Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

The Louisiana Department of Education's "Unit 4: The Inca and Aztec Empires" resource provides teachers with a structured collection of activity pages, assessments, and learning materials focused on the rise, achievements, and decline of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. This PDF includes reading passages, vocabulary exercises, map activities, comprehension questions, and writing prompts to support student engagement and understanding. This resource is designed to align with curriculum standards, and is ideal for reinforcing key concepts, assessing student knowledge, and facilitating discussions on Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations.

tag(s): aztecs (10), letter writing (20), maps (224), south america (77), vocabulary (241)

The BrainPOP Inca Civilization page provides an engaging multimedia approach to teaching students about the history, achievements, and daily life of the Inca Empire. This resource includes an animated video, quizzes, vocabulary activities, and interactive features that help students explore Inca engineering, agriculture, government, and communication systems. BrainPOP's content is great for introducing or reinforcing key concepts in social studies, and is designed to support diverse learning styles. Teachers can use the provided lesson ideas and extension activities to promote critical thinking, discussion, and hands-on learning in the classroom.

tag(s): agriculture (52), communication (130), engineering (137), south america (77)

The EDSITEment lesson plan "Couriers of the Inca Empire: Getting Your Message Across" provides educators with an engaging way to teach students about the Inca Empire's communication system. This resource explores how the chasquis (Inca messengers) used an extensive relay network and quipu (knotted cords) to transmit information across the vast empire. The lesson includes primary sources, interactive activities, and discussion prompts to help students understand the challenges of communication in a pre-modern society. It supports inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and cross-curricular connections in history, geography, and STEM.

tag(s): communication (130), inquiry (30), native americans (116), south america (77), STEM (312)

The Inka Road History Timeline highlights the Incan civilization via a timeline from 100 BC to 1825 AD. As you learn about the ancient civilization, maps and images are featured. To interact with the site, click on the timeline at the top. The site also pronounces some of the words from the ancient civilization.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

View this site to learn about information on the Incas' legendary and historical origins, the rise of the Inca empire, Pachacutec, Machu Picchu, and the Qhapac nan, the civil War, the fall of the empire, and knowledge of the Incas.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

PBS Nova's The Lost Inca Empire shares information on the wealth, growth, the beginning of the end, Machu Picchu, Living at Heights, and the conquest. There is a lot of reading on this site, so pair stronger readers with weaker readers.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

The Great Inca Rebellion is a question-and-answer site that shares information about the Ancient Inca civilization. Some of the questions answered include: Just how big was the empire in its heyday?, How far did it extend?, How much was the empire's rapid growth due to the exploits of a single great leader, the Alexander-the-Great-like Pachacuti?, How much of the Inca leaders' phenomenal success was due to their building on administrative and economic systems that were already in place?, and The Incas also had an elaborate food storage system. How much did that play into their success?

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

History Dose's The Entire Rise of the Inca Empire is a twenty-seven-minute YouTube video that shares the rise of the Incan empire. The video highlights the stone marvels of Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman and their immense road system.
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tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

Discover this Tourism Jobs collection that provides a wide variety of free educational resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, and curated collections. Explore topics such as working landscapes, hospitality, tourism, and national parks, and the impact of tourism on local communities. Lesson plans include detailed summaries, objectives, time frames, procedures, preparation tips, and standards alignment. The platform allows you to filter resources by grade, subject, format, video/audio length, language, and accessibility features.

tag(s): careers (183)

PBS LearningMedia's Education and Teaching Careers collection features various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, and collections for grades kindergarten through twelfth. There are over one thousand resources available to search. Videos on exploring, IT instructors, education in Fiji, desegregation in education, and many more are available. Lesson plans on comparing education worldwide, strategies for equal education, progress in education, and more are posted. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing.

tag(s): careers (183)

The PBS Mechanics collection features various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, and collections for all grades. There are over one thousand resources available to search. Videos are available on exploring jet engine mechanics, aircraft mechanics, career connections, mechanical engineer manager, and many more. There are also mechanics featured that answer questions such as "Why did you become a mechanical engineer?" and "Why did you become a scientist?" Along with individuals discussing their jobs. Lesson plans on communication, history, math, science, and more are posted. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features.

tag(s): careers (183), engineering (137)

