In this unit on Mesoamerica, students used the The DBQ Project's curriculum, World History Textbook, and primary sources with a collaborative model and Common Core Standards in History to create a Digital Magazine to examine the big question stated above. The Digital Magazine templates are from CUE Rockstar, Ryan O'Donnell. Students will examine a background essays and assorted documents documents to gather evidence for their projects. All documents will be examined using close reading techniques.

Time Frame four-five weeks.

Culminating activity: Students will personal journal answering the question, What should historians record about the Mesoamerican Civilizations?

CALIFORNIA HISTORY CONTENT STANDARDS

7.7 Students compare and contrast the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations.

7.7.1 Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and development of urban societies.

7.7.2. Study the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life, warfare, religious beliefs and practices, and slavery

7.7.3 Explain how and where each empire arose and how the Aztec and Incan empires were defeated by the Spanish

7.7.4 Describe the artistic and oral traditions and architecture in the three civilizations.

7.7.5. Describe the Mesoamerican achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the development of the calendar and the Mesoamerican knowledge of seasonal changes to the civilizations' agricultural systems.

COMMON CORE READING STANDARDS FOR LITERACY IN HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES 6–12

RH 1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

RH 2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

RH 4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

RH 8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

WH 3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details and well-structured event sequences

WH 2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.

WH 9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Students will create a digital magazine project that teaches a characteristic of Mesoamerican Civilizations of Maya, Aztec, and Inca. They will write an original story that teaches that aspect through a news story. The digital magazine must contain a title page (picture and title), articles that cover the topics from class; geography, social classes, oral traditions, Spanish conquest, and great achievements. Each article must have three tiered vocabulary words from class and three cited evidence that supports the writer's position.

Students were then given Textbook Reviews, Video, and 6 historical documents to analyze. The students used close reading technique to read and re-read documents to then answer text dependent questions for each document. DOK Level 1-3

Each students will plan out and write a story using materials covered in class. Then in groups of six, students will produce a digital magazine project that will cover all topics. Projects are posted below by period. DOK Level 4.