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Today I have some Ancient Maya unit study ideas, free lapbook, and notebooking pages. Also, here is my page Meso-America for more ideas.

This week was a little busier for us as we try to get back into the swing of things. It was busier partly because I have now switched back to following the public school schedule of starting school in August.  It has been a longgg time since I followed it.

For the last four or five years, I have started my school year in January and really liked it because I have a break from workshops during the winter. It was just natural for our family to start a new year and new school year.

Now, I feel like a new kid starting my school year in August. Where is my book? Where is my pen? Where is my planner? Because we are still in the middle of our books, like math, it has made the transition easier this week. On top of that, hubby had more tests this week and some more scheduled next week, but all is good so far.

Slowly each day as we begin a new school year I add a little more to the day. Because we don’t completely stop schooling in the summer, it really is just a matter of getting the kids to school longer for the day. You can see how excited my middle guy is who so looks forward {not} to math.

It is nice when you have homeschooled long enough that the oldest son “tutors’ the next one. {love it}

A fruit smoothie for the fruit smoothie-holic and a few days later in the week got better as we started our unit study of the Mesoamerica world. This would include some of the countries of Belize, Guatemala, Mexico and the area of the Yucatan Peninsula. I explained in an early post about our how unit study unfolds. This one is no different. LOTS of information on the surface. We have three cultures we are reviewing: Maya, Aztec and Incas.

But before I go on though, I wanted to share a little bit from my heart because this unit study has sentimental meaning for me.  In my pre LBK {life before kids} I was am an adventurous soul. This area is one of the areas I visited and stayed for a while in. Here are just a few pictures of some of the gorgeous rainforest, that the natives call “bush”. You think my sons would recognize me in this picture? The jungles of Belize.

The bird of paradise flower just grew all around and the friends I stayed with would even chop it down to get it out of our way as we trekked through the jungle.

My friends even kept a toucan as a “pet”.

But it was the monkey that I enjoyed each day while I was there.

Taking pictures of the native surroundings that were off the “tourism” beat is where I spent my time. I wanted to get to know the people and culture not make the tourist rounds.

Just the “normal” every day things like the lady coming down to the river to wash fascinated me.

I still like to travel and hope to make a connection of what I learned about some of these countries and make it special to my sons now. Maybe I should dig out the rest of the pictures.

The countries we are studying about are yes, very hot and humid with lots of insects but the culture, people, wild flowers, blue waters, lush rainforest and history of the area are full of life.

{reproduction of a Maya Codex – brilliant at math and astronomy}

{Chichen Inza on the Yucatan peninsula.} This is a beautiful place to visit. I will have to share more pictures of my visit to these pyramids too some time later.

Because I don’t put time limits on how long we learn or what we want to learn, we just roll with it until we are satisfied. There are three cultures to study here so I like to start off with some general comparisons and then narrow it down somewhat. We focused on the ancient Maya this week. Guess what that means for you? You know I love ya. I have some notebooking pages for you that we worked on and are still working on. I think  this unit just feels like it may need a lapbook too.

My notebooking pages for you today are about Hernan Cortes, one about the general comparisons of the three cultures, one about John Lloyd Stephens – the Father of Maya archaeology, and a geography page and one page that you could print off two copies of on the Ancient World of Maya to tell what your child finds interesting.

Also, I want to point out one thing about the culture of the Aztec and Maya and that is their religion included human sacrifices and well — lots of blood. I have one notebooking sheet that talks about that but I have my teens compare the valuelessness of shedding that human blood and the valuable blood of Jesus Christ.

This certainly could be overlooked with a younger set of kids. Because I have two teens I wanted them to understand or at least be introduced to that culture’s world views. My youngest guy was sensitive to their brutality and I wanted you to know. So with him I will focus just on the sacrifice of Jesus. Just giving you the heads up.

I was inspired by this poetry today as we delight in the study of the Mesoamerica.

“And then they said as they left, “We are going there to the sunrise, Whence our fathers came…”

From Popol Vuh, the most famous of the Maya Chronicles

How to Get the Free Maya Lapbook Free Notebooking Pages

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