Voices of Change: Ireland and the Wider World · 6th Year

Active learning ideas

Maya Writing System: Hieroglyphs

Active learning transforms the study of Maya hieroglyphs and city-states into a hands-on experience. Students move from passive listening to constructing meaning through discussion and creation, which strengthens retention of complex ideas like logograms and city-state rivalries.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Early people and ancient societies
• NCCA: Primary - Social, cultural and aspects of everyday life

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Inquiry Circle
• 50 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: City Planners

Groups are given a 'jungle map' with a river and hills. They must decide where to place the temple, the ball court, and the farms, explaining how they will manage water and food.

Analyze how Maya hieroglyphs communicated both sounds and ideas.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation, assign each group a different city-state to research, ensuring they examine maps and architectural styles to compare and contrast.

What to look for

Provide students with images of 3-4 Maya glyphs. Ask them to identify whether each glyph is likely a logogram or a syllabogram and to explain their reasoning based on the visual representation.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: The Purpose of Pyramids

Students compare an Egyptian pyramid (a tomb) with a Maya pyramid (a temple and tomb). They pair up to discuss why the Maya built theirs with stairs and flat tops.

Explain the process of deciphering ancient Maya texts.

Facilitation Tip

During the Think-Pair-Share, provide students with a photograph of a pyramid and ask them to jot down three possible purposes before discussing in pairs.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are an archaeologist discovering a Maya stela with intact hieroglyphs. What specific types of information would you hope to find, and why is written evidence crucial for understanding their society?' Facilitate a class discussion on the value of written records.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 30 min · Small Groups

Role Play: The Marketplace

Students act as traders in a Maya city, bartering goods like cacao beans, obsidian, and quetzal feathers. They must discuss where these items came from and why they were valuable.

Evaluate the importance of written records for understanding ancient civilizations.

Facilitation Tip

In the Role Play, assign roles like merchant, farmer, and royal advisor, and provide props such as woven baskets or clay tokens to enhance authenticity.

What to look for

Students write two sentences summarizing the difference between logograms and syllabograms in the Maya writing system. They then write one sentence explaining why deciphering Maya texts is important for historians.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teaching Maya hieroglyphs works best when students engage directly with the symbols. Avoid overwhelming them with too many glyphs at once. Start with a few key examples, such as those for 'sun' or 'king,' and build from there. Research shows that students grasp the difference between logograms and syllabograms more easily when they trace the symbols while saying the sounds aloud. Encourage them to connect the visual to the phonetic to deepen understanding.

Students will confidently explain the political organization of Maya city-states and the functions of their architecture. They will also analyze Maya hieroglyphs to distinguish logograms from syllabograms, demonstrating both historical and linguistic understanding.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation, watch for students assuming all Maya cities were ruled by a single king or empire.

  Use the city-state map created during this activity to explicitly point out the borders and rulers of each city-state. Ask groups to identify conflicts or alliances between their assigned city and others on the map.

• During the Think-Pair-Share, listen for students attributing pyramid construction solely to slave labor.

  Bring up the 'who built it?' discussion by referencing the labor tax or religious duty systems mentioned in the activity. Ask students to consider what roles different social classes might have played in pyramid construction.

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Methods used in this brief

• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share
• Role Play