Explore this collection of resources related to manufacturing careers, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, and collections. There are over two thousand resources available to search. Videos are available on exploring careers in manufacturing, lean manufacturing managers, grammar and usage in manufacturing, manufacturing and industry in Utah, and many more. Lesson plans on communication, history, math, science, and more are posted. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): careers (183)

PBS LearningMedia's New York portal offers a curated collection of educational resources focused on the electrician profession, suitable for K-12 learning. This collection includes engaging videos that introduce students to the roles and responsibilities of electricians, highlighting the skills and knowledge required in the field. Resources such as "The Electrician: I Can Be What?!" and "Electrician: Job Pop!" provide insights into the daily tasks and career pathways of electricians, making them valuable tools for career exploration and STEM education. Teachers can utilize these materials to enhance lessons on electricity, circuits, and vocational studies, fostering students' understanding of the electrical trade and its significance in various industries.

tag(s): careers (183), electricity (60), STEM (312)

PBS LearningMedia's Dancer and Dance Jobs collection features an assortment of resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for grades kindergarten through twelfth. There are over one hundred resources available to search. Videos are available on designing swimming prosthetics for a dancer, a dancer's career path, Irish jig dancers, Native American dancers, and more. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): careers (183), dance (33)

Explore this collection about culinary jobs featuring a variety of resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for grades kindergarten through twelfth. There are thousands of resources available to search. Videos are available on future jobs, culinary chefs, culinary instructors, math at a restaurant, and more. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link to students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): careers (183), cooking (33)

PBS offers this Business Careers collection, which features various resources, including videos, audio, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and collections for kindergarten through twelfth grade. There are thousands of resources available to search. Videos on business management, e-business, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, and more are available. There are lesson plans on finding your career path, the oil boom's effect, the economics of yesterday and today, and more. Lesson plans contain a summary, time allotted, learning objectives, preparation, procedure, and standards. Filters are available to sort by grade level, subject, resource type, length of video/audio, language, accessibility, and additional features. Everything in the collection can be shared via Google Classroom, a link for students, and social sharing. Lessons can also be built upon once you log into the site.

tag(s): business (54), careers (183)

Discover this Automotive collection provides a wide range of resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and curated collections. With over a thousand materials to explore, topics cover areas such as automotive technology instruction, the history of cars, NASCAR, and careers in transportation. Each lesson plan includes a summary, estimated time, learning objectives, preparation guidelines, step-by-step procedures, and alignment to standards. Resources can be easily filtered by grade level, subject, type, media length, language, accessibility, and additional features. Materials are easily shareable via Google Classroom, direct student links, and social media, and registered users have the option to modify and expand upon existing lessons.

tag(s): careers (183)

View this Aviation collection, which offers various resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and curated collections. With over a thousand resources available, topics range from helicopter pilots and aviation careers to how bees have influenced flight. Lesson plans highlight figures like Amelia Earhart and explore the science of things that fly, each featuring a summary, time requirements, learning objectives, preparation steps, procedures, and standards alignment. You can filter resources by grade level, subject, resource type, media length, language, accessibility options, and more. Materials can be easily shared through Google Classroom, direct links, or social media, and logged-in users can customize and build upon existing lessons.

tag(s): aviation (41), careers (183)

PBS LearningMedia's Architecture collection offers a wide range of resources for grades K-12, including videos, audio clips, documents, lesson plans, webpages, and curated collections. Topics cover architectural styles, famous landmarks, geometric and organic shapes, careers in architecture, Black history, and more. Lesson plans feature clear summaries, time requirements, learning objectives, preparation steps, procedures, and alignment with standards. Educators can easily filter materials by grade level, subject, resource type, media length, language, accessibility options, and other features. Resources can be shared through Google Classroom, direct links, or social media, and registered users can customize and build upon existing lessons.

tag(s): architecture (84), careers (183)

Twinkl Home Educators' "Time Explorers Lesson One--The Ancient Maya" is a forty-four-minute YouTube video. The video explores who the Ancient Mayans were, what their beliefs were, and how they lived. It is recommended that you have an atlas and a copy of the Activity Sheet Maya Map, which you will find in the planning pack linked below the video. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
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tag(s): central america (26), mayans (32), mexico (46)