A Teacher's Review of Instructomania's Aztec, Maya, Inca Complete Unit Plan

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!

What happened during the age of exploration? Discovery, that's what. The Americas became a novelty, an entire world full of life and culture would collide with the conflicts of the church reformation and the Scientific Revolution. Central and South Americans resisted the advances of European explorers, hoping to preserve their heritage. You have to teach your middle graders all about them, so why not use this fantastic....

Aztec, Maya, Inca Complete Unit Plan

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(More on Mr. and Mrs. P below)

I can give you five good reasons to check out this bundle. First, the price. With over $80 in combined product, the creators bundle up your savings and offer this for UNDER $20. I don't care where you teach, that is some serious savings.

Secondly, the versatility of this bundle will not outgrow future classes. You can pick and chose from 30 notes formats, worksheets and activities. Remember that price I mentioned? Now, if you could use it for the next 10 years in 5th grade, 6th grade, 7th grade, or 8th grade, isn't that a good investment?

Thirdly, variety. This history lesson plan package provides 50 pages within four categories: 1) Notes, PowerPoint, and close readings, 2)Activities, Worksheets, and primary source readings 3) Review and fun games, and 4) Common Core Literacy and Writing Aligned multiple choice tests. We'll take a closer look at some of these below.

Lastly, it's proven to engage and entertain students. Many of our reviewers state how much fun their students had and how they often either couldn't use all the activities or they ended up spending more time on pre-Columbia cultures because their students loved it! Between the student centered activities, visual graphic organizers, and interactive games its sure to make learning happen for every level learner in the classroom. 

Bonus: less work for you. Everything is included, making the hardest part for you clicking the print button. Instructomania's motto isn't just fancy words. They did the work so you can do your job well: teaching young minds! Be the teacher they'll remember, the one with the fun teaching resources.

Now let's take a closer look at some of this bundles included U.S. ancient history curriculum:

With up to 16 words to offer, this Americas Vocabulary Set offers a textbook independent vocabulary lesson sheet and engage student learning with multiple angles. In addition to the worksheet, two games are offered. One is individual while the other is a PowerPoint group activity. And of course, there is a quiz to double check their understanding.

Needing to check geography off your list for your Americas unit? There are not one but two Where In The World activities in this bundle. Student centered and just plain fun, these scavenger hunt style games will have your students feeling like detectives. Great labeled maps make learning major landmarks easy and interesting. If you want to make it more of a challenge, you can set a time limit or have student teams race to see who can come up with all the locations first!

The Aztecs created a writing system, and your students can become language specialists with the Aztec Pictography analysis activity. They'll use primary resources and amazing Aztec art to show evidence for their claims, and relate them to key social science concepts.

Common Core paragraph writing instructional materials and writing templates offer more chances to engage students. Students use literacy skills in the two handout readings, math skills to create population decline bar graphs and even learn science with the information about smallpox.

Other activities included in this bundle that make it worth more than El Dorado:

 Printable one pager notes for all three civilizations (Aztec, Maya, Inca)

Aztec, Inca AND Maya Close Readings, Analysis Guide and Annotation Activities (Aztec,Maya, Inca)

Fantastic visual PowerPoint notes for all three civilizations (Aztec, Maya, Inca)

Printable graphic organizers for all three civilizations (Aztec, Maya, Inca)

Geography Mini Bundles with seven activities included for each geographic region:South America AND Mexico

An Americas Vocabulary Lesson Set with lots of options, review games and a content/academic vocabulary quiz. 

Engaging Aztec Religion Reading with Common Core Worksheet

An Aztec/ Conquistador Shadow Silhouette Perspective Activity with examples, template and youtube instructional link.

Common Core paragraph writing instructional materials and writing template

Printable homework worksheets based on the notes for all three civilizations (Aztec,Maya, Inca)

FaceTime Interviews for Monteczuma, Pizarro, Atahualpa and Cortez. Includes Common Core and Interview Activity Options

Common Core literacy and math population decline from smallpox bar graphing activity

Aztec Pictograph Analysis Activity

Vocabulary Set with an assignment, two review games and a quiz in both PDF and Word!

An Aztec, Maya, Inca Interactive "People Pass" Review Activity

A Flyswatter game with answers that is a review for all three civilizations (exclusive to this bundle)

A Venn diagram that compares all three civilizations with answer key (exclusive to this bundle)

A student directed review activity for all three civilizations that includes an answer key (exclusive to this bundle)

A fun PowerPoint driven "Human Multiple Choice" game (exclusive to this bundle)

Here is what teachers are saying about the Aztec, Maya, Inca Complete Common Core Unit Plan: 

"This content supplemented my unit on Latin America in my World Geography class really well!" ~The Strawser Social Studies Store

"I highly recommend this bundle. It is well-prepared and provides much rigor to challenge my students. I love how they are liable for providing evidence throughout the entire unit." ~Anonymous Buyer

"I love these resources! They are very thorough in their inforamtion and the activites are creative and hands on. My grade eights really enjoy the lessons. I also love how I can use these cross curricular." ~Amanda Russell

Want to see a complete activities list for this 50 page social studies bundle, as well as more about the creators Mr. and Mrs. P? Click the link below for all the details on their 26 years combined teaching experience and how they were literally student nominated as superheroes!

INSTRUCTOMANIA, INC.