then repeat the activity as if they were a Mayan doctor/shaman and patient, each having W turn in part in both roles. Pupils then |
|share with the class, explaining how and why their role-plays differed. |
|Pupils then write a prescription prepared by a Mayan doctor/shaman for one of his patients. They will need to give careful consideration to whether the illness in question is ‘hot’ or ‘cold’. They might also give the |
|patient some ideas about how they might avoid such illnesses in future by purifying themselves in various ways. |
|English Lesson 11 & 12/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|actively participate in a group or whole class |have made a useful contribution to our discussion by |listen attentively and respectfully to what others are saying |
|discussion |listening well and sharing ideas and thoughts |contribute my own ideas clearly and thoughtfully, building on others’ ideas |
| | |explain my views and challenge others to explain theirs |
|Writing on the Wall |
|In this lesson, pupils will work in pairs to find answers to the question: Did the Mayans read and write? |
|Print out each of the following paragraphs for the pupils. You could even print the paragraphs to or three to an A4 landscape sheet, cut into strips and concertina fold them into codices for authenticity. Use each |
|paragraph’s heading as a title for the codex of the text below. You are excused from using the inner bark of the fig tree – paper will do – and each codex can be as wide as an A4 sheet, not up to 7m as the longest |
|surviving codex is! |
|Share some images (sourced online) of surviving Mayan glyphs, stelae and codices. |
|Write Like an Egyptian |
|Like the Egyptians, the Mayans developed an elaborate system of writing known as hieroglyphs. Each glyph or symbol represented a whole word or a particular sound. There were at least 1,000 different glyphs to remember so|
|learning to write in the Mayan language must have been quite difficult. Glyphs were carved all over walls in Mayan cities, painted on ceramic pots and vases and written in special books called codices (singular codex). |
|Who did the writing and how? |
|Probably most ordinary Mayans were only able to read and write a few glyphs. Specially trained scribes employed by wealthy Mayan nobles did most of the writing, using turkey feather quills. They wrote in books made from |
|the soft inner bark of the fig tree. These books were carefully folded so that they resembled an accordion. They were called codices (singular codex) and only a very small number of them remain. Mayan inscriptions were |
|most often written in columns two glyphs wide, with each column read left to right, top to bottom. |
|What Did the Spanish Do to the Mayan Codices (books)? |
|Thousands of precious codices were destroyed by the Spanish when they invaded the Mayan territories. The Spanish priests believed they had found pictures of demons and devils. They were afraid the books might distract |
|the people from converting to Christianity, so they burned all the codices they found. Just four codices survived this destruction! |
|What Did the Mayans Write About? |
|They wrote down their knowledge of medicine, mathematics, astronomy and history. We do not know what the lost codices contained, but the few remaining ones contain information to work out calendars and predict |
|astronomical events like eclipses etc. |
| |
|How Do We Know What it Means? |
|It took scholars many years to work out how to translate Mayan hieroglyphs. It is still not known what all of the glyphs mean. However, historians have learnt a huge amount about the life of the Mayans from being able to|
|make sense of their writing. |
|Writing on Stone |
|The Mayans also carved writing on huge slabs of stone called stelae (singular stela). There are hundreds of stelae in each Mayan city. Each stela tells us about important events that were taking place at the time that it|
|was carved. Most tell of the birth, achievements or death of kings. Others tell the story of what has happened in a Mayan kingdom in the previous twenty years. |
|When pupils have used the resources, have pairs present orally to each other what they have learned. |
|Pupils can then invent some glyphs of their own and use them to ‘write’ some simple sentences. They could set them out in blocks like the Mayans did. Remind them that if a word occurs more than once it will need to be |
|represented by the same glyph on each occasion. |
|Pupils could have a go at making a small stela out of modelling clay or a similar safe material. They could inscribe it with their own glyphs using ‘turkey quills’ made from cut plastic drinking straws (see previous |
|activity) or with genuine Mayan glyphs (pictures of these are available online). |
|Pupils could research in books and online the story of how Mayan writing has been gradually deciphered in the last 250 years. |
|Pupils could compare and contrast Mayan glyphs with those used by the Egyptians and other early cultures. This could open up wider discussion about what writing is, how it has developed and how it differs across human |
|cultures, i.e. Chinese symbols, Arabic script etc. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|English Lesson 13 & 14/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|write well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for |give a detailed oral description to someone who could not see the thing |describe my object in as much detail as I can, i.e. size, colour, |
|different purposes |being described |distinctive features |
|Painting, Pottery and Sculpture |
|The Mayans excelled at pottery even though they did not have the potter’s wheel. They made beautiful flasks, incense burners and burial urns. They painted their pots in gorgeous colours and used intricate designs. They |
|experimented with lots of different styles so there is great variety. Pot painters signed their pots so we know which artist painted them. Wealthy Mayan nobles were prepared to pay high prices for pots painted by the |
|most skilful potters. Archaeologists are able to learn a lot about different periods and cities of the Maya through the scenes painted or carved into their pottery. |
|As well as pots, Mayan potters also created beautiful ceramic figurines. These figures were probably used in religious ceremonies. Many were made to rattle or whistle. |
|The Mayans were also excellent sculptors. They carved extraordinary stone slabs called stelae. These were massive blocks weighing as much as 65 tonnes. Nobody really knows how the Mayans transported these giant stones |
|through the jungle where they were quarried without the aid of beasts of burden or wheeled transport. Using only stone tools, the carvers then carved images and glyphs (word symbols) on each stela to tell the story of an|
|important event or to praise a god. These huge standing stones are amongst the most incredible things left behind by the Mayans. It is widely believed that the stelae may have originally been brightly painted in red, |
|yellow, black blue and other colours. |
|The Maya painted murals on the walls of their buildings including their houses, temples, and public buildings. The subjects of the murals varied widely including scenes from daily life, mythology, battles, and religious |
|ceremonies. Unfortunately, due to the high humidity of the region, few of the murals have survived. |
|Pupils could take it in turns to describe examples of Mayan artwork to a blindfolded partner. The partner listens carefully and then removes the blindfold. He or she has to guess which of four or five different images |
|was being described. Pupils then swap roles so that the person who listened first time round now has to describe and vice-versa. |
|In pairs, pupils are allowed to observe a picture of a piece of Mayan artwork for 20 seconds and then have to attempt to draw it from memory. After a minute has passed, they are allowed to look at it for 10 more seconds |
|and so on. As they work at recreating the image as accurately as they can pupils can prompt and question each other to jog the memory and offer suggestions. |
|Examples of Mayan art are still being discovered today. A farmer in Guatemala recently discovered a rare and beautiful mural in his home when he scraped away some layers of plaster and paint from the walls. A picture of |
|this is shown on the PowerPoint that accompanies this Unit. Pupils could interview the farmer and his family about their discovery for a TV news report. |
| |
|English Lesson 15/20 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|rote learn a piece of poetry by heart and improvise actions to go with it|perform the poem/prayer with appropriate physical actions |recite my poem/prayer clearly and with expression |
| | |include an action to go with each line |
|Fabulous Fabric |
| |
|Source some online images of Mayan cloth and the traditional ‘backstrap’ loom that women still use to produce it, e.g. in Guatemala. Share these with the children. |
| |
|Shared read the following: |
|The Mayans are famous for their weaving. Myth has it that Mother Moon, the goddess Ixchel, taught the first woman how to weave at the beginning of time. Since then, Mayan mothers have taught their daughters, from |
|generation to generation uninterruptedly for three thousand years, how to wrap yarn around the loom and produce beautiful cloth. The Mayans and the Aztecs considered weaving to be the most important work that a woman did|
|in her life. To fail in weaving was equivalent to being a failure as a woman. |
|Today weaving continues to be a very important activity in modern Mayan communities. Girls begin learning the long and difficult process of weaving when they are eight or nine years old by watching their mothers and |
|older sisters. Around the age of 11, they make their first pieces of cloth and take them to the feet of the patron saint of weaving, Santa Rosa, in Chamula’s Church. If after the first few supplications the girl has |
|still not learned, she will take more offerings of candles and incense and new prayers. |
|NB Be sure to explain that we are not actually praying to anybody or anything, just as we are not actually weaving any cloth, but we are learning the poem which was written as a prayer. |
|Please lend me the ten toes of your feet |
|The ten fingers of your hands, |
|Engrave heavily on my mind |
|Engrave heavily on my heart |
|How to use the three points of your bobbin |
|How to use the three points of your loom |
|The three points of your spindle |
|The three points of your basket |
|Please, I beg you, |
|Put (the skill) in my foot |
|In my hand |
| |
| |
|Throughout their careers as weavers, women regularly go to church in Chamula to ask for the saint’s blessings so they may continue their work of clothing their families and honour the Moon who instructed the first |
|weaver. Every time she has a new difficult weaving project, a weaver will pray and make offerings to the deity and often dream that the deity is by her side assisting her. |
|Pupils work with W partner or small group to learn the weaver’s prayer shown above and perform it with appropriate actions. |
|Pupils could do some research on handloom weaving to find out what some of the objects mentioned in the prayer actually are (bobbin, loom and spindle). |
| |
|Pupils could investigate the origins of the word spinster and how it has come to be associated with unmarried women. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|English Lesson 16 & 17/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|adapt ideas from a text into a different format |devise a board game based on reading of non-fiction |include as much authentic detail in my board game as possible (anybody who plays it should learn a |
| |texts about Mayan warriors |great deal about Mayan warfare by doing so) |
|Warriors and Warfare |
| |
|It used to be thought that the Mayans lived peaceful lives. However, recent archaeological discoveries have suggested that they often fought wars. Some of these wars were between rival Mayan kingdoms; others happened |
|when smaller Mayan cities tried to break away from the rule of the capital city of a kingdom. |
| |
|Wars between Mayan kingdoms were probably fought for a variety of reasons. Wars were fought to gain control of precious resources such as obsidian ( a type of stone that can be sharpened to a fine edge or point). They |
|were also fought to capture prisoners-of-war who could be used as slave labour or sacrificed to the gods. |
| |
|Mayan warriors carried spears tipped with very sharp obsidian stone. They hurled these at their enemies and then attempted to surround or corner them. They used wooden clubs, jade axes and obsidian daggers in close |
|combat. There were no metal weapons during the Classic Mayan period but weapons were still lethal. Wooden clubs had sharply pointed chips of obsidian hammered into them. Archers also fired arrows and darts that were |
|tipped with obsidian or jade. |
| |
|Mayan warriors had elaborate costumes. They wore colourful-feathered headdresses and garments made of jaguar fur. Their bodies and faces were painted and their arms, necks and ankles were decorated with colourful beads. |
