TOPIC/TITLE:
Ancient Civilizations/ The Incan Empire

QUESTION THIS LESSON WILL ANSWER:
What enabled the Incan Empire to be so successful?

PURPOSE/RATIONALE/GOALS OF THE DAY'S LESSON:

• For students to learn about the Incan Empire
• The rational is to continue the study of ancient civilizations
• Student will learn about the importance of the Incan Empire and its place in American history.  It is important for students to understand out people must overcome many adversity just to survive.  This lesson will help to lead the class into the unit on Native Americans.

• Write a journal from the perspective of a person living during the Incan Empire.
• Label a map of South America to show where the Inca Empire was located.

NCSS THEMES W/ INDICATORS:
Theme One: Culture and Cultural Diversity

• Enable learners to analyze and explain the ways the Inca's addressed human needs and concerns;
• Assist learners to apply an understanding to the Incan civilization as an integrated whole that explains the functions and interactions of language, literature, the arts, traditions, beliefs and values, and behavior patterns;

• Aqueducts--Used to collect and store rainwater.  They were dug out of the mountain rock and sloped towards the farmlands of the coastal areas that received very little rainfall.
• Terracing--Farming technique used by the Incas so that they could farm in the mountains by cutting out ledges.
• Quipu--Consisted of a series of wool strings that were knotted in a specific fashion.  They served as a ledger in order to keep records.
• Macchu Picchu--Incan temple complex located high in the Andes Mountains.
• Maize--Another name for corn.
• Irrigate--To supply land with water by artificial means, like with ditches people dig or pipes they build.
• Topography--A detailed map of physical features of an area.
• Civilization--A culture that has developed complex systems of government, education, and religion.

• K-W-L chart
• Students will complete a K-W-L chart on the Incan Empire.  The purpose is for the students to construct new knowledge based off of their prior knowledge.
• This activity should only take about fifteen minutes and only the K and L portions will be filled out during this time.

• Use Inca Virtual fieldtrip
• The Incan fieldtrip will go over all aspects of the Incan Civilization.
• Allow for students to ask question during the presentation.
• Use the notes provided to go over the presentation.

• Students need to complete the L part of their K-W-L charts.
• Make a class list for the L portion of the K-W-L charts.

• Students are to complete the Inca definitions worksheet.
• As a final assessment of the Inca lesson, students will write a journal imagining they are living during the Incan Empire.
• They may choose to be a ruler, noble, or a peasant.
• It should not be any longer than 3 pages.
• Students will have 1 week to complete this assignment.