Know it! - The Maya - Year 5

The educational resource from Focus Education (UK) Ltd introduces a series of interactive retrieval tasks aimed at Year 5 students to consolidate their knowledge about the ancient Maya civilisation. These tasks are designed to be revisited after the main unit of learning on the Maya has been completed, ensuring that the information stays fresh and is effectively retained by the students. One of the tasks, titled "Cops and robbers," involves pupils working in groups of four to recall and share information about the Maya. Each student first writes down what they remember, then they have the opportunity to learn from their peers by adding any new information they 'steal' from the others to their own knowledge bank.

Another activity, "True or False," presents a series of statements about the Maya, such as the significance of the ruins in Tikal, Guatemala, and the use of bloodletting rituals by Mayan princes. Students are tasked with determining the veracity of each statement, thereby reinforcing their understanding of Mayan history and culture. The resource also includes a word association exercise where students circle words related to the ancient Maya, such as 'chocolate' and 'Tikal', distinguishing them from unrelated terms. Finally, the "Give me 3!" challenge asks students to list three facts about the Maya's advancements, three different Mayan temples or pyramids, and three theories as to why the civilisation may have died out, further deepening their engagement with the subject matter.