|They also sometimes wore terrifying masks that were intended to frighten their enemies. To protect themselves they often carried shields made of wood. |
| |
|Kings tended to organise military campaigns. They took careful note of the movement of the planets when planning battles, especially of the planet Venus. Battles were often timed to coincide with the appearance of Venus |
|in the night sky. |
| |
|Some Mayan rulers must have been very worried about being attacked by their neighbours. They surrounded their cities with defensive fortifications such as ditches and barricades. |
| |
|Mayan battles were probably quite small compared to modern day battles. At most, there were probably 1,000 men on each side. |
| |
|Pupils write advice to someone who is planning to attend a fancy dress party dressed as a Mayan warrior. (They are hoping to win a prize for the most detailed and realistic costume.) This activity could be done orally in|
|the form of role-play and/or as a piece of written work |
| |
|Pupils could make a board game, which will inform players about Mayan warfare as the game progresses. Players might miss a go for forgetting to check if Venus is visible in the night sky before going into battle. They |
|might get an extra roll of the dice for decorating their bodies with beads and paint before going into battle and so on. They could make playing counters that resemble Mayan gods or glyphs. The playing board could |
|resemble a Mayan pyramid or the circular Mayan calendar. |
|English Lesson 18 & 19/20 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|write well-structured explanations, descriptions and narratives for |explain clearly and in detail how the Mayans constructed their roads and |use a range of appropriate connective words to help me write better |
|different purposes |how these roads functioned as a network |explanations |
|Travellers and Traders |
| |
|Rollers to make roads, but no wheeled vehicles to travel on them! |
| |
|Like the Romans, the Mayans built a complex network of roads across their civilisation. People travelled by road for many different reasons but mainly for trading purposes. These roads were constructed very well and |
|allowed travellers to move from place to place with relative ease. The longest Mayan road discovered so far stretched from Coba to Yaxhuna, a distance of over 60 miles. |
| |
|Mayan roads were called sacheobs. They were constructed out of large stones that were covered with a layer of rubble. The rubble was then compacted using heavy cylindrical rollers made of stone. Finally, the compacted |
|surface was plastered with stucco or cement to make it smooth. The stucco gave the road surface a dazzling white appearance. The white roads were typically built to stand about a metre above ground level, although in |
|swampy areas this could be even higher. |
| |
|The Mayan civilisation was vast. It stretched across the modern countries of Mexico, Guatamala, Belize and Honduras. In such a huge area some goods were in plentiful supply in one area but not in others. Therefore, trade|
|rapidly developed across the Mayan region as different kingdoms exchanged goods with one another. For example, cocoa grew well in Tabasco and precious Quetzal feathers were found on the Chiapas-Guatemalan border. |
| |
|Slaves were used to transport goods on their backs. The Mayans did not use beasts of burden or have wheels to carry heavy loads. Slaves were used instead to transport goods on their backs. Where Mayans lived by the coast|
|or near rivers they were able to transport goods by canoe. These methods of transporting goods were still in use when the Spanish arrived in the Mayan lands of Central America. |
| |
|After the shared read, have pupils imagine that they are a traveller in Mayan lands, and put together a persuasive presentation for the king and nobles explaining the advantages to them of introducing wheeled transport, |
|either human or animal powered. |
| |
|Pupils could also find out about Quetzal feathers on the internet and find out why they were so highly prized by the Mayans and Aztecs. |
| |
|The Mayans were a highly advanced civilisation but they did not know about the wheel. Pupils could find out where the wheel was invented and how its use spread across the world. |
| |
|English Lesson 20/20 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|use the language conventions and organisational structure of |have written a polite letter of thanks to a host |set out my letter of thanks in the correct way |
|familiar text types |who provided them with a sumptuous meal |comment on what I particularly appreciated about the meal |
| | |acknowledge the hard work that went in to preparing such delicious food |
| |
|Cooks and Food Gatherers |
| |
|We know that the Mayans enjoyed chocolate. However, they would not have eaten solid chocolate like we do. Instead, they used the seeds from the cacao tree to flavour their drinks. These would have been quite unlike to |
|our own chocolate drinks such as chocolate milkshake and hot chocolate. The ground cacao beans were mixed with water, cornmeal, chillies and other spices, they didn’t sweeten the drink, so it would have been bitter and |
|spicy and was served cold. To Mayans chocolate was literally, ‘the drink of the Gods’ and probably only the wealthiest nobles could afford to drink it. |
| |
|The most important food source in the Mayan world was maize or corn. It was grown by Mayan farmers and then turned into flour, which could be used in a variety of ways. Maize was so important to the Mayans that they |
|often referred to themselves as ‘children of the corn’ or ‘children of flour’. According to Mayan creation myths, the gods made the first humans out of a mixture of flour and blood. |
| |
|Maize was used in lots of different ways, rather how we use flour to make cake, bread, biscuits and pizzas. One of the most common ways in which the Mayans used maize was to make tortillas. Tortillas are flat round |
|floppy disks that can be folded over into an envelope, which is then stuffed with delicious ingredients. Once folded and filled with ingredients it became tacos, one of the best-known dishes in the world. Caterpillar and|
|worm tacos were a great favourite amongst the Mayans. They ate a great many insects and worms to supplement their diet with protein. |
| |
|As well as farming maize, the Mayans tended rainforest gardens and gathered a great variety of foods from the natural environment around them. They were especially fond of pineapples and cactus fruits such as the prickly|
|pear. For protein, they ate dogs, turkey, fish and shrimps. Sometimes hunters were able to kill a monkey, turtle, snake or iguana and these too were consumed for protein. |
| |
|Pupils could make up a menu for a great Mayan banquet consisting of many different courses. |
| |
|Pupils could research different recipes for tacos and then explain which is their favourite and why. |
| |
|Pupils could write a letter to a Mayan friend thanking them for the delicious meal that they had at their house last week. They could comment on some of the delicacies that they particularly enjoyed such as dried worms |
|and fried insects! |
|Mathematics Lesson Plans |
|Using and Applying linked Maths Lesson 1/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|solve problems involving converting between units of time |place events on the Mayan Long Count calendar |count straight from 1 BC to 1 AD |
| |
|Use the timeline that pupils are creating in their history lesson. Write the AD years in Roman numerals as well. |
| |
|The creation date was 3113 or 3114 BC according to our calendar. It is important to note that a timeline from BC to AD has no year zero. It goes from 1 BC to 1 AD which may account for the uncertainty about 3113 or 3114 |
|BC. Each year was called a tun, with 20 years being a katun and 400 years is 20 katuns or one baktun. Write the baktuns on your timeline, remembering that they start at 3114 BC. This represents the Long Count calendar, |
|devised to track time passing through the ages. Work out when 20 baktuns will have passed. |
|Using and Applying linked Maths Lesson 2/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|solve problems involving number up to three decimal places |work out the likely height and length of the steps |use half of the width of the pyramid in my calculations |
| |
|The Mayans built pyramids that were similar to but not identical to the Egyptian pyramids. They were more obviously stepped, having fewer steps to reach a given height. |
| |
|The Pyramid of the Sun is one of the more famous pyramids built by the Mayans. It measures 246 feet high and 738 feet across. Investigate different heights and lengths for the steps. They should fit the dimensions of the|
|pyramid of the Sun. Find a picture of the pyramid and estimate the number of steps. Choose the height and length of step that is closest. |
| |
| |
|Using and Applying linked Maths Lesson 3/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|explore the place value of digits in different bases |convert numbers to base 20 and back again |think carefully how the column headings in base 20 relate to those in |
| | |base 10 |
| |
|The Mayan number system had a base of 20. It also used zero which was far in advance of Europeans who only began to use zero in the 13th century. If we want to express numbers in base 20 we need 10 more symbols for the |
|extra numerals. We will use A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J and K. You could devise different ones from these but the alphabet is easier as it has an order already. |
| |
|This means 15 is F in base 20; 34 is 1E; 400 is 100; 165 is 85. |
| |
|Convert 363 and 184 to Base 20. Add them in base 20. Convert back to base 10 to check your answer. Do the same, but subtract them. Explore addition and subtraction in base 20. |
| |
|Extension: Explore multiplication and division in base 20, or explore addition and subtraction in base 5. What is easier and what is harder about these other bases? |
|Using and Applying linked Maths Lesson 4/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|solve problems involving converting between units of time |work out when the Mayan calendar cycles coincide |start all the cycles together and work from there |
| |
|The Mayan calendar has several cycles in it. There is the Sacred Round which consists of 260 days and the Vague year which has 365 days. Work out how long between the time when the New Year for each of these cycles |
|coincides. Write it in days and in years (like ours). How long between the times when these two cycles coincide with a katun (20 years)? How long between the times when the Sacred Round, the Vague Year and the baktun (20|
|katuns) ‘New Years’ coincide? |
| |
|What mathematical ideas did you use to work out these questions? |
|History Lesson Plans |
|History Lead Lesson 1/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|develop a chronological overview of Mayan history |identify and label the three main eras of Mayan history on a timeline |devise a suitable scale for my timeline |
| |describe some key features of one of these eras |mark on the different periods of Mayan history, especially the Classic Era which lasted from|
| | |250 to 900 A.D. |
|Mysterious Mayans |
|Resources required: |
|Strip of wall-paper, sugar-paper or similar suitable for drawing extended timelines |
|Access to internet for images of Mayan achievements |
|Atlases and internet-based maps showing Mesoamerica |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|Who were the Mayans? When did Mayan civilisation begin? Are there any Mayans still living today? |
|The Mayans were a people who settled in the territory known as Mesoamerica. This is the area that connects the North and South America continents and covers southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. It literally |
|means middle section of America. People have lived in Mesoamerica for thousands of years. It is known as South America’s ‘cradle of civilisation’. An ancient people called the Olmecs settled here about four thousand |
|years ago. The Mayans followed the Olmecs but it is not known for sure whether they were their descendants or whether they came from another place and drove the Olmecs out. |
|Pre Classic Era (c.1500 B.C. to 250 A.D.) |
|Mayan civilisation lasted for thousands of years. It probably began about 3,500 years ago (1500 B.C.). For many centuries, the Mayans lived as simple farmers and hunters, making basic pottery and using simple stone |
|tools. However, as time went by they began to develop a more sophisticated way of life that included being able to read, write, and use calendars to record time. |
|Classic Era (250 A.D. to 900 A.D.) |
|By the middle of the 3rd Century A.D. the Mayans had advanced into a highly sophisticated society capable of building amazing temples, pyramids and palaces. For the next 650 years, Mayan civilisation developed into one |
|of the most sophisticated civilisations on earth. This period was known as the Classic Era. During this Unit when we talk about the Mayans, we will usually be referring to this era, which was when they achieved many of |
