We’ve been posting lessons for math lately, but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten the other subjects students should be learning. In California, students learn about the Aztecs and Maya in middle school. The two videos here combine math and social studies, because, clearly, the Maya understood math.
The Mayan trading video is based on an idea from one of my favorite history teachers, who says that history is more than just names and dates but also how people lived, what they used, what they did. It also has a bar chart of the relative value of objects.
Next, have students start the AzTech games series. They can play AzTech: The Story Begins on line or using an iPad. We recommend downloading the game onto your iPhone or iPad for better performance.
Question to ask after the first video on Mayan trading
José tried to trade a banana for a quetzal feather and a villager threw a spear at him. Why would the villager do that? Explain using math. Extra points if you can discuss distributions in your explanation.