Civilization Quest Choice Board Mesoamerica & The Andes
Civilization Quest
Maya, Aztec, & Inca Choice Board
Stop & Double-Check First!
Before embarking on any quest below, you must make sure that all primary classwork is fully completed to the best of your ability, and you have carefully re-read all assignment directions to ensure you completed every required part.
Drawing
1. The Great Codex
Maya and Aztec scribes recorded history in folding bark-paper books called codices. Fold a piece of paper into thirds. Draw a three-part visual story (farming, hunting, or playing pok-a-tok) using only symbols.
Blank Paper
Custom Worksheet
2. Comparison Clash
The Aztec farmed on floating gardens called chinampas, while the Inca built terraces on steep mountainsides. Grab the custom 1-page Comparison Clash Worksheet to draft your comparative analysis!
Use Worksheet
Word Craft
3. The Grid Master
Design a crossword puzzle on notebook paper using eight key vocabulary words (e.g., tribute, codex, terrace, aqueduct, maize). Sketch the empty grid on the front and write clues on the back.
Notebook Paper
Custom Worksheet
4. Gods & Glyphs
These civilizations worshipped deities of nature (sun, rain, maize). Grab the custom 1-page Gods and Glyphs Worksheet to design your deity symbol and write their legendary story!
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Engineering
5. Empire Builders
These cultures built engineering wonders without modern machinery. Draw a detailed blueprint sketch of one: a Maya stepped pyramid, an Aztec aqueduct, or an Inca bridge. Label three features.
Blank Paper
Persuasive Writing
6. Travel Agent 1500
Imagine you are a travel merchant in the year 1500. Create a folded travel advertisement flyer for Tikal (Maya), Tenochtitlan (Aztec), or Cusco (Inca). Describe local sights, markets, and food.
Blank Paper
Compare & Contrast
7. System Showdown
Empires needed fast communication. Write a short essay or design a Venn Diagram comparing how the Inca shared messages (chasqui runners and quipu) with how the Maya did (written glyphs).
Notebook Paper
Creative Research
8. Empire's Recipe
What was for dinner? Write a step-by-step recipe for a meal a Maya, Aztec, or Inca family would eat. Incorporate authentic ingredients like maize, beans, squash, chili peppers, potatoes, or cacao.
Notebook Paper
Custom Worksheet
9. Chrono-Journal
Imagine you are a 10-year-old in an ancient city. Grab the custom 1-page Chrono Journal Worksheet to sketch your surroundings and draft your first-person daily diary entry!
Use Worksheet
Complete your selected quests. Write your name, date, and Quest title clearly on all turned-in work!
Unit 2 Extension
Comparison Clash Worksheet Name:
Date: Quest 2
Comparison Clash: Ancient Agriculture
Both the Aztec and Inca civilizations developed revolutionary farming techniques to feed their massive empires. Analyze how they conquered mountains and lakes, then draft your two-paragraph comparison below.
Part 1: Agriculture Analysis
Feature Aztec Chinampas (Floating Gardens) Inca Terraces (Mountain Stairs) Geographical Challenge Living in a swampy lake basin with limited farmland. Living on steep, dry mountain slopes with thin, rocky soil. How it Solved it Piled mud and decay onto woven reed frames anchored in shallow lake beds. Carved flat stepped fields into steep slopes supported by sturdy stone walls. Primary Crops Maize (corn), beans, squash, tomatoes, flowers. Potatoes (hundreds of varieties), quinoa, maize.
Transition Word Bank
Use these key connecting words to compare and contrast:
Similarly In contrast On the other hand Likewise
Writing Self-Check
Verify your work contains all Grade 5 elements:
Compare challenges and adaptations.
Use 2 connecting transition words.
Part 2: Two-Paragraph Comparative Draft
Paragraph 1: Discuss the similarities in farming to feed their empires...
Paragraph 2: Contrast the unique environments and technologies used...
CKLA Grade 5 Unit 2 • Civilization Quest Classroom Connection Worksheet
Gods and Glyphs Worksheet Name:
Date: Quest 4
Gods & Glyphs: Deity Studio
Mesoamerican and Andean societies worshipped powerful deities tied to the natural world. Now, it's your turn to join the pantheon. Invent a nature-based deity (like a god of thunder, chocolate, or mountains).
1. Deity Profile
Deity Name:
Domain/Power:
2. Sacred Glyph Design
Scribes used picture-glyphs to write about their gods. Invent a unique symbol representing your deity.
Inspiration Words
Incorporate these cultural concepts:
Jaguar Maize Condor Rain clouds
Story Checklist
Verify your story includes these elements:
Explains birth and domain.
Explains how they help growing crops.
Part 3: The Origin Legend
Write your legend: describe how this deity was born and how they help their people grow crops...
CKLA Grade 5 Unit 2 • Civilization Quest Classroom Connection Worksheet
Chrono Journal Worksheet Name:
Date: Quest 9
The Chrono-Journal
Step back into the year 1500! Write a descriptive diary entry from the perspective of a 10-year-old child living in one of these magnificent empires. Describe your morning, your duties, and what you ate.
1. Choose Setting
Pick your character's home city:
Maya Rainforest (Tikal)
Aztec Lake (Tenochtitlan)
Inca Mountain (Cusco)
2. Visual Snapshot
Draw the view outside your home. Will there be floating gardens, stepped temples, or steep mountain trails?
Setting Word Bank
Try to use at least three words matching your setting:
Jungle Cacao Glyphs Lake Tribute Maize Andes Quipu Chasqui
Journal Checklist
Ensure your historical entry is complete:
Written in the first person ("I").
Includes clothing, food, or morning duties.
Part 3: My Daily Journal Entry
Write your first-person account here: Describe your clothing, morning meals, work, and surroundings...
CKLA Grade 5 Unit 2 • Civilization Quest Classroom Connection Worksheet