|the things for which they are remembered as a great civilisation. The Classic Era lasted until the end of the 9th Century A.D. when many of its most important cities were mysteriously abandoned. |
| |
| |
|Post Classic Era (900 A.D. 1517 A.D.) |
|However, this was not the end of the Mayans! In the centuries that followed a new Mayan civilisation (called Post Classic) sprung up in the Yucatan Peninsula of southern Mexico. Here great temples and pyramids were built|
|such as the ones at Chichen Iza, perhaps the best known Mayan city of them all. This civilisation lasted for about six centuries until the Spanish came across the Atlantic Ocean and began conquering Mayan lands in the |
|16th Century. |
|Mayan civilisation never completely disappeared! There are still Mayans living in the countries of Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras today. Some still speak the Mayan language and keep ancient Mayan crafts alive. Through |
|these people Mayan civilisation lives on! |
|Pupils could work in pairs to create an illustrated timeline showing the different eras of Mayan history: Pre Classic, Classic and Post Classic. (They may need to spend some time discussing what the prefixes Pre and Post|
|mean when applied to periods of time in history, i.e. pre-war, post-war.) They could illustrate their timeline with maps, images and photos showing the location and characteristics of different features of Mayan |
|civilisation. |
|Pupils could select five pictures from the internet and/or reference books that capture or sum up the amazing achievements of the Classic Era. |
|Mayan history stretches back well over 3,000 years! Pupils could think of some imaginative ways of representing this huge span of time, i.e. more than 30 centuries; more than 300 times as long as they have lived! |
| |
|Support: |
|Provide pupils with a pre-prepared timeline and get them to mark on the different eras of Mayan history (without having to do the maths involved in working out an appropriate scale). |
| |
|Challenge: |
|Get pupils to make a list of things that they think makes a civilisation advanced. You could give them ‘having a system of writing’ to get them started and ask what else they can come up with. |
[pic]
|History Lesson 2/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|describe key features of an historic era using appropriate |describe in detail an example of Mayan |describe the building in as much detail as I can, commenting on its purpose and the number of layers, |
|terminology |architecture, making effective use of specialist |sides, steps, platform, etc. |
| |vocabulary | |
|Temples and pyramids |
|Mayan civilization is famous for its architectural achievements. Many Mayan city-states constructed large palaces, pyramids, and other public buildings that are still standing today. These buildings were decorated with |
|carvings and statues that honoured their gods and commemorated their kings. Many of the great Mayan buildings and temples were carefully aligned with celestial events such as the path of the Sun. |
|The Maya are most famous for their spectacular pyramids. There were two types of pyramids, which were similar in many ways. They each had the familiar pyramid shape and steep steps up the side that would enable someone |
|to climb to the top. They were both constructed for religious purposes and for the gods. However, they did have some differences too. |
| |
|One type of pyramid had a temple on the top where priests made sacrifices to the gods. The stairs going up the sides of these pyramids were steep, but not too steep for the priests to climb. The most important religious |
|ceremonies were held at the very top of these pyramids. |
| |
|The other type of pyramid was built specially for a god. These pyramids were not meant to be climbed or touched by humans. There were steps going up the sides of these pyramids, but they were too steep to climb without a|
|great deal of effort. These pyramids often had secret entrances, tunnels, and traps. El Castillo is a fine example of this type of pyramid. It was built as a temple to the god Kukulcan in the city of Chichen Itza on the |
|Yucatan Peninsula. The height of the pyramid is just less than 100 feet. Each side of the El Castillo pyramid has 91 steps. When you add the steps on all four sides and then add in the top platform, you get 365 steps, |
|one for each day of the Mayan year. |
|Pupils could study photographs and read descriptions of El Castillo and other Mayan pyramids and then attempt to make an accurate model of one out of cardboard boxes or similar. They would need to remember that Mayan |
|pyramids tended to have nine layers, a flat top and steep steps going up the sides. |
|Pupils could pretend that they are travelling in Mexico and have just visited the El Castillo pyramid at Chichen Iza. They could write a letter or postcard home describing the pyramid in as much detail as they can They |
|could also compare it with the Egyptian pyramids, which they visited on an earlier trip. |
|Pupils could use Photo Story or similar software to create a virtual tour of the El Castillo site, carefully selecting photos, maps and other information from relevant websites to include in their presentation. |
| |
|History Lesson 3/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|explain the significance of peoples|explain why the Sun, Moon and planets were so important to|try and think like a Mayan! |
|beliefs in their lives |the Mayan people |think why it was so important to watch the movements of a god-planet as it moved across the sky |
| |give examples of ways in which their behaviour was |think why I have to be so careful about choosing the right time to act |
| |affected by their beliefs | |
|Stars and planets The Ancient Maya were brilliant astronomers who were interested in every aspect of the night skies. They carefully observed the Sun, Moon and planets (especially Venus). We know that Mayan astronomers |
|were experts at predicting solar eclipses. |
|For the Mayans astronomy and religion went hand-in-hand. They believed that the will and actions of the gods could be read in the stars and planets. Many of their most important buildings were designed with astronomy in |
|mind. |
|The Maya believed that the Earth was at the centre of the Universe and that planets, moons and stars moved around it. Some planets and stars were believed to be gods travelling between Heaven and the Underworld. The |
|Mayans watched their movements in the night sky and planned events to coincide with the position of stars and planets in the sky. The position of Venus was extremely important to leaders planning a war, for example. |
|The Sun was extremely important to the Mayans and their astronomers were experts at predicting solar eclipses and other solar phenomena. To them, the Sun was a powerful god called Kinich Ahau who shone in the sky all day|
|and then turned himself into a jaguar at night as he travelled through Xibalba, the Mayan Underworld. |
|The Moon was also important to the Mayans. They observed its movements in great detail and with great accuracy. Their lunar calculations are off by only 33 seconds after 1500 years! They believed the Moon was a goddess |
|known as Ix Chel. She was locked in an everlasting battle with the Sun-god, dragging him into the Underworld at the end of each day. Ix Chel was particularly important to Mayan women being the goddess of childbirth and |
|fertility. |
|The Mayans identified the main planets in the solar system and charted their movements. Venus, which they associated with war, was easily the most important planet. Military campaigns would be arranged to tie in with the|
|movements of Venus and important prisoners-of-war such as chieftains would only be sacrificed when the planet’s position in the night sky was judged to be right. The Maya made meticulous records of the movements of Venus|
|and worked out that its year (relative to Earth, not the Sun) was 584 days long, very close in fact to the 583.92 days that modern science has determined. |
|It seems almost miraculous that the Mayans were able to make such amazing observations and predictions without the aid of telescopes, sextants or other instruments that modern astronomers take for granted. However, we |
|know that they were able to make these observations and predictions because there is plenty of evidence to prove it. Their observations are clearly recorded on their carved stone slabs (Stelae) and in their ancient books|
|(codices). |
|Pupils could discuss ways in which modern and Mayan astronomers are similar and different. |
|The discussion could revolve around the following points: |
|the instruments used for observation |
|the accuracy of observations and predictions |
|the link between astronomy and religion |
| |
|Pupils could role-play a Mayan nobleman explaining to his son why the planet Venus is so important or a Mayan mother explaining to her daughter why the Moon is so important. |
|Pupils could draw, paint, model or sculpt two contrasting pictures of the Sun-god, Kinich Ahau, showing what he looked like by day and by night. They could write a poem or song about his nightly battle with the Moon |
|goddess. |
|History Lesson 4/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|identify similarities and differences between aspects of life |state in what ways the Mayan calendar system and our own are|point out ways in which the Haab was similar and different to our calendar |
|in the past and present day |similar and different |try and explain some of the differences |
|Calendars and predictions |
|Unlike almost any other people, the Mayans actually worshipped time! They developed a complex system of calendars to track both time and religious ceremonies. We have just one calendar but the Mayans used three! |
|One calendar that the Mayans used was a solar calendar called the Haab. Like our calendar, it had 365 days in one of its cycles or years. There were 18 months in every 365 day cycle, each of which had 20 days. They |
|numbered the days in each month from 0 to 19. |
|There was also a very short 19th month which had just 5 days in it. These 5 days of the year were considered very unlucky by the Mayans. Below are the names of the months in the Haab: |
|Pop |
|Wo |
|Sip |
|Sotz' |
|Sek |
|Xul |
|Yaxk'in' |
|Mol |
|Ch'en |
|Yax |
|Sak' |
|Keh |
|Mak |
|K'ank'in |
|Muwan |
|Pax |
|K'ayab |
|Kumk'u |
|Wayeb (5 days only) |
| |
|Another calendar called the Tzolkin was used by the Mayans for religious purposes. It had 260 days each of which had its own name and number. This calendar helped the Mayans to remember when religious festivals and |
|ceremonies took place. Every 52 years the Haab and Tzolkin cycles began on the same day. This was a very special occasion and the Mayans celebrated it by smashing pots. This was because they believed that it was a time |
|for new beginnings so they got rid of some of their old possessions and replaced them with new ones. |
|A third kind of calendar called the Long Cycle was used for measuring very lengthy periods of time. Its cycles lasted for about 5,000 years each. Some people believed that the Long Cycle calendar predicted the end of the|
|world on 21st December 2012! Fortunately for us, this turned out not to be the case! This ‘prediction’ is probably based on a misinterpretation of the Long Cycle, and some scholars think that the date actually predicted |
|a new era for humanity rather than the end of mankind. |
|Pupils could discuss ways in which the Haab calendar is similar and different to the Roman calendar that most people use today. (They might need to be reminded about leap years in our calendar system which occur every |
|four years and consist of 366 days due to the inclusion of 29th February.) |
|Pupils could discuss why some modern day people were worried as the 21st December 2012 approached and how this may have affected their behaviour. |
|Pupils could study some modern calendars and describe the different things that are marked on them. |
|Geography Lesson Plans |
|Geography Lead Lesson 1/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|describe where our water comes from and how it is|describe some ways in which the Mayans maintained a supply of fresh |think of different things I use water for in my life |
|supplied |water |think how our lives would be different if water was not easily available |
| |describe some ways in which we maintain a supply of fresh water in |think how rainwater can be collected or ‘harvested’ |
| |our modern lives |find out about how water is supplied in my local area |
|Water Farms! |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Photographs of cenotes (available on internet) |
|Photograph or diagram of a chiltun (available on internet) |
|Ordinance Survey map of locality |
|Plastic water container suitable for catching rainwater |
|Optional - Seed tray and cress seeds |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|Every human being needs water to survive. Without water people cannot live. The Mayans needed water to drink and water for their crops. Without this precious resource their civilisation could not have existed. |
| |
|The Mayans had to become experts at managing water supplies. Although it rained a lot in their lands, there were very few lakes and streams from which to take water. This is because the underlying rock was porous |
