name date lesson 1 summary lesson 1: geography of mesoamerica · lesson 1: geography of mesoamerica...

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36 Unit 3, Chapter 6, Lesson 1 Summary Quick Study

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Lesson 1: Geography of MesoamericaVocabulary

Lesson 1 Summary

Use with pages 162–165.

peninsula an arm of land sticking into the sea so that it is nearly surrounded by watercenote a natural well

A Land of Rugged MountainsMesoamerica runs from southern NorthAmerica to the central part of Central America.Jade is a common resource. So are basalt andobsidian, which are types of black rocksformed from lava. Some Mesoamericanpeoples carved huge statues out of basalt.Others made arrowheads and knives fromobsidian. Mesoamerica is a rugged, or rough,land. There are two mountain ranges innorthern Mesoamerica. These are the SierraMadre Occidental and the Sierra MadreOriental. The Plateau of Mexico sits betweenthese ranges. A plateau is a high, flat area.Volcanoes are south of the plateau. Theyproduce fertile soil for farming. South of thevolcanoes are highlands. This rugged area hasridges and gorges. The climate of Mesoamericachanges depending on where you are. Someplaces are dry deserts. In other places enoughrain falls for crops and forests to grow.Mesoamericans have grown maize (corn),beans, and squash for thousands of years.

A Land of Lush CoastsThe interior of Mesoamerica is a land ofrugged mountains and plateaus. Mesoamericaalso has long coastlines. No place inMesoamerica is farther than about 200 milesfrom the coast. The Gulf of Mexico is to thenorth. Much of the land near the gulf’s coastis covered with tropical rain forest. Theclimate is hot and humid. There are alsograsslands, swamps, and rivers. The YucatánPeninsula forms the southeastern border of theGulf of Mexico. A peninsula is an arm ofland sticking into the sea so that it is nearlysurrounded by water. The Yucatán Peninsula

has few rivers. But it does have manyunderground streams and caves. The roofs of many of these underground streams havecollapsed and created cenotes, or naturalwells. Cenotes were used as sources ofdrinking water. The southwest coastline ofMesoamerica sits on the Pacific Ocean. It is a mountainous area.

A Land of Many PeoplesMany peoples lived in Mesoamerica. Itsdifferent environments and climates helpedthem develop different cultures. Yet thepeoples of Mesoamerica had many things incommon. They all had advanced forms ofagriculture. They grew crops such as beans,maize, chili peppers, and squash. Many peoplelived in rural areas. Others lived in cities andtowns. Cities contained temple-pyramids andlarge works of art such as stone monuments.People developed very accurate calendars.They also used hieroglyphic writing differentfrom that of other civilizations.

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Quick Study Unit 3, Chapter 6, Lesson 1 Review 37

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Lesson 1: Review1. Compare and Contrast Fill in the missing comparisons.

2. Where is Mesoamerica?

3. What were three crops the Mesoamericans grew?

4. How did the early peoples of Mesoamerica use the natural resources of the region?

5. Critical Thinking: Make Inferences How do you think the environments described in thislesson would influence the Mesoamerican peoples? Use the word peninsula in youranswer.

Lesson 1 Review


InteriorMesoamerica

mountains

CoastalMesoamerica

swamps andgrasslands

Both

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Lesson 2: The Olmec and the MayaVocabulary

Lesson 2 Summary


theocracy a government in which the leader and the ruling classes are believed to representthe will of the gods

aqueduct a structure that carries flowing watercodex a book with screens that fold together

A Mother CivilizationThe Olmec civilization was Mesoamerica’s firstgreat civilization. It lasted from about 1200 B.C.to about 300 B.C. The Olmec lived on the coastof the Gulf of Mexico. Most Olmec werefarmers, but they also hunted and fished. Theylived in small houses that surrounded smallvillages. The Olmec people were divided intosocial classes based on wealth and power. TheOlmec government was a theocracy. Priests andgovernment officials made up the most powerfulsocial class. Merchants and craftspeople madeup other social classes. Farmers made up thelowest. Olmec villages were connected by roads. The Olmec traveled these roads andtraded with other Mesoamerican peoples. The Olmec civilization is often called “theMother Civilization” of Mesoamerica. This isbecause the Olmec influenced all of the laterMesoamerican civilizations.

Olmec AccomplishmentsThe Olmec are most famous for the giant stoneheads they made. The huge heads oftenrepresented Olmec rulers. The Olmec also madesculptures of their gods. The Olmec developed a number system, a calendar, and a form ofwriting. Later Mesoamerican civilizations wouldlearn from the Olmec’s developments. No oneknows why the Olmec civilization disappeared.Some people believe that the Olmec were theancestors of the Maya.

