Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas!: With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids

by Anita Yasuda, Tom Casteel (Illustrator)

Overview

Ancient Civilizations: Aztecs, Maya, Incas! With 25 Social Studies Projects for Kids takes kids on a guided tour to experience the history, culture, economics, and daily life of the Aztecs, Maya, and Incas. Explore the three sophisticated ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica through hands-on projects, essential questions, fascinating facts about what these people ate, how they worked, and what they invented, and lots of links to online primary sources and videos.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781619308312
Publisher:	Nomad Press
Publication date:	11/06/2019
Series:	Nomad Press Explore Your World Series
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Anita Yasuda is the author of more than 100 books for children. In 2013, she won the Honor Book award, Science for grades K-12, Society of School Librarians International for Explore Flight! With 25 Great Projects and in 2012, she won the gold Moonbeam award for her book Explore The Wild West! With 25 Great Activities. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI). She splits her time between California and Toronto, Canada.

Tom Casteel is an illustrator and cartoonist that graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies in 2011. He has illustrated over two dozen books for Nomad Press. He lives in South Bend, Indiana with his wife, son, two smelly dogs and one old cat.

Table of Contents

Timeline
Introduction: Let’s Explore Mesoamerica!
Make a feathered journal
Ruler for a day stela
Make an edible map
Play Find Me a Home
Chapter 1: Homes and Great Cities
Make adobe bricks
Home challenge
Move the stone
Machu Picchu Snakes and Ladders
Aztec canoes
Chapter 2: Food and Markets
Grinding Maize
Design a cup
Aztec hot chocolate
Aztec bartering game
Chapter 3: Clothing and Cloth
Make a small weaving
Make a llama
Make an Aztec shield
Chapter 4: Children and Learning
Aztec Telpochcalli relay game
Inca knots
Make a Maya clay pot
Dance story
Life in a poem
Chapter 5: Gods and Temples
Make an Inca gold mask
Discover festival music
Maya pyramid model
Make a jaguar hand stone
Play Pok Ta Pok
Chapter 6: Technology and Learning
Make a floating garden
Make Maya glyphs stampers
Inca relay
Vocabulary game
Glossary
Resources
Index

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! by Anita Yasuda

DIG Magazine
"Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! is a great addition to the Explore Your World series, especially the neat projects—25 of them, including making a bronze bowl, handmade paper, and even a Mulan poster. Don’t miss this one!"

Praise for Explore Ancient Chinese Myths! by Anita Yasuda

School Library Connection
"This resource is packed with a little bit of everything regarding ancient China. The bulk of the book is thorough and descriptive informational text about China’s land, people, traditions, and religions. The importance of storytelling in Chinese culture is woven throughout, and readers will be introduced to numerous Chinese myths, legends, and fables."

Praise for Canals and Dams! by Anita Yasuda

School Library Connection
“This book would make a good addition to any library’s STEM collection and will serve as a great resource for both students and teachers. Glossary. Timeline. Recommended”

Praise for Explore Greek Myths! by Anita Yasuda

DIG Magazine
Explore Greek Myths! with 25 Great Projects by Anita Yasuda takes readerson a fact-filled journey through ancient Greek religious beliefs. Crafts, such as making a model of the Parthenon, constructing a labyrinth, experimenting with earthquakes, and fashioning a lyre—all accompanied by informative text and sidebars—offer a great introduction to this topic.

PSLA Teaching and Learning – Literature Review
". . .Title provides clear background information on the topic with clearly explained key terms and a timeline of developments. Includes index, glossary, metric conversions, and lists of related YouTube videos for viewing. Each of the 25 projects listed includes a supplies list, step by step instructions, and notes if adult supervision is necessary.
THOUGHTS: Great ideas for science fair or independent or group or group projects for students."

From the Publisher

11/22/2019

Gr 3–5—Cartoon guides take readers on a historical tour: a look at daily life, government, education, religion, technology, and other facts. Questions are included to guide the reader, in addition to a good study practices page with an engineering design worksheet and scientific method worksheet. Back matter features a glossary, an index, video links, and resources. Each chapter is followed by related projects, ranging from educational (create an aqueduct) to ineffectual (make a round journal). Project supplies are sometimes items that can be found around the house and other times are fairly specific, such as plaster gauze and brown duct tape. Not all projects include illustrations or photographs, like the Roman mosaic or counterweight project. The institution of slavery is mentioned only a few times and is most often in reference to the value of people sold or the tasks they might do. It's hard to follow information about one culture here, as they are all intertwined throughout, which undermines learning. In a failed attempt to make history fun and accessible, too many facts and details are glossed over, ultimately creating more confusion than comprehension. VERDICT Readers should get their ancient history elsewhere.—Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN

School Library Journal