|limestone and rainwater seeps through it. With a lack of standing water at ground level, the Mayans had to develop clever ways of collecting water in other ways and from other places. |
| |
|A lot of the Mayans fresh water came from underground caves called cenotes (pronounced se-NO-te). There are many cenotes on the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico and people still use them for drinking water today. |
|Mayan cities, including the famous Chichén Itzá, were built around these natural wells. Modern day cave divers have explored the cave systems and discovered that they often stretch for many miles underground. For the |
|religious Mayans these caves were also believed to be entrances to the Underworld. |
| |
|Where there were no underground cave systems, the Mayans made huge water storage tanks to collect rainwater from gutters and drainage pipes. These tanks were shaped like huge bottles and were called chiltuns. Some of |
|them held enough water to keep 25 people supplied with water for a year. Archaeologists have discovered enough chiltuns in some Mayan settlements to supply as many as 8,000 people. In areas of the world where water is in|
|short supply people often capture rainfall in water barrels and water butts. Pupils may have done this at home or school to collect water for a garden. |
| |
|When water was in short supply the Mayans would have prayed to the God of Rain. Archaeologists have found the remains of hundreds of broken pots at the entrance to cenotes. These were probably smashed as an offering to |
|the gods in the hope that they would make it rain. In the Unit conclusion pupils will learn about a great drought which may help to explain why the Mayans were forced to abandon many of their greatest cities in the 9th |
|Century A.D. |
| |
|Pupils could write down a list of all of the ways in which we use water in our daily lives and estimate how much they use each day. |
| |
|Pupils could place containers outside the classroom to see how much rainwater they can collect in a day, a week, two weeks etc. They could then discuss whether this would be similar or different if they carried out the |
|activity at different times of the year. They could also discuss how much water has been evaporated by the sun etc. |
| |
|Now that they know about Mayan cenotes and chiltuns, pupils could discuss and research where their own water supply comes from. They might look for local pumping stations, water towers and reservoirs on Ordinance Survey |
|maps. They could visit one of these sites or look at the website of their local water supply company to learn more about the ways in which water is supplied to their homes. |
| |
|Support activity: |
|Ask pupils to discuss what they would do if they were not allowed to collect water from taps for a whole week. Where would they go for their fresh clean water? What problems would this pose? |
| |
|Challenge activity: |
|What is a drought? What are the consequences of a mild drought, such as the ones we have in this country when it does not rain for several weeks or months on end? What are the consequences of a severe drought, such as |
|the ones that have sometimes occurred in East Africa where there is hardly any rain for two or more consecutive years at a time? |
[pic]
|Geography Lesson 2/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|explain how farmers have to adapt to the |explain why Mayan farmers could grow crops in |explain how the Mayans created their raised fields |
|environment around them |areas that were not naturally easy to farm |explain how the canals served a number of purposes |
| |
|Growing enough food for their people to eat was always a challenge for the Mayans. We now know that they used very advanced farming techniques to grow crops in areas that lacked good soil and natural drainage. The |
|Yucatan Peninsula is covered in low lying marshes and swamps but the Mayans still managed to farm the land very efficiently indeed! |
| |
|Firstly the Mayan farmers dug a network of canals across the swampy land. Then the surplus soil was thrown onto the fields in between the canals raising them up above natural ground level by about a metre in height. This|
|new layer of soil was good for growing crops. The canal water could be used to irrigate the crops, and the fish that swam in them provided droppings that could be used as fertiliser. The Mayans also grew nitrogen-rich |
|water plants on the canals which could be used as a natural fertiliser on the fields. This combination of irrigation and fertilizing resulted in an extended growing season for crops grown on the raised fields. |
|Nowadays, farming experts are learning from the ancient Maya. In parts of Central and South America made poor by poor soils and thin crops, researchers are getting together with local farmers to develop ways of making |
|farming more profitable, thereby enriching the local economies. The raised-field system that worked so well for the Mayans 1,500 years ago is often proving to be a very good way to farm the land today. |
| |
|The Mayan system of raised-field farming was very sustainable. This means that it did not damage the environment or end up making some people poorer at the expense of others. Some types of farming damage the environment |
|by, for example, ruining the soil so that it can never be used for farming again. Some types of farming produce crops that do not help to make farmers and their local communities any richer. It seems that we have a lot |
|to learn a lot from the Mayans about how to farm in better ways in our own world. |
| |
|Pupils could work together in groups to make a miniature water farm similar in layout and design to those developed by the Mayans. They could do this with seed trays and cress, for example. |
| |
|Pupils could role-play a discussion between an expert who knows about Mayan farming techniques and a poor farmer who is desperate for ideas about increasing the crop yield from his or her swampy land with its poor |
|quality soil. |
| |
|Pupils could say whether they agree with Mr N.O. Idea below: |
| |
|“What is the point of studying ancient civilisations? We have nothing to learn from them.” |
| |
|Geography Lesson 3/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|explain how farmers have to adapt to the environment |explain why Mayan farmers could grow crops in areas that were not |explain how Mayan farmers adapted by making terraces |
|around them |naturally easy to farm |explain how terraces help farmers to grow more and better crops |
| |explain why Mayan farming ideas are still important today |investigate the use of terraces in our modern world |
| |
|The raised field system of farming worked well in low-lying areas of the Mayan territories such as the Yucatan Peninsula but alternative farming methods had to be used in highland areas. Like the Incas and other ancient |
|civilisations of Central and South America, the Mayans used terracing to grow crops on hillsides and mountains. This is where a series of platforms, one above the other, were cut into the hillside to make usable farming |
|plots. Container walls were constructed out of wood and rocks to shore up the platforms and to prevent the soil from slipping down the hillside. |
| |
|Terraced hillsides can look very spectacular when viewed from a distance or from the air. There are some good photographs of modern South America and Southeast Asian terraced farming available on the internet. In some |
|areas of Guatemala and Belize modern farmers are still working terraced fields originally created by the Mayans over 2,000 years ago! |
| |
|The benefits of terraced farming are many. It enables farmers to grow crops on land that would normally be too steep to cultivate. When it rains onto the terraces they hold onto their water rather than it running off |
|down the hillside. When it rains hard some soil is washed down to the terrace below rather than all of the way down the hillside. Terrace farming is a very sustainable way of farming. It does not harm the environment and|
|it helps to make local farmers and their communities better off. It is a clever way in which people have adapted to their environment over the centuries. |
| |
|Terrace farming goes on all over the world today, especially in South America and Southeast Asia. Many people depend on this way of farming for their living. Where rice is grown on terraces in countries like Vietnam and |
|Thailand the fields or Paddies are deliberately flooded because the crop needs a lot of water to grow. |
| |
|Pupils could discuss how they would go about growing crops if the only available land was a steep hillside. |
| |
|Pupils could role-play a discussion between two Mayan farmers, one a lowland farmer who farms raised fields and the other a highland farmer who farms terraced fields. They could explain the techniques they each use and |
|why to one another, pointing out the benefits of this type of farming as they go. |
| |
|Pupils could investigate terrace farming today on the internet and in reference books. Based on their research, they could have a go at making a model of a terrace farm using modelling clay, papier mache or similar. |
| |
|Geography Lesson 4/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|explain why a particular resource is in high demand |explain the importance of obsidian in Mayan life |give reasons why: |
| |explain how the demand for resources such as obsidian |obsidian was in such high demand |
| |can result in trade |trade developed between Mayan states |
| | |there may have been tension when some Mayan states tried to restrict supplies of obsidian, jade or other |
| | |valuable |
|Obsidian was a very valuable resource to the Mayans. This naturally formed volcanic glass can be shaped into blades, tools, weapons and jewellery by skilled craftsmen. It was very important to the Mayans because they had|
|no metal tools or weapons. Obsidian artefacts have been discovered at every single Mayan site excavated by archaeologists. |
| |
|Obsidian forms when molten rock from a volcano cools down very quickly. Cobbles containing the smoky grey glass-like rock are split open. Then, using a deer antler or hard stone, chips and flakes of obsidian are broken |
|off the cracked surface of the cobble. These chips and flakes are then worked into arrowheads, darts, knives and pieces of jewellery. Obsidian is extremely sharp and it is very easy to cut your hand on it. |
| |
|Trade was very important in the Mayan empire. Everybody wanted obsidian objects but not everyone lived close to the areas in which obsidian is found. People who lived in these areas exchanged their own goods with traders|
|who came from areas in which obsidian was in plentiful supply. Because obsidian was in such demand across the Mayan world well established trade routes developed between the areas that were rich in obsidian supplies and |
|those that were not. Roads were built along which traders carried the precious obsidian to market. |
| |
|Today obsidian is still used in some surprising ways. It is used in some American hospitals for heart bypass surgery! It appears that obsidian blades cut cleaner than surgical scalpels, resulting in rapid healing with |
|less scar tissue. |
| |
|Pupils could explain why obsidian would be important in the lives of each of the following Mayan people: a warrior, a builder, a trader, a cook, a priest. |
| |
|Pupils could discuss what trade is and whether they have ever swapped, exchanged or traded things with their friends. They could extend the discussion by talking about why different Mayan states traded with each other. |
|They could extend the discussion further by talking about the ways in which modern countries such as the U.K. and Germany trade with each other. |
| |
|Pupils could discuss in pairs, small groups or as a whole class the following questions: |
|Which was most important to the Mayans: water or obsidian? |
|Is obsidian a man-made material? |
|How much skill is required to make an obsidian weapon, tool or ornament? Do you think anyone could make one? |
|How would Mayan life have been different without obsidian? |
|What might happen if one group of Mayans tried to prevent the others from getting supplies of obsidian? |
|Having discussed some of the questions above, pupils could write up an answer to one of their choice, incorporating points from the group or class discussion. |
|Music Lesson Plans |
|Music Lead Lesson 1/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|appreciate the importance of music in Mayan culture |sing a Mayan song |listen carefully to the song to help me learn to sing it |
|sing a Mayan song |recognise that music was an important and integral part of Mayan culture |identify occasions I know of where music may be part of the ceremony |
|compare modern day ritualistic songs to those of the past |suggest examples of modern day rituals and music |or ritual |
|Discuss the importance of music in Mayan culture. The music leader or director held a very important role in Mayan society and was known as the holpop. There are surviving pictures of Mayan musical culture in the |
