Maya Myths Comprehension Worksheet
CKLA Grade 5 • Unit 2: Chapter 4
Myths of the Maya: Reading Comprehension
Total: 25 Points
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Core Text Reference: In Chapter 4, the sacred Maya text—the Popol Vuh—describes the divine trials of creation undertaken by Tepeu (the Maker), Gucumatz (the Feathered Serpent), and Huracan (Heart of Sky). Answer the questions below using text evidence from the myth.
PART 1
Text Comprehension (12 Points • 2 pts each)
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1.Why did the Maya creators (Tepeu and Gucumatz) desire to make living creatures in the beginning?
A. To build limestone temples and cultivate maize
B. To praise, revere, and remember the creators' names
C. To battle evil underworld deities in Xibalba
D. To protect the forests from natural disasters
2.Why did the creator gods consider their first creation—the forest animals—a failure?
A. They were lazy and refused to build shelters
B. They ate all the sacred cedar and pine wood
C. They could only screech and roar, lacking speech
D. They dissolved whenever rain fell on their bodies
3.What happened when the gods attempted to make people from earth and clay (mud)?
A. They walked stiffly and climbed high into trees
B. They were soft, melted in water, and could not turn
C. They rebelled and attacked the gods with stones
D. They multiplied too rapidly across the earth
4.Whom did the creator gods consult before attempting their next creation out of wood?
A. The wise grandparents and diviners, Xpiyacoc and Xmucane
B. The heroic ballplayer twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque
C. The sacred priests of the royal astronomical palace
D. The guardians of the underworld caverns
5.Even though the wooden people could walk, talk, and populate the earth, what was their fatal flaw?
A. They lacked hearts, minds, and gratitude toward the gods
B. They broke into splinters whenever they tried to run
C. They could only speak during nighttime hours
D. They refused to plant food or hunt wild game
6.What happened to the few wooden people who escaped the flood of black resin and the rebellion of their utensils?
A. They turned into stone statues inside dark caverns
B. They fled into the forest canopy and became monkeys
C. They were transformed into the four cardinal directions
D. They dissolved into the foam of the Caribbean Sea
CKLA Grade 5 • Unit 2 Early American Civilizations Continue to Page 2 for Extended Response Page 1 of 3
PART 2 • EXTENDED WRITTEN RESPONSE
Comparing the Clay People and the Wood People
8 Points
Essay Prompt:
In Chapter 4 of Early American Civilizations, the Maya creator gods attempted two distinct creations before discovering the sacred substance for true humanity. Write a multi-paragraph comparative response comparing and contrasting the Clay People with the Wood People.
• Physical Material & Appearance: What were they made of, and how did they hold up?
• Abilities & Behavior: Could they speak, walk, or reason?
• Fatal Flaw: Why did the gods determine each was incomplete or failed?
• Fate & Destruction: How did each meet their end, and did any survive?
Pre-Writing Matrix: Plan Key Details
| Category | The Clay (Mud) People | The Wood People |
|---|
| Physical Traits | | |
| Speech & Mind | | |
| Flaw & Fate | | |
Student Response Lines Cite specific textual evidence and use transition words.
Writer's Checklist: Clear topic sentence Text evidence on both beings Contrast transitions used Complete sentences & spelling
CKLA Grade 5 • Unit 2 Early American Civilizations Continue to Page 3 for Morphology & Grammar Page 2 of 3
PART 3 • LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS
Basic Grammar & Morphology: Maya Myth Focus
5 Points
SECTION A
Morphology: Prefixes and Roots (3 Points • 1 pt each)
7.The prefix im- (a variant of in-) means "not" or "opposite of." In the text, the clay creation is described as imperfect. What is the meaning of imperfect?
A. Having flaws, weaknesses, or defects
B. Completely holy and eternal
C. Constructed entirely out of stone
D. Rebuilt multiple times by the creators
8.The prefix trans- means "across" or "change." If the surviving wooden beings were transformed into monkeys, what happened to them?
A. They remained in the exact same condition
B. Their physical form was changed into another
C. They were buried deep beneath the earth
D. They forgot how to speak any words
9.The Latin root struct means "build." Which word uses this root to describe the tearing down of the wooden figures?
A. Construction
B. Instructor
C. Destruction
D. Structure
SECTION B
Basic Grammar: Complex Sentences & Punctuation (2 Points • 1 pt each)
10.Which subordinating conjunction best completes the sentence to show cause and effect?
"The Heart of Sky sent a flood of black resin _____ the wooden people possessed no minds or hearts."
A. although
B. because
C. unless
D. while
11.Which sentence correctly places the comma after an introductory dependent clause?
A. Although the mud people could speak, their words made no sense.
B. Although, the mud people could speak their words made no sense.
C. Although the mud people could speak their words, made no sense.
D. Although the mud people, could speak their words made no sense.
Bonus Application: Synthesize Your Grammar Skills
Combine the two sentences below into one complex sentence using the subordinating conjunction since or although. Remember to use correct capitalization and comma placement.
Sentence 1: The wood people could walk on the earth.
Sentence 2: They had no blood or memory of their creators.
CKLA Grade 5 • Unit 2 Early American Civilizations Chapter 4: Myths of the Maya • End of Assessment Page 3 of 3
Maya Myths Answer Key
TEACHER REFERENCE GUIDE • CKLA GRADE 5 UNIT 2
Myths of the Maya: Answer Key & Rationales
25 Points Total
PART 1
Reading Comprehension Keys (Questions 1–6 • 2 pts each)
1. Gods' Purpose B
Answer: Praise, revere, and remember the creators' names.
Text Evidence: The gods sought creatures with speech and intellect who would honor them and keep their days.
2. Animal Failure C
Answer: Could only screech and roar, lacking speech.
Text Evidence: The animals produced only squawks and cries and could not articulate the names of their makers.
3. Clay People Flaw B
Answer: Soft, melted in water, and could not turn.
Text Evidence: Their bodies lacked firmness, became limp, dissolved in rain, and spoke senseless nonsense.
4. The Diviners A
Answer: The wise grandparents Xpiyacoc and Xmucane.
Text Evidence: The creators consulted the divine daykeeper and matchmaker who cast lots with coral seeds.
5. Wood People Defect A
Answer: Lacked hearts, minds, and gratitude toward gods.
Text Evidence: They lacked blood, sweat, and memory of the Heart of Sky, wandering about aimlessly.
6. Fate of Survivors B
Answer: Fled into the forest canopy and became monkeys.
Text Evidence: The Popol Vuh explains that tree-dwelling monkeys are the surviving remnant of this wooden creation.
PART 3
Language Conventions Keys (Questions 7–11 + Bonus • 5 pts)
7. Prefix im- (imperfect) A
Rationale: im- means "not"; imperfect means not perfect, flawed, or defective.
8. Prefix trans- (transformed) B
Rationale: trans- means "across/change"; transformed indicates a complete physical change in shape.
9. Root struct (build) C
Rationale: Destruction combines prefix de- (down/reverse) with struct (build) to mean tearing down.
10. Conjunction (Cause & Effect) B
Rationale: Because signals the reason the flood was unleashed by Heart of Sky.
11. Dependent Clause Comma & Bonus Sentence Combination A
