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WorksheetsUnit 6 Chapter 1 The Maya
Total questions: 11
Worksheet time: 6mins
Use the map to answer the following question.
On which geographic feature did the Maya civilization grow?
Amazon River
South America
Atlantic Ocean
Yucatán Peninsula
How did Maya farmers adapt to the mountainous terrain of Mesoamerica? Select the two correct answers.
They only farmed in the lowlands.
They cut flat terraces into the hillsides.
They raised grazing animals like sheep.
They developed ways to store rainwater.
They grew more vegetables and less fruits.
Use the image to answer the following question.
What does this sculpture represent?
a human sacrifice to the Maya’s gods
the Maya story about the creation of humans
the importance of the cacao bean to the Maya
a Maya child’s initiation ceremony into adulthood
Use the image to answer the following question.
What is the game depicted in the image called?
pok-ta-pok
wall-by-wall
slap-ne-slap
hand-to-hand
Use the image to answer the following question.
What was the most dangerous part of the game?
Players on the losing team were sometimes sacrificed to the gods.
Players were not allowed to use their hands or feet to throw or kick the ball.
Players were awarded points based on how much they hurt the other team.
Players who performed poorly would be kicked out of Maya society for weakness.
According to Maya religious tradition, from what did the gods successfully make humans?
fire
clay
corn
wood
Use the image to answer the following question.
Historians know equinoxes were important to the Maya because of the pyramid at Chichén Itzá and its ___________________________.
decorations honoring the Maya gods of sunlight and darkness, which turn golden exactly at noon on the equinox
decorative fountains, which turn crystal clear on the equinox and become cloudy before the sun sets again
mountaintop location, which receives the light of the equinox before anywhere else in Mesoamerica
statue of a snake, which casts a shadow that slithers down the pyramid steps only on the equinox
Use the image to answer the following question.
How were pyramids used in Maya culture?
They were places of worship.
They were marketplaces.
They were burial sites.
They were palaces.
Use the image to answer the following question.
What type of writing system did the Maya use?
pictographs
dots and dashes
hieroglyphic symbols
hieroglyphic symbols
Which conclusion about the ancient Maya is best shown by their calendar system?
They created new styles of art.
They designed cities to look the same.
They had great understanding of geography.
They had advanced knowledge of mathematics.
Use the excerpt to answer the following question.
“Long ago, there was only darkness, and the world was quiet. But then, two powerful gods named Tepew and Q’uk’umatz created a place between the sea and the sky. They shouted out the name “Earth,” and suddenly, Earth appeared! Mountains rose up, and plains spread out, dotted with trees and plants of all kinds.” —from the Popol Vuh
What is the Popol Vuh?
a collection of Maya religious stories
a Maya fable about nature’s blessings
a prayer recited during Maya harvests
a series of journals about Maya history