|Bonampak temple. Show pupils pictures of the Bonampak temple. Can anyone spot any instruments? Do they look like any instruments we might play today? |
| |
|Explain that music for the Mayans was performed usually as part of a ritualistic dance with song, instruments and movement combining to produce a whole piece. It was a very important element of public ceremonies and |
|rituals. Most of these pieces were closely linked to a particular god or to the Mayan calendar and reflected the time of year. |
|One song, thought by some to be one of the oldest surviving melodies in existence, is dedicated the Mayan sun god and is called Xtoles. Play pupils this song (see ). Learn to sing the song. It may |
|be easier to sing it in English first and then try the translation. |
| |
|Can pupils think of modern day music which may be considered to be ritualistic? Examples may include music which is part of a religious service or celebration and is always performed at a certain point. Perhaps there is |
|a local festival celebrated at Summer or Winter solstice in your vicinity each year which includes music and dance? (see Golowan and Montol in Penzance for example) Can pupils think of any sporting occasions where a |
|ritualistic song and dance may be seen e.g. the all blacks rugby haka or a favourite football team’s chant? Invite pupils to perform any examples they know of. |
| |
|Explain that music can still play an important role today in bringing people together for a common cause, just as the ones pupils have come up with. These are simply modern day examples of what the Mayans were doing all |
|that time ago. |
| |
|How might a piece of ritualistic music be structured? Does it need to be complicated? |
|Many pieces are quite repetitive and involve the same chants being sung over and over again, perhaps with increasing texture, tempo or dynamics. Refer again to the examples pupils have mentioned. When we create a piece |
|of simple music and repeat it over and over it can be very effective. This enables everyone to learn the chant(s) and participate in the ritual. |
| |
|Revisit the Xtoles song. How many different notes make up this song’s melody? There are only 5 notes. This is in fact a pentatonic scale and uses the notes D E G A B. It is thought that the Mayan pitched instruments were|
|even tuned to particular sets of notes or scales. |
| |
|Explain to pupils that in the coming weeks they will be creating their own piece of ritualistic music using a simple structure and this pentatonic scale. |
|Music Lesson 2/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|sing a Mayan song |sing a Mayan song |sing confidently and clearly |
|compose a chant using the Mayan song as a stimulus |create a chant which will be first spoken and then sung |share my ideas for the chant with the rest of the class |
|use a pentatonic scale to compose |use the pentatonic scale to pitch to their chant |use the 5 note pentatonic scale to compose a melody for the words |
|be a holpop |take a turn at being the holpop |take a turn at being the holpop |
| |
|Vocal warm-up: |
|Invite pupils to suggest a type of weather e.g. sunshine. Decide how this should be spoken to reflect the sunshine. Should it be high pitched, low pitched, lengthened, said in a staccato manner (short and spiky). Once |
|decided, chant this together. Ask for a further weather suggestion and add this to the chant now e.g. pitter patter rain drops. Encourage lots of variation in the way the words are spoken and add movement to reflect the |
|words. Try to stretch the voice (high and low pitches) and to really get the mouth moving with some words uttered quickly with lots of consonants! Try changing the tempo of the chant and invite pupils to take it in turns|
|to conduct, being the holpop, so that the rest of the group follow the speed changes. |
|Revisit the Xtoles song from last lesson and briefly recap the discussion on ritualistic music. Sing one of the modern day examples pupils mentioned or try a new one. |
| |
|Explain that this lesson, pupils will begin work on their own chant to the sun god, creating their own modern day Mayan piece. |
|Look at the words of Xtoles. |
|As a class work on creating a short phrase which will form the basis of the chant. This does not need to be lengthy. |
| |
|For example: |
|Sunshine come and shine upon our cold earth. Bring the warmth we need to make our crops grow tall and ripen. |
| |
|Play a steady pulse (as represented by the numbers below) for pupils now to chant over. Invite pupils to spot where the stresses fall in the chant. For example: |
| |
|1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 |
| |
|Sunshine come and shine upon our cold earth. Bring the warmth we need to make our |
| |
|11 12 13 |
|crops grow tall and ripen. |
| |
|Repeat this chant several times over the steady pulse, emphasising the stresses. |
| |
|Are there any words which pupils would like to lengthen over the pulse |
| |
|e.g. |
| |
|1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
|Sunshine ------- come and shine upon our cold -- earth -------------- |
|13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |
|Bring the warmth we need ---- to make our crops grow tall--- and rip --- en. |
| |
|Once everyone is familiar with the chant and can recite it confidently play the pentatonic scale on a pitched instrument. D E G A B. Work on choosing pitches to go with the words now until the chant has a clear melody |
|which can be sung. Allow plenty of time for experimentation with this, discussing which intervals (distances between notes) work well and which melodic shapes match the phrasing of the chant. |
| |
|Rehearse the melody now with the words until everyone is confident. Write down the final results. This should be done with standard notation if possible as well as with note names below the words. Invite pupils who are |
|familiar with standard notation to write down the beginning of melody for the rest of the class to observe how this is done. Other pupils may then join in to notate the remainder. |
| |
|Record pupils singing their chant in readiness for next lesson. |
| |
|Explain that next lesson pupils will be adding instrumentation to their piece. |
|Music Lesson 3/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|create a rhythmic accompaniment for our song |create, develop and play a rhythmic pattern over a steady pulse |play confidently and clearly |
|perform a chant and rhythm using the Mayan song as a stimulus |choose musical instruments similar to those of the Mayans |share my ideas for the rhythm with the rest of the class |
|discover Mayan musical instruments |play the rhythm with the chant |choose instruments which are like those of the Mayans |
|use a pentatonic scale |use the pentatonic scale |take a turn at being the holpop |
|be a holpop |take a turn at being the holpop | |
| |
|In a circle revisit the vocal warm up from last lesson with new suggestions for words and vocal animation. |
|Sing through the chant created last lesson over a steady pulse. |
|Invite pupils now to clap on the stresses. |
|Next take the words away so that pupils are required to use their inner singing voice (hearing the chant in their heads) as they clap on the stressed words. Maintain a steady pulse to allow everyone to stay in time. |
|This will eventually create a rhythmic pattern which can then be repeated over the pulse. |
| |
|Show pupils the pictures of the Mayan instruments which have been recovered in archaeological finds. The collection on the Mayan Gallery of the National anthropological museum is particularly good for examples. Show |
|clips of the modern day performances of Mayan theatre and discuss with pupils the instruments they can see being played. |
|From your selection of percussion instruments ask pupils to choose those which will represent Mayan instruments in their own piece. |
| |
|Taking the rhythmic pattern created with the chant invite pupils to play the percussion instruments on these stressed beats. Do we need all instruments on all beats? What works best where? Some beats may be better |
|remaining totally silent to provide variety in the piece? Do any instruments illustrate any particular words well? |
|Allow plenty of time for exploration until pupils arrive at the finished rhythmic pattern which will be repeated throughout. Rehearse the finished pattern. Try experimenting with the tempo, inviting pupils to conduct as |
|before. Write down the pattern and when the different instruments play. Record pupils playing. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Music Lesson 4/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|create a full performance of a ritualistic piece |perform a full version of their composition |perform confidently and clearly |
|perform a chant and rhythm using the Mayan song as a stimulus |decide upon the structure for performance |share my ideas for the structure with the rest of the class |
|be a holpop |take a turn at being the holpop |take a turn at being the holpop |
| |
|In this lesson pupils will bring together all the ideas for their piece of ritualistic music so far and will decide how to structure a full performance of it. They should also be encouraged to add movement / dance to |
|create a truly Mayan rendition. |
|Recap the rhythmic pattern with the correct instruments. |
|Sing the chant over the rhythm. |
|Invite those pupils who are able to now play the melody on any wind or brass instruments. |
|Discuss the structure that the piece should take for performance. Divide the class up accordingly so that all parts are covered. Decide with pupils who will be the leader or holpop and will direct our performance. |
| |
|e.g. |
|Rhythm only |
|Rhythm with melody played on pitched instruments |
|Chant with melody played on wind / brass instruments and with rhythm |
|Gradual increase in dynamics and tempo |
|Final loud drum to signify the end of the piece |
| |
|Finally work on movement to go with the piece. |
|Film and record the final performance. |
| |
|If possible the finished piece should be performed before an audience. Perhaps costume and face paint may be used to really make the performance authentic. |
| |
|To enhance this Unit you may wish to play pupils examples of music which is inspired by or about Rites and Rituals, such as Stravinsky’s Rite Of Spring. There is more on this piece of music in the ‘Angry Earth’ Year 6 |
|Unit. See also the Philharmonia orchestra re-rite project. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Art and Design Lesson Plans |
|Art and Design Lead Lesson 1/4 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|appreciate that the Mayans decorated almost everything that they ever made and that art was often |have produced and evaluated some design ideas |complete several sketch ideas for the mask I am going to make |
|used to glorify their kings or gods |for decorating mask which will be made in |use Mayan artwork for inspiration (style, shapes, symbols, colours etc.) |
|create decorative designs for a mask influenced by Mayan art |subsequent lessons | |
|appreciate that the Mayans used intricate glyphs when writing these picture-symbols are an art | | |
|form in their own right | | |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Images of Mayan masks and art. |
|Sketchbooks/crayons |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|Remind pupils how important art was in all aspects of Mayan life. Almost everything they made or used, including basic everyday objects, was decorated. They used art for a variety of different purposes but mainly to |
|glorify the kings that ruled the Mayan city-states and the gods that decided their fate. Artists were highly respected members of Mayan society and always signed their work. Painters and artists were known as Ajtz’ib |
|which translates as ‘They who paint’. The term could also be applied to scribes who wrote things down using an elaborate system of glyphs. |
| |
|Show pupils a selection of photographs of various Mayan works of art including masks, sculptures, murals, pots and carvings. |
|Discuss Mayan artists’ use of shape, pattern, colour and texture. |
|In particular, they could look at the ways in which animals, real and mythical, are represented in a highly stylised form. |
|What techniques have artists used when drawing birds, monkeys and jaguars? |
|What colours did they use? |
|What materials did they make masks from? |
| |
|Next, in their sketchbooks, have pupils make some sketches in pencil of designs that they could use to decorate a mask that will be made out of card and papier mache in subsequent lessons. Inform them that their design |
|should be influenced by and reflect Mayan civilisation and its artistic achievements. They need to include |
|two or more contrasting colours |
|use a combination of Mayan- style patterns, glyph-symbols and images |
|include at least one real or mythical creature drawn in the Mayan-style |
| |
|Once pupils have each generated several sketch ideas they can ask other pupils to comment constructively on which they prefer and why. |
|Once pupils have decided which is their preferred sketch they can work it up into a full sized sketch on a whole page in their sketch books adding colour and detail as they go. Encourage them to write notes. |
