---
title: Indigenous Groups of America and Their Importance
description: "Students will explore the impact of one of the 4 major indigenous civilizations from the Americas: Olmecs, Incas, Aztecs, or Mayas."
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/indigenous_america_and_their_importance-001.png
---

**Subject: Social Studies**

**Lesson Length: 60 - 65 mins**

**Topic: Indigenous Civilizations of the Americas**

**Grade Level: 6**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [C3: D2.His.1.6-8.](https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/2017/Jun/c3-framework-for-social-studies-rev0617.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)

**Brief Description:**  Students will explore the impact of one of the four major indigenous civilizations from the Americas: Olmecs, Incas, Aztecs, or Mayas.

**Know Before You Start:** Students should have an understanding that many civilizations were present in the Americas prior to European colonization.

**Hook:**

- Present the four major ancient tribes that populated the Americas (Olmecs, Mayas, Incas, and Aztecs.) Ask students what they know about any of these civilizations. 
- Read and discuss the sample comic about the Olmec. Center the discussion around present-day ideas or technology that stem from ideas and inventions from any of these civilization, e.g., concept of zero. Discuss their impact with the class.

**Activity:**

- Introduce the following vocabulary: 
    - indigenous
    - tribe
    - Mesoamerica
    - ancient
    - society
    - civilization
    - agriculture
    - trade

- Research the contributions of one of these ancient civilizations.
- Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a three-panel comic illustrating the contributions of one of one of these civilizations, e.g., math, technology, literature, etc. 
  
    - **Panel 1:** Introduce your selected civilization. Who were they? Where were they located? 
    - **Panel 2:** What lasting idea or technology did they invent that made an impact on future civilizations? Describe it.
    - **Panel 3:** Show how we still use this idea or technology today.

**Closure:**

- Categorize and display the completed comics by civilization.
- As a class, compare and contrast the four groups. 
- Have students explain which group they believe had the biggest impact and why. Students must present evidence for their rationale.

**Differentiation:**

- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
- Assign students a specific indigenous civilization. 
- Provide sentence frames as needed.

**Resources:**

- Comic to print or display: [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/qamw68e).

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1921215992822919168/thumbnail.png) Native American Heritage ](https://content.pixton.com/native-american-heritage)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2084245818663469056/thumbnail.png) The Birchbark House ](https://content.pixton.com/the-birchbark-house)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1705645724953350144/thumbnail.png) Reconciliation ](https://content.pixton.com/reconciliation)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2060411943154556928/thumbnail.png) Aztec Empire ](https://content.pixton.com/aztec-empire)

**Suggested Story Starters:**

- [ Imagine You're in Ancient Mesoamerica ](https://story-starters.pixton.com/imagine-youre-in-ancient-mesoamerica)

Assign Activity

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