The MayaThe Maya lived in more than 100 locations inCentral America and Mexico. A large part oftheir civilization was on the Yucatán Peninsula,close to where the Olmec had lived. Mayan

civilization was at its strongest about A.D. 250and continued for another 650 years. The city-state Tikal was once home to nearly 100,000Maya. More than 3,000 structures were builtthere. Today this ancient city has ruins ofpalaces, baths, pyramids, and aqueducts.Aqueducts carried running water. As sources ofwater, cenotes were holy to the Maya. Cenoteswere sinkholes that collected water. Like theOlmec, the Maya developed a form of writingand lived in a theocracy. Also both Olmec andMayan cities were set up to honor the gods.

Time and NumbersThe Maya used calendars to write down birth dates, marriages, and other importantinformation. The Maya actually had twodifferent calendars. One was for the seasons.The other was for religious ceremonies. TheMaya used a codex, or folding-screen book, towrite down information forecasting the future.Codexes also contained information aboutreligious ceremonies. A codex was made offig leaf bark or animal skin. The Maya weregreat mathematicians. They created their owncounting system.

Daily LifeEntire families lived together in Mayanculture. Men farmed and hunted. Women didhousekeeping chores and made clothing.Houses were small and made of adobe, ordried mud-bricks. The Maya began to leavetheir cities about A.D. 900. Today somedescendants of the Maya live in Mexico andGuatemala. But no one knows what happenedto Mayan civilization.

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Lesson 2: Review1. Compare and Contrast Complete the diagram to compare and contrast the Olmec and

the Maya.

2. Why is the Olmec culture called a “Mother Civilization”?

3. Why were cenotes important to the Maya?

4. How were the Olmec and Mayan civilizations organized? Use the word theocracy in youranswer.

5. Critical Thinking: Make Inferences Do you think it is likely that the Olmec were theancestors of the Maya? Why or why not?

Lesson 2 Review


Olmec

Mother Civilization

Maya

lived on YucatánPeninsula

Both

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Lesson 3: The AztecsVocabulary

Lesson 3 Summary


mercenary a hired soldierchinampa a human-made islandcauseway a raised bridge made of landalliance an agreement to work with others

A Mesoamerican CivilizationThe Aztec civilization was the last greatcivilization of Mesoamerica. The Aztececonomy was based on farming. The Aztecsbuilt many great structures out of stone. Theyalso were astronomers and developed a formof writing. They worshipped many gods.Unlike other Mesoamerican civilizations, theAztecs built a great empire.

Early Aztec HistoryThe Aztecs once called themselves theMexica. At first they were just one of manyMesoamerican peoples. The Mexicasometimes served as mercenaries, or hiredsoldiers. Other times they lived under the ruleof others. In the mid-1300s, the Mexicastarted the city of Tenochtitlan in present-dayMexico. It was built on two swampy islands in the middle of Lake Texcoco. To make more room as the city grew, the Mexica builtchinampas, or islands. They made chinampasby piling up mud and plants in the lake. The chinampas were used as farmland. Thechinampas, natural islands, and the mainlandwere connected by causeways. Causeways are raised bridges made of land. Tenochtitlansoon became a powerful city-state. TheMexica formed alliances, or agreements, withneighboring city-states. These alliances helpedthe Mexica conquer other city-states. TheMexica started calling themselves the Aztecsafter their legendary homeland, Aztlán. TheAztec Empire had begun.

The Aztec EmpireAt its peak, Tenochtitlan had a population of300,000 people. The Aztecs controlled many

city-states. The population of the entire AztecEmpire may have been as many as 5 millionpeople. The empire collected taxes from thepeople it conquered and became rich. TheAztecs gained such a large empire becausewarfare was a normal part of life for them. Allyoung men were trained to fight in battles.Those who showed bravery in battle becamefamous.

LifeReligion was very important to Aztec life. The Aztecs worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. The god Quetzalcóatl was thegod of creation. The Aztecs had religiousceremonies that were based on agriculturalevents. These events included planting andharvesting. The Aztecs performed many humansacrifices to honor their gods. The Aztecsmostly sacrificed people captured in war. Yetthey sometimes sacrificed their own people.

A Violent EndThe Aztecs were a conquering people. But in the end the Aztecs themselves wereconquered. In 1502 Moctezuma II becameemperor. For the next two decades, the AztecEmpire was at its height. In 1519 Spanishexplorers led by Hernando Cortés marchedinto Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs did not fight himand his men at first. The Aztecs might havethought he was the god Quetzalcóatl. TheAztecs began to fight when they realized thatCortés wanted to conquer them. But they were not successful. By 1521 the Spanish hadconquered the Aztec Empire.

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Lesson 3: Review1. Main Idea and Details Complete the diagram below.

2. What was Tenochtitlan?

3. How did the Aztecs use alliances to build their empire?

4. What became of the Aztec Empire?

5. Critical Thinking: Make Inferences Do you think the Aztec Empire would havecontinued without the arrival of the Spanish?

Lesson 3 Review


The Aztecs formedalliances with other

city-states.

The Aztecs conqueredother city-states.

The Aztecs built a great empire.

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