The Great Inca Trailblazer Scavenger Hunt

Materials Needed:

• The book Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 (Chapter 4: "The Land of the Four Quarters")
• A printed copy of the "Inca Trail Scavenger Hunt" worksheet (provided below)
• A pencil or pen
• Optional Extension Activity Materials: Paper and colored pencils/markers; several pieces of different colored yarn or string.

Lesson Goals & Learning Objectives

This lesson transforms reading into an exciting discovery mission! By the end of this scavenger hunt, River will be able to:

• Identify and describe the major achievements of the Inca Empire, such as their road system, farming techniques, and record-keeping.
• Define key vocabulary words related to the Inca civilization.
• Analyze and explain how the Inca actively shaped and engineered their environment.
• Articulate strong arguments against the myth that the Americas were an "untamed wilderness" before European arrival, using specific evidence from the text.

Key Vocabulary & Concepts

These are the important "treasures" you'll be hunting for. Keep an eye out for them!

• Tawantinsuyu: The name the Inca called their empire. It means "The Land of the Four Quarters."
• Sapa Inka: The title for the emperor of the Inca.
• Qhapaq Ñan: The massive, advanced road system built by the Inca.
• Andenes: The incredible stairstep-like terraces the Inca built into mountainsides for farming.
• Chaski: The highly trained runners who carried messages and goods along the Inca roads.
• Khipu (or Quipu): A complex system of knotted strings used for record-keeping, counting, and maybe even storytelling.
• Chuño: A clever name for freeze-dried potatoes, a food source that could last for years.

Lesson Procedure

Part 1: The Expedition Briefing (5 minutes)

Hello, River! Today, you're not just a reader; you are a historical detective and an explorer. Your mission is to read Chapter 4 of Before Columbus and uncover the secrets of an incredible empire that thrived in the mountains of South America.

Ask this warm-up question: "Imagine you had to build a superhighway across the steepest, tallest mountains you've ever seen. What challenges would you face? What kind of clever ideas would you need to make it work?"

Explain that the people we're learning about today, the Inca, did exactly that—and so much more! The "Inca Trail Scavenger Hunt" worksheet will be your map and field guide. Your job is to find the answers to the prompts on the sheet as you read. You can fill them in as you go or after you finish reading the chapter.

Part 2: The Scavenger Hunt (30-45 minutes)

Give River the "Inca Trail Scavenger Hunt" worksheet. Encourage them to read the chapter carefully to find the information for each square. The goal is to fill in as many squares as possible. This is a self-paced activity, so let River take the time needed to read and hunt for the answers.

Part 3: Sharing Your Discoveries (10-15 minutes)

Once the scavenger hunt is complete, sit down with River and go over the worksheet together. Don't just check for the right answers; use these questions to spark a deeper conversation:

• Which discovery surprised you the most? Why?
• The old story is that Columbus "discovered" a wild, empty land. Based on what you learned about the Inca, what is wrong with that story? Use an example from your sheet.
• How did the Inca change the land to suit their needs? Does that sound like they were living in a "wilderness"?
• If you were a chaski, what would be the best and worst part of your job?
• Why do you think a khipu was so useful to the Inca?

Part 4: Creative Extension (15-20 minutes)

To really bring the learning to life, offer River a choice of one of these two fun activities:

• Be an Inca Engineer: On a blank piece of paper, design your own mountain city. You must include andenes (terrace farms) for food and a section of the Qhapaq Ñan (the road system) with a cool suspension bridge. Label the parts of your city!
• Create a Khipu Message: Using different colored pieces of yarn or string, create your own khipu. You can decide what the colors and knots mean. For example, a blue string could be for tracking water, and each knot could represent 10 gallons. Or a red string could be a story, where each knot is a different event. Explain what your khipu records!

Assessment for Understanding

Understanding will be assessed through the completed "Inca Trail Scavenger Hunt" worksheet and the quality of River's answers and participation during the "Sharing Your Discoveries" discussion. The goal is to see that River can use evidence from the book to support the big idea that the pre-Columbian Americas were a highly advanced and engineered place.

Inca Trail Scavenger Hunt Worksheet

Instructions: As you read Chapter 4, "The Land of the Four Quarters," hunt for the answers to these clues and write them in the boxes!