| |
|Support activity: |
|Ask them to look at some pictures of Mayan masks and ask them to rank order these according to taste. They could talk to a partner about their reasons for liking or disliking different designs. |
| |
|Challenge activity: |
|Further research on the colours that the Mayans used in their artwork will enhance pupils’ artistic understanding and achievement in subsequent lessons. For example, they could use the internet to find out about the |
|remarkable pigment known as Mayan blue. |
|Art and Design Lesson 2 & 3/4 |120 mins x 2 |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|cut out a mask shape from card |have cut out the base for their mask |make the base wide enough to curve around my face |
|build up the card with papier-mâché to create a 3D design |build up the base with papier-mâché to create a 3D mask |cut the eyes holes to match my eye position |
| | |build up the papier-mâché to match my 3D design |
| | |make a hole level with the eyes to tie the sting or elastic onto |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Thick card |
|Newspaper |
|PVA diluted 50:50 with water |
|Bowls |
| |
|Whole class |
|In this lesson and the next pupils work on creating a mask inspired by Mayan art. |
|Each pupils needs to draw and cut out the base of their mask in card. The width needs to be wider than their face so they can bend it around. The eye holes are halfway up their face and the holes for the strings are at |
|the same level. |
| |
|Once the base is prepared pupils then begin to build up layers of papier-mâché with strips of paper. They need to cover the whole mask and build up layers where they have designed thicker areas. |
|The masks will need to dry after the first stage- to be built up further in the next lesson. Attention to small details will make for a more professional finish. Once complete the masks need to dry fully before being |
|decorated. |
|Art and Design Lesson 4/4 |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|decorate a mask in a style influenced by the artistic |decorate a mask using colours, shapes, patterns and |use two or more contrasting colours |
|achievements of the Mayans |images that the Mayans would recognise |use a combination of Mayan- style patterns, glyph-symbols and images |
| | |include at least one real or mythical creature drawn in the Mayan-style |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Dry masks |
|Paints - acrylic are best for colour and durability -2 different yellows, 2 different blues & 2 different reds, black and whit |
|Felt pens |
|Glue |
|Special decorations to stick on |
|Coloured paper to cut up and created mosaic effect |
| |
|Whole class |
|Begin by making sure that masks are completely dry. |
| |
|In this final lesson pupils decorate their masks using their original design to guide them. |
|Revisit colour mixing to remind them of the range of colours they can create with different yellows, blues and reds. |
| |
|They can use blue which was very important in Mayan culture. They may wish to lightly draw lines on their mask with a soft lead pencil to aid them with accuracy when painting. |
| |
|At the end of the session pupils could talk about how their masks can be most effectively displayed in the classroom or school library or other area where they can be admired. They can take pictures of them and have |
|these scrolling around on a digital display board in the school reception area. |
| |
|In their sketchbooks pupils can reflect on the processes involved in designing, making and decorating their Mayan masks. What aspects of their work are they pleased with? What aspects would they change if they were to |
|repeat this activity? What questions would they ask a skilled Mayan mask maker if they were ever able to meet one? |
| |
| |
| |
|Languages Lesson Plans |
|Languages Lead Lesson 1/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |sing a Mayan song |listen with care |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and |compare the lyrics in Mayan, French and English for |repeat with care |
|meaning of words |content and phonics |join in with singing |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek |read a French text on the history of chocolate |remember your French phonics and compare how sounds |
|clarification and help |complete a reading comprehension, working with a partner|are written in different languages |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words|or in groups to understand a French text and write |work with a partner to read a French text and answer |
|and phrases |answers in English |questions in English |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |optional: look at a cartoon ‘potted history’ of |optional: look at a cartoon ‘potted history’ of |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |chocolate and design and label a scene |chocolate and design and label a scene |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |learn about the origins of chocolate and links to Mayan |learn about the origins of chocolate and links to |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language |culture |Mayan culture |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar| | |
|written material, including using a dictionary | | |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly | | |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing | | |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, | | |
|masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the | | |
|language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to | | |
|English | | |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world | | |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB - Objectives are all language learning objectives which reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
| |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Unit PowerPoint |
|Website: |
|Bilingual dictionaries |
|Text and question sheets. |
|Website: |
| |
|Teaching note: The opening activity of the first lesson is directly linked to the first Music session and the teacher may prefer to teach this session after the Music lesson. |
| |
|Entrée |
|Greet and settle the class and ask them to Regardez le tableau et écoutez la chanson! Look at the board and listen to the song. |
|Go to , click on South America and then Maya and Français for the French lyrics. See also the Unit PowerPoint. |
| |
|Xtoles |
| |
| |
|Chant de danse guerrière maya |
|(Maya) |
| |
|Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin. |
|Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin. |
|Xola mayola, xola mayol, ea, ea, ea, o. |
|Conex, conex palanxen, xicubin, xicubin yocolquin. |
| |
|Allons-y, allons-y les garçons, car le soleil se lève |
|Allons-y, allons-y les garçons, car le soleil se lève |
|Cho-la ma-yo-la, cho-la ma-yol, é-a, é-a, é-a o. |
|Allons-y, allons-y les garçons, car le soleil se lève. |
| |
|Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out. |
|Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out. |
|Sho-la ma-yo-la, sho-la ma-yol, Ay-ah, ay-ah, ay-ah oh. |
|Let's go, let's hurry boys, for the sun is coming out. |
| |
|Having sung the song a few times look at the meaning of the lyrics: can pupils spot the words/phrases for: boys garcons, let’s go allons-y, the sun le soleil. Are they able to see the link between the classroom command |
|Levez-vous! Stand up! and le soleil se leve? What is a lever used for? |
| |
| |
| |
|Phonic Focus |
|Compare the Mayan, French and English versions of the songs, looking at the third line: |
|Xola mayola, xola mayol, ea, ea, ea, o/ Cho-la ma-yo-la, cho-la ma-yol, é-a, é-a, é-a o/ Sho-la ma-yo-la, sho-la ma-yol, Ay-ah, ay-ah, ay-ah oh. |
|Do pupils remember that in French ch is a soft sound like our sh not a tch as in chocolate in English. In French chocolat is pronounced shocola. |
|What other words have the ch? |
|Chat, chien, chocolat, chapeau/ chapoleon! |
| |
|If you were teaching Mayan phonics, what sound would Xo make? = sho |
| |
|Remind pupils of the vowel sounds a e i o u |
| |
|Finally what is the difference between e and é? uh/ ay –see Unit PowerPoint. |
| |
|Plat |
|Reading comprehension. |
|Look at the next slide of the Unit PowerPoint. Hand out photocopies of the slide L’histoire du chocolat, questions sheet and bilingual dictionaries. |
|What do pupils think histoire might mean? – It means both history and story in French. |
| |
|Explain that pupils are going to work in pairs Vous allez travailler à deux. |
|Explain that pupils are going to read the French text and answer the questions in English. The teacher may wish to divide the class into mixed ability pairs or groups and to do the first few questions together as a |
|class. The text is quite long so the teacher may also prefer to give pupils half of the text and questions to work on as appropriate. |
|Give pupils ten to 15 minutes or so and then read the text out loud or use the sound file. Then work through the questions to see what answers have been found. (Text, questions and answers are all included in the Unit |
|PowerPoint.) |
| |
|Look at the title again; do the pupils think that they would translate histoire as story or history in this case? Why? There are arguments for both! |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|L’histoire du chocolat |
| |
|Originaire des forêts tropicales de l'Amérique centrale, le cacaoyer était cultivé par les Mayas. Les Mayas ont fait une boisson de chocolat mousseux. |
|Le mot chocolat vient du mot mayan Xocoatl qui veut dire ‘eau amère’. |
|Les Mayas utilisaient le cacao comme monnaie d'échange. |
|Christophe Colomb fut le premier européen à découvrir le cacao en juillet 1502. |
|En 1519, Hernán Cortès est arrivé au Mexique. L'empereur Montezuma lui a offert une boisson de chocolat mousseux. Les espagnols ont ajouté du sucre ou miel pour améliorer le goût. |
|1527 : Hernan Cortés est rentré en Espagne et a rapporté la fameuse recette de chocolat chaud. |
|Le chocolat est arrivé en Italie en 1594 |
|Le chocolat est arrivé en Allemagne. en 1641 |
|La France a découvert le cacao en 1615 avec le mariage d'Anne d'Autriche, fille de Philippe III d'Espagne avec Louis XIII. |
|Le chocolat est arrivé en Angleterre en 1657. |
|1847 à Bristol en Angleterre, Joseph Fry a mélangé du sucre, du beurre de cacao et du chocolat en poudre pour créer le chocolat tel qu’on mange au jour d’hui. |
|1875 Daniel Peter et Henri Nestlé ont fabriqué le premier chocolat au lait. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Questions |
|Answers |
| |
|Where does Cocoa come from? |
|What did the Mayans make from cocoa? |
|What is the Mayan word for chocolate? |
|Xocoatl means bitter…………? |
|What did Mayans also use cocoa beans for? |
|Who was the first European to discover chocolate? |
|When was this? |
|Who took the recipe for hot chocolate back to Spain? |
|What happened in 1594? |
|What happened in 1641? |
|Anne of Austria was the ……… of Philip of Spain. |
|Who did she marry? |
|When did chocolate arrive in Britain? |
|What did Joseph Fry mix to make the chocolate that we eat today/ |
|What did Daniel Peter and Henri Nestlé invent? |
|In the tropical forests of Central America |
|A frothy chocolate drink |
|Xocoatl |
|bitter water |
|Money |
|Christopher Columbus (Christophe Colomb) |
|1502 |
|Hernan Cortés |
|Chocolate arrived in Italy |
|Chocolate arrived in Germany |
|daughter |
|Louis XIII. |
|1657 |
|sucre, du beurre de cacao, du chocolat en poudre: sugar, cocoa butter, powdered chocolate. |
|Milk chocolate |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|Translation: |
|Originating from the tropical forests of Central America, the Cocoa tree as cultivated by the Mayans. The Mayans made a frothy chocolate drink |
|The word chocolate comes from the Mayan word Xocoatl which means ‘bitter water’ |
|The mayans used cocoa beans as money. |
|Christopher Columbus was the first European to discover cocoa in July 1502 |
|In 1519 Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico. Emperor Montezuma gave him a frothy chocolate drink. the Spanish added sugar or honey to improve the taste. |
|1527 Hernan Cortes returned to Spain and brought with him the famous recipe for hot chocolate. |
|Chocolate arrived in Italy in 1594 |
|Chocolate arrived in Germany in 1641 |
|France discovered chocolate in 1615 with the marriage of Anne of Austria, daughter of Philip III of Spain to Louis XIII |
|Chocolate arrived in England in 1657 |
|1847 at Bristol, England, Joseph Fry mixed sugar, cocoa butter, and powdered chocolate to create the chocolate that we eat today. |
|1875 Daniel Peter and Henri Nestlé made the first milk chocolate |
| |
|Dessert: |
|Look at the website: |
| |
|There is a wonderful cartoon history of chocolate- perhaps pupils could draw their own scenes and label with a sentence from the text? |
|Languages Lesson 2/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |begin to learn the verb Avoir |listen and repeat with care |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and |understand the terms; singular/ plural/ masculine/ |ask questions if you don’t understand something |
