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Year 6 - History

Cacao and maize

The Maya: what made the Maya so distinctive?

Unit Summary

If pupils study Benin, they learn about Benin's culture and society and how its looted artworks have caused modern controversy. If they study the Maya, they build knowledge of this civilisation to analyse what made them so distinctive.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to explain why cacao and maize were so important to the Maya.

Key Notes

  • In the tombs of Maya rulers, archaeologists have found decorated pots that once contained a special drink.
  • This hot chocolate drink was made from roasting and boiling the fruit of a plant called cacao.
  • The Maya took care preparing hot chocolate, frothing it carefully, because they believed it was a gift from the gods.
  • Another crop that the Maya thought was sacred was maize; it was used to make flat pancakes called tortillas.
  • The Maya believed that the gods tried for a long time to make humans, and only succeeded when they used maize to do so.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • cacao: the cacao plant is a South American tree with yellowish flowers and reddish brown seeds, which are used to make chocolate and cocoa
  • maize: maize is another word for corn and is a tall-growing grain that produces yellow kernels on long ears

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Cacao is the same as cocoa.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.

In the tombs of Maya rulers, archaeologists have found decorated pots that once contained a special drink. This hot chocolate drink was made from roasting and boiling the fruit of a plant called cacao.

2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'cacao'

the cacao plant is a South American tree with yellowish flowers and reddish brown seeds, which are used to make chocolate and cocoa.

3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.

Mistake: Cacao is the same as cocoa. Correction: While they come from the same source, the cacao bean, there are differences in processing. Cacao generally refers to the raw or minimally processed form of the bean, while cocoa usually refers to the processed and roasted form.

More Lessons In This Unit

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