Chichen Itza for Kids: A Hands-On Mayan Pyramid Lesson Plan

Engage young learners (ages 6-8) with this complete lesson plan on Chichen Itza! This hands-on social studies and art activity guides kids to build their own Mayan pyramid while exploring the history of the Maya people and the secrets of El Castillo. Perfect for teachers and homeschool curriculum.

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Mysteries of the Maya: Exploring Chichen Itza

Subject: Social Studies, History, Art

Age Group: 6-8 years old

Time Allotment: 45-60 minutes

Materials Needed

  • Building materials (LEGOs, wooden blocks, sugar cubes, or even sturdy cardboard boxes)
  • Paper or a sketchbook
  • Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
  • Pictures or short video clips of Chichen Itza, especially the pyramid El Castillo (easily found online)
  • (Optional) A flashlight and a stack of books or blocks to demonstrate shadows
  • (Optional) A world map or globe

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, the learner will be able to:

  • Identify Chichen Itza as an ancient city built by the Maya people.
  • Describe at least one key feature of the main pyramid, El Castillo (e.g., it has steps, it was a calendar, a snake shadow appears on it).
  • Create a simple model and a drawing of a stepped pyramid.

Lesson Plan

Part 1: Introduction - The Explorer's Mission (5 minutes)

Hook

"Let's go on an adventure! Imagine we are explorers who have just found a secret map. It leads to a hidden city in the jungle, a place full of mysteries. One of the biggest mysteries is a giant stone snake that only comes out to visit twice a year! Do you want to go find it? This city is a real place called Chichen Itza, and we're going to uncover its secrets today!"

Objectives

"Our explorer mission today is to find out three things:

  1. Who built this amazing city?
  2. What was their giant pyramid used for?
  3. What does it look like?
By the end, you'll be an expert architect who can build and draw your own Mayan pyramid!"

Part 2: Body - Discovering the Lost City (25-35 minutes)

I DO: The Guide's Story (5-7 minutes)

Educator acts as the lead explorer, sharing information. Use pictures or short video clips.

Talking Points:

  • "A long, long time ago, a group of very smart people called the Maya lived in a part of the world called Mexico. (Optional: Show Mexico on a map/globe). They were amazing builders, scientists, and stargazers."
  • "They built a huge city called Chichen Itza. The most famous building there is a giant pyramid called El Castillo. It looks like a giant staircase to the sky!"
  • "This pyramid wasn't just a building; it was a giant calendar! It has four sides, and each side has 91 steps. If you add up all the steps on the four sides, plus the one big step at the very top, you get 365 steps. That’s one step for every single day of the year!"
  • "And here’s the best secret: Twice a year, when the sun is in just the right spot, the shadows on the side of the stairs look exactly like a giant snake slithering down the pyramid! They did that on purpose to honor their god, a feathered serpent named Kukulkan."

WE DO: Investigating the Clues (10 minutes)

Engage the learner in a guided exploration and discussion.

  1. Analyze a Picture: "Let's look at this picture of El Castillo together. What shapes do you see? (Squares, triangles). Does it look smooth or bumpy? (Bumpy, like steps). How is it different from the pyramids you might have seen in Egypt?" (Egyptian pyramids are smooth-sided and pointy; this one has flat steps and a flat top.)
  2. Shadow Play (Optional but highly recommended): "Let's see if we can make our own snake shadow." Stack some books or blocks to make a simple staircase. Shine a flashlight on it from the side. "Watch what happens when I move the light. See how the shadows move and change? The Maya knew exactly how the sun would move to make that perfect snake shadow. Pretty smart, right?"
  3. Think-Pair-Share: "The Maya also built a giant field called a Ball Court. They played a game with a rubber ball, but they weren't allowed to use their hands or feet—they had to hit it with their hips! What kind of game do you think you could play without using your hands or feet?" (Listen to their ideas and discuss.)

YOU DO: Become a Maya Architect! (10-15 minutes)

The learner applies their knowledge through a hands-on activity.

Instructions: "Now it’s your turn to build! You are the head architect in a new Maya city.

  1. Using these blocks (or LEGOs, etc.), build your own stepped pyramid like El Castillo. Remember, it needs to have layers and a flat top where the temple would be.
  2. While you build, think about what makes your pyramid special.

After you finish building, you get to be the city planner. On your paper, draw your pyramid and the city around it. Maybe you'll add a Ball Court or a special temple for looking at the stars!"

Part 3: Conclusion - The Explorer's Report (5-10 minutes)

Recap and Share

"The explorer's mission is complete! It's time to report what we found."

  • Show and Tell: Ask the learner to present their pyramid model and their drawing. "Tell me about your pyramid. What is the most important part? What is happening in your city?"
  • Review Key Facts: "Let's review our mission log. Who built Chichen Itza? (The Maya!). What was so special about their pyramid, El Castillo? (It was a calendar! It has 365 steps! It gets a snake shadow!). You did an amazing job exploring with me today!"

Assessment and Success Criteria

Formative Assessment (During the lesson):

  • Observe the learner's responses to questions during the "We Do" section.
  • Watch the building process to see if they grasp the concept of a "stepped" structure.

Summative Assessment (End of lesson):

  • The learner’s completed pyramid model and drawing.
  • The learner's verbal explanation during the "Show and Tell," demonstrating they can recall at least one key fact about El Castillo.

Success Criteria (Student-friendly version):

"I know I did an awesome job on my mission if:

  • I can say the 'Maya' people built Chichen Itza.
  • I built a pyramid that has steps or layers.
  • I can tell you one cool thing about the real pyramid, El Castillo.

Differentiation and Adaptability

For Scaffolding and Support:

  • Provide a simple, pre-drawn base for the pyramid drawing.
  • Give sentence starters for the Show and Tell: "This is my pyramid. It has ___ layers. My favorite part is ___."
  • Build the first few layers of the block pyramid together to model the technique.

For Extension and Challenge:

  • Challenge the learner to make their block pyramid symmetrical on all four sides.
  • Encourage them to research and add another building from Chichen Itza to their drawing, like the Observatory ("El Caracol").
  • Ask them to write a short story or a few sentences about a day in the life of a Maya child living in their city.

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