|meaning of words |feminine/ infinitive |work with a partner to practise the new language |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek |work with a partner to play games to help language |play games to help you learn new language |
|clarification and help |acquisition |use your knowledge of French to express opinions |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words|learn about Mayan chocolate spices |optional: take care and follow instructions when |
|and phrases |express opinions on spices (use prior learning) |making the chocolate drops |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |optional: make some Mayan Chocolate drops | |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences | | |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing | | |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language | | |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar| | |
|written material, including using a dictionary | | |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly | | |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing | | |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, | | |
|masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the | | |
|language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to | | |
|English | | |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world | | |
| |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB - Objectives are all language learning objectives which reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
| |
| |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Unit PowerPoint |
|Large bar of chocolate |
|Bag of chocolate minis or substitute for allergy sufferers |
|Large and mini-whiteboards |
|Samples of the following spices to smell: |
|vanilla |
|cinnamon |
|aniseed |
|pepper |
|Optional: spices and chocolate, mixing bowls, spoons and greaseproof paper |
| |
|Entrée |
|Greet and settle the class. |
|Hold the bar of chocolate and say J’ai du chocolat I have some chocolate (all language included in the Unit PowerPoint). |
|Invite a volunteer up to the front of the class. Pass the chocolate to him/her and get them to repeat J’ai du chocolat. |
|Invite another pupil up. Hand the chocolate to the second volunteer and get them to repeat J’ai du chocolat. |
|Now ask the class what they think J’ai du chocolat means? |
|Now ask the class to listen again Écoutez bien! |
|Hold the chocolate and say J’ai du chocolat. Now pass the chocolate to a volunteer. Step back a pace, point to the volunteer and say Tu as du chocolat. You have some chocolate. |
|Repeat with the other volunteer. |
|What does the class think you are saying? |
|Hand out the mini-chocolate bars and instruct pupils to repeat the activity using J’ai du chocolat and Tu as du chocolat. |
|Collect in the chocolate minis - pupils may get to keep the chocolate at the end of the session……! |
|Now choose two new volunteers, a boy and a girl. |
|Give the chocolate to the boy then say Il a du chocolat He has some chocolate. |
|Give the chocolate to the girl then say Elle a du chocolat She has some chocolate. |
|Again, are the pupils able to deduce what you are saying this time? |
|Stand in between the volunteers and pass the chocolate from one to the other saying either Il/elle a du chocolat. |
|After a few repetitions get the class to say the phrase without repetition to reinforce the new language. |
| |
|Plat |
|Instruct the class to look at the board and the Unit PowerPoint Regardez le tableau! |
|Click through the first three slides practising and reinforcing the new language learned in the Entrée. |
|The fourth slide shows the Verb Avoir - do the pupils recognise the new language? |
|What is a verb? |
|What does familiar/singular mean? |
|Polite and plural? |
|Masculine/feminine? |
|Explain that in French there are two forms for you tu and vous. |
|Tu is used when referring to a friend or a child and to one person. |
|Vous is used when referring to an adult or more than one person. |
|Explain that the word Avoir means To have. This is the Infinitive- the simplest form of the verb. |
| |
|Using changes in tone, volume, singing, whispering, shouting, chant and get the pupils to repeat the verb several times. |
| |
|Leaving the slide still visible on the Interactive whiteboard. Draw a noughts and crosses grid on whiteboard. |
|Divide the class into 2 groups - the Xs and the 0s. |
|In each square write the French parts of the verb + the infinitive- see below: |
| |
| |
|Avoir |
| |
|J’a |
|Tu as |
| |
| |
|Il a |
| |
|Elle a |
|Nous avons |
| |
| |
|Vous avez |
| |
|Ils ont |
|Elles ont |
| |
| |
|Taking it in turns with each group, allow each group to say the English form of the verb depending on where they want their X or 0 to go. The winning group being those with three Xs or 0s in a row as usual. |
|Hand out mini whiteboards and ask pupils to play again in pairs. |
| |
|Time permitting play again as a class, this time replacing the French with English. |
|The teacher may decide to award the winning (and losing?) team with chocolate! |
| |
| |
| |
|Dessert |
|Look at the final slide of the Unit PowerPoint. |
|What spices and flavours did the Mayans add to their chocolate? |
|Are the pupils able to work out any of the flavours? |
|la vanille = vanilla |
|la cannelle = cinnamon |
|l’anis= aniseed |
|le poivre = pepper |
| |
|Pass around samples of the above ingredients to smell. |
|What do the pupils think? Tu aimes? |
|Encourage the pupils to reply with J’aime Je n’aime pas Je deteste j’adore ( We covered this in the previous unit No Way Back) |
| |
|Further activity: |
|Pupils could experiment with adding these spices to melted chocolate and then create Mayan Chocolate drops by dropping small amounts of the mixture on greaseproof paper and allowing to cool. They could have a tasting |
|panel and rate the different flavours and record their information in a chart. |
[pic]
|Languages Lesson 3/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |learn about the Mayan Ball game |read out loud with care using your phonics to|
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning of |use phonic knowledge to help read out loud with accuracy |help you |
|words |continue to learn the verb avoir |play games sensibly to help you learn |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek |play games to reinforce language acquisition |join in! |
|clarification and help | | |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words and | | |
|phrases | | |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud | | |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences | | |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing | | |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language | | |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar | | |
|written material, including using a dictionary | | |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly | | |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing | | |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, | | |
|masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the | | |
|language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to | | |
|English | | |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world | | |
| | | |
| |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB - Objectives are all language learning objectives which reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
| |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Unit PowerPoint |
|Soft balls/footballs/bean bags |
|Use of Hall or Outdoor space if possible. |
| |
|Teaching Note: We are going to be throwing balls/bean bags to each other and playing some running around games so the use of the school hall or an outside space may be advisable for part of the lesson. |
| |
|Entrée |
|Start with the first slide of the Unit PowerPoint which talks about the Mayan Ball Game: |
|Listen to the sound file or let the pupils take turns in reading out the French. |
|The word caoutchouc meaning rubber is a great tester for those French phonics: |
| |
|Le Jeu de balle des Mayas |
|Il se pratiquait avec une petite balle de caoutchouc entre deux équipes (de 1 à 12 joueurs) sur un terrain généralement en forme de H, soixante-dix mètres par cent soixante huit. Des joueurs se renvoyant la balle à coup |
|de hanches ou de genoux, s'interdisant de la toucher avec les mains et les pieds comme au volley ball. Le but était de mettre la balle à travers un anneau. Le jeu de balle faisait partie d'un rituel qui était parfois |
|accompagné de sacrifices. |
| |
|The Mayan Ball game |
| |
|It was played with a little ball made of rubber between two teams (of 1-12 players) on a pitch generally in the shape of an H, 70m by 168m. The players passed the ball by using their hips, knees and without using hands |
|or feet as in volley ball. The aim was to get the ball through a ring. The game was part of religious ritual and was sometimes accompanied by sacrifices. |
|What was the ball made of? How many players were there? How many teams? What size was the pitch? What parts of the body could they use? Not use? What sometimes happened? |
| |
|Phonic Focus |
|The word caoutchouc meaning rubber is a great tester for those French phonics: |
|We have met all these sounds before: |
|caoutchouc |
|C |
|a |
|ou |
|tch |
|ou |
|c (no ‘e’ at the end so the final letter is silent!) caoutchouc! |
| |
| |
|Plat |
|If possible now use the school hall or an outdoor space. |
|Taking a soft ball, say J’ai le ballon. |
|Balle is used for a small ball such as a golf ball whereas ballon is used for a larger one such as a football. |
|Throw the ball to individual pupils asking them to also say J’ai le ballon. |
|Now pass the ball to a pupil and say Tu as le ballon. Pupils should then pass the ball one to another saying Tu as le ballon. |
|Continue until everyone has had a go- you could use a timer to speed things along! |
|Now throw the ball just to boys- what should we say? Il a le ballon- this time the whole class should repeat. |
|Repeat this with the girls- Elle a le ballon. |
| |
|Remind pupils of the whole of the verb Avoir to have |
|J’ai = I have |
|Tu as = You have (familiar/singular) |
|Il a = He has |
|Elle a = She has |
|Nous avons = We have |
|Vous avez = You have (polite and plural) |
|Ils ont = They have (masc) |
|Elles ont = They have (fem) |
| |
|Drill the verb a couple of times then divide the class into pairs and give out soft balls or bean bags. |
|Drill the verb again this time pupils say each part of the verb before throwing the ball to each other. |
| |
|Game 1 |
|Position one boy in a corner holding a ball, a girl in a second corner holding a ball, a teaching assistant or another pupil holding the phrase Tu as le ballon on a board and in the final corner the teacher (J’ai le |
|ballon). |
|Tell pupils to choose a corner and wait there. The teacher then calls out either J’ai le ballon, Tu as le ballon, elle a le ballon, il a le ballon. |
|Whoever is waiting at that corner must sit down in the middle of the hall/space. The other three groups must then redistribute themselves and wait to see who is out next. Continue until only a few pupils are left. |
| |
|Game 2 |
|Play Fruit Salad with parts of the verb- it may be wise to print out the verb and hand each pupil a piece of paper with their part of the verb on it. |
|Sit the pupils on the floor in a large circle (perhaps two circles of there is room) and put one pupil in the centre standing up. |
|When you call out that part of the verb, the pupils holding that part must jump up and swap places. The person in the centre must try to sit down in one of the other’s places. The last person standing remains in the |
|centre. When the teacher calls Salade de fruits, all the pupils must stand and swap places. (Traditionally this game is played with chairs rather than sitting on the floor). |
| |
|Extension: play the game a second time calling out the verb in English - pupils then have to recognise their part of the verb in French. |
| |
|Dessert |
|The teacher may choose to spend the rest of the session continuing the games above or to return to the classroom for a quick game of 0s and Xs. |
|Languages Lesson 4/4 |60 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding |use cognates to decode French text |read carefully and recognise French words that are |
|explore the patterns and sounds of language through songs and rhymes and link the spelling, sound and meaning |ask and answer questions: Quelle est la date de ton |similar to English words (cognates) |
|of words |anniversaire? Mon anniversaire est le…… |work well with a partner when asking and answering |
|engage in conversations: ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others; seek |Quelle age as-tu? J’ai …ans |questions |
|clarification and help |complete a simple listening exercise |say your birthday and age in French |
|speak in sentences, using familiar vocabulary, phrases and basic language structures or using familiar words |compare the Mayan Haab calendar with our own |listen carefully and write down when someone’s birthday |
|and phrases |learn about Saint’s days in France |is |
|develop accurate pronunciation and intonation so that others understand when they are reading aloud |write their birthday, age and Saint’s day in |learn about the Haab Calendar- how is it different to |
