A08_Ch16-People and Empires in the Americas

Purpose: This assignment with its accompanying documents and lesson notes will provide content on the
civilizations that developed, and/ or were thriving, in the Americas during the period from 500 - 1500 CE.
The peoples of these areas and regions will be severely impacted by the eventual arrival of Europeans in
the 15th & 16th C. This assignment will center on these themes:
1.Cultures in the Americas had frequent contact across distance and time. Both conquest and trade
brought different cultures together.
2.Societies in the Americas ranged from small tribal bands to immense empires. Warrior-kings or
priest-kings ruled most of these empires.
3.Religion was a powerful force in the Americas. Many societies combined religious and state rule.
Much of their art and architecture concerned the gods and the need to please them.

Task:
!Use the World History: Patterns of Interaction (POI) textbook to complete the assignment below.
!Each part (A, B, C,...) should be completed as a single/ separate assignment. Each requires a
separate heading on separate sheets of paper. Follow the suggested completion date for each
part, listed in the course calendar.
!Be sure to write complete sentences when sentences are called for.

Part A. North American Societies
Read from page 441 to 445.
!Terms & Names:
Pueblo Anasazi Mississippian Iroquois
!MAIN IDEAS:
"3. What was the most important resource for the peoples of the Northwest? Why?
"4. For what purpose did the Mound Builder cultures use earthen mounds?
"5. Why did the tribes of upper New York form a political alliance?
!CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
"7. ANALYZING CAUSES Why might location have been important to the power and wealth
of the Mississippian culture?
"8. COMPARING In what ways did the peoples of North America share similar cultural
patterns?
Part B.
Read pages 446 - 449.
!Terms & Names:
Tikal Glyph Codex Popol Vuh
!MAIN IDEAS:
"4. Why was the calendar important for the Maya religion?
"5. What three explanations have been given for the collapse of the Maya civilization?
!CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING
"DRAWING CONCLUSIONS How important do you think the development of advanced
mathematics was in the creation of the Maya calendar?
Part C. The Aztecs Control Central Mexico
Read pages 452 - 458.
!Terms & Names:
Obsidian Quetzalcoatl Triple Alliance Montezuma II
!MAIN IDEAS:
"3. On what was Teotihuacns power and wealth based?
"4. How did the Aztecs rule their empire?
"5. Why did the Aztecs think it was necessary to make blood sacrices to the sun god,
Huitzilopochtli?
!CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING:
"6. IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS How were the Aztecs able to overcome the problems
associated with Tenochtitlns island location?
Part D. The Inca Create a Mountain Empire
Read pages 459 - 463.
!Terms & Names:
Ayllu Mita Quipu
!MAIN IDEAS:
"4. What methods did the Inca use to create unity among the diverse peoples in their
empire?
"5. Why did the Aztecs think it was necessary to make blood sacrices to the sun god,
Huitzilopochtli?
!CRITICAL THINKING & WRITING:
"6. IDENTIFYING SOLUTIONS How did the Inca overcome geographical obstacles in
building and ruling their empire?