|present ideas and information orally to a range of audiences |sentence form |our calendar? |
|read carefully and show understanding of words, phrases and simple writing |create a Mayan inspired French birthday card |work out when your Saint’s Day is |
|appreciate stories, songs, poems and rhymes in the language | |write carefully your birthday, age and Saint’s day in |
|broaden their vocabulary and develop their ability to understand new words that are introduced into familiar | |French |
|written material, including using a dictionary | |take care in making a French Birthday card-decorate it |
|write phrases from memory, and adapt these to create new sentences, to express ideas clearly | |with Mayan pictures |
|describe people, places, things and actions orally and in writing | | |
|understand basic grammar appropriate to the language being studied, including (where relevant); feminine, | | |
|masculine and neuter forms and the conjugation of high-frequency verbs; key features and patterns of the | | |
|language; how to apply these, for instance, to build sentences; and how these differ from or are similar to | | |
|English | | |
|to foster curiosity and deepen understanding of the world | | |
| |
| |
|Blue text indicates coverage of objective within this lesson |
|(NB - Objectives are all language learning objectives which reinforce the main theme and cross curricular objectives) |
|Green text indicates inter cultural understanding addressed within this lesson |
| |
| |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Unit PowerPoint |
|Mini whiteboards. |
|Website: |
|Copies of Saint’s days printed from the above site |
|A4 Card or paper to make Birthday Cards |
| |
|Entrée |
|Slide one of the Unit PowerPoint shows our friendly chef Pascal Poireau next to a birthday cake with candles and the text to the Happy Birthday song in French: |
|Joyeux anniversaire (Happy Birthday) |
|Joyeux anniversaire
|
|Joyeux anniversaire
|
|Joyeux anniversaire Pascal Poireau |
|Joyeux anniversaire |
| |
|If it is a pupil’s birthday you could all sing the song again to them. |
|How could we tell what Joyeux anniversaire means even without the cake and candles? Joy = happy, anniversary? |
|Look at the question on the next slide - what do pupils think it means? |
|Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire? |
|What is the date of your birthday? |
|What is the date of Pascal’s birthday? The 12th December |
|Looking at the next slide, talk through how to build the sentence to say when your birthday is: begin with Mon anniversaire est le add on the number (except that they don’t use Un but premier instead- think of the |
|football Premiership!) then the month: |
|janvier février mars avril mai juin juillet août septembre octobre novembre décembre |
|Note how the months do not have capital letters in French. |
|Hand out mini whiteboards and ask pupils to write down their birthday in a full sentence using the model on the board. |
|This done, ask pupils Quelle est la date de ton anniversaire? and listen to their replies. |
|Give pupils a few minutes to ask each other their birthdays. |
| |
|Optional extension: (this could be left until the Dessert) |
|Complete a simple listening exercise using the next slide of the Unit PowerPoint: |
|There are 6 people- listen to when their birthdays are and write it down on your mini whiteboard. (Click on sound file to hear the date, and then click on the speech bubble to see the date.) Then check your answers. |
| |
|New slide: What does the next question say? |
|Quelle age as-tu? |
|J’ai …. ans. |
|How old are you? |
|I am….years old. |
|But what verb is this? Tu as = you have J’ai = I have |
|The French have age rather than being an age. |
|How old do they think Pascal Poireau is? |
|Combien de bougies? How many candles? |
|Are they able to say it in French? |
|Give pupils a few minutes to practise asking and answering the question |
|Quelle age as-tu? |
|J’ai …. ans. |
| |
|Plat |
|The next slide of the Unit PowerPoint refers to the Mayan Solar Calendar The Haab. |
|What can pupils tell you about this? It had 365 days like our calendar, but 19 ‘months’- 18 of 20 days each and a final ‘month’ of 5 days- some say unlucky days. |
|Ask pupils to pick out the word for day? jour |
|Ask pupils to work out in which Mayan ‘month’ would have been their birthday? |
| |
|In France, traditionally children were given the name of the Saint on whose special day they were born. Today, people generally choose their children’s names but instead celebrate their birthday and their Saint’s day |
|too! |
| |
|To see a comprehensive list of the Saint’s days Jours de fête go to |
| |
|On white boards ask pupils to write down their Saint’s day - if they can find a saint with a similar name or choose one they like! |
|The teacher may wish to print off some copies of this to hand out to pupils. |
|(Tell them to leave on their birthday as they will need it later.) |
| |
|Dessert |
|As a final end of Unit activity we are going to make special birthday cards for Pascal Poireau. |
|The front of the card should be decorated with some Mayan images: pyramids, the Haab calendar, the Mayan ball game or chocolate! |
| |
|The inside should include: |
|Joyeux Anniversaire! |
|Mon anniversaire est le …………… |
|J’ai …. ans. |
|Mon jour de fête est le……………. |
|Bonne Fête! Happy Saint’s day! |
|The back of the card could be decorated with the French months of the year or more pictures or with the verb Avoir. |
|Pupils should begin with the writing and finish with the decorations! (To suit different abilities or to speed up the activity, copies of the relevant slide from the Unit PowerPoint could be printed and completed and |
|stuck into the centre of the card.) |
| |
| |
|Unit Conclusion |120 mins |
|NB: Remember to adapt and differentiate objectives, outcomes and success criteria for your own class! |
| | | |
|Objectives: |Outcomes: |Success Criteria: |
|I am learning to: |Pupils will: |Remember to: |
|analyse possible explanations for the Mayans abandoning their |identify two or more different reasons why the Mayans may have |organise my reasons from most to least likely to be true |
|cities |abandoned their cities |say why I have chosen X as my most likely reason |
| |state which of these reasons you believe to be likeliest to be |think how some reasons could be combined together |
| |true and why | |
| |
|Lost civilisation – Revisited! Why did the Mayans abandon their cities? |
| |
|Resources required: |
|Information cards about the demise of Mayan cities (included below under Activities) |
| |
|Whole class teaching/group/pairs and individual activities: |
|The Unit began with pupils playing the part of explorers who came across a ruined Mayan pyramid in the heart of the remote jungles of Central America. They now know much more about the Mayans and the lives they led. In |
|this final lesson they will return to the jungles of Central America to investigate one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world: Why did the Mayans abandon many of their greatest cities in the 9th Century A.D.? |
|(It will be useful to remind them that this coincides with the end of the Classic Mayan period that they know about from their history lessons, and it will be useful to look again at the timelines they created in history|
|lesson 1.) |
|Historians and archaeologists are still puzzling over what caused the Mayans to abandon some of their finest cities in the second half of the 9th Century. This change seems to have come about very suddenly. Most of the |
|major Mayan cities appear to have been abandoned one after the other over the course of about 50 years. Nobody has yet discovered any evidence that suggests that the Mayans knew that disaster was looming. There are no |
|carvings or paintings that show that the Mayans were aware that they would soon have to leave their cities. Below are some possible explanations that have been put forward: |
|Disease struck Mayan civilisation wiping out huge numbers of people |
|Crop failure led to famine and starvation amongst the Mayans |
|War broke out amongst the Mayans and thousands were killed or injured |
|The Mayans were driven away by other people who invaded their territory |
|Trade between the Mayan nations broke down leading to a collapse of the economy |
|Lack of rain meant that the Mayans suffered severe water shortages |
|Of course, it is possible that a combination of these explanations is correct. A famine weakens people making them more susceptible to disease. Evidence has also been uncovered suggesting that war between the Mayans |
|became more intense in the 9th Century. Perhaps different groups were fighting with each other over precious resources that were in short supply due to the collapse of trade or failed crops. Recently, some archaeologists|
|have started to think that an important part of the explanation might be to do with drought. There is some evidence to suggest that there was a severe lack of rain in the years after 850 A.D. This means that the Mayans |
|would not have had enough water to drink or to use for irrigation of crops (see geography lessons). Water is one of the basic necessities of life and without it humans cannot survive for long. |
|Pupils could draw three stick cartoons each one showing a different possible cause of the Mayans abandoning their cities. Alternatively, they could role-play a discussion between different Mayans who have recently packed|
|up their belongings and left the city that they previously lived in. They meet on the road and discuss their reasons for leaving their respective cities. They might have some reasons in common and some that are |
|different. They may want to combine factors to show that there can be multiple reasons for people leaving their homes behind. |
|In pairs, pupils could read the information cards shown below and then organise them into a ‘stepped pyramid’ formation. The top of the pyramid has one block (or card); the middle layer has two; the base has three. The |
|block (or card) placed at the top of the pyramid represents the reason pupils consider to be the most likely explanation for the demise of Mayan cities. The three blocks (or cards) that they put on the base layer |
|represent the reasons that they consider least likely to have contributed to the demise of Mayan civilisation. Once pupils have arranged their stepped pyramid they should compare them with those arranged by other pupils |
|and discuss their reasons for arranging them as they did |
| |
| |
|Disease struck Mayan civilisation wiping out huge numbers of people. There were not enough survivors to keep the cities going. |
| |
| |
|Crop failure led to famine and starvation amongst the Mayans. Dying of hunger, the survivors left their cities to go in search of food elsewhere. |
| |
| |
| |
|War broke out amongst the Mayans and thousands were killed or injured. Fearing for their lives, the remaining survivors fled from the cities and went in search of a safe place to live. |
| |
| |
| |
|The Mayans were driven away by other people who invaded their territory. They fled to remote areas and began building a new civilisation far away from their abandoned cities. |
| |
| |
| |
|Trade between the Mayan nations broke down leading to a collapse of the economy. The Mayans depended on each other for goods and without trade their cities could not survive. |
| |
| |
| |
|Lack of rain meant that the Mayans suffered severe water shortages. There was not enough water left to drink or to irrigate crops. The Mayans left to look for a place that had a plentiful supply of water. |
| |
| |
| |
|Plenary and further discussion: |
|Remind pupils that Mayan civilisation did not end with the demise of the cities at the end of the 9th Century. A new Mayan civilisation sprung up on the Yucatan Peninsula in southern Mexico. We do not know exactly who |
|the builders of this new civilisation were but it is possible that they came as survivors of some kind of disaster from all over the Mayan territories. |
|What would it be like to have to leave your homeland as a result of a manmade or natural disaster? What would it be like starting a new life in an unfamiliar land without family, friends and possessions? |
| |
|Support: |
|When did the Mayans stop living in their cities? |
|How long ago is this? |
|What are some of the possible reasons why the Mayans might have left their cities linked to food water and other civilisations. |
| |
|Challenge: |
|Discuss the following: |
|Mayan civilisation was very advanced? |
|Mayan cities were primitive. |
|Mayan civilisation ended by the end of the 9th Century. |
|What was the Classical Era of Mayan history, what does that mean, and why did it end? |
| |
[pic]
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related searches
- unit cost formula
- federal offset unit greenville tx
- per unit production cost formula
- unit production cost formula
- wyoming deer unit map
- wyoming antelope hunting unit 23
- wyoming pronghorn unit map
- using a tens unit for erectile dysfunction
- wyoming general elk unit map
- wyoming mule deer unit map
- wyoming unit map
- wyoming antelope unit map