How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

SIXTH GRADE INTRO INVESTIGATION: TEACHER GUIDE

Learning Goals for the Investigation
 Students will learn to read and analyze a source using the “Bookmark” reading tool.
 Students will develop a written argument that includes claim, evidence, and reasoning.
 Students will learn about Mayan culture, specifically about recreation and religion.

Investigation At-A-Glance
DAY ONE: READING & ANALYSIS (Student packet pp. 1-3)
1) Introduce the bookmark as the reading guide. Review the questions on the top portion of the
bookmark (“Think and circle as you read the headnote & attribution”). Model using the top
portion of the bookmark (“Think and circle as you read the headnote & attribution”) with the
Popol Vuh. Use an I-do, We-do, You-do strategy as you support students in learning to
use the bookmark (5 min.)
2) Ask students to reflect on the central question. (5 min.)
3) Review the questions on the middle portion of the bookmark (“Talk, underline, & make
notes as you read the source”). Model using the middle portion of the bookmark (“Talk,
underline, & make notes as you read the source”) with the Popol Vuh. Use an I-do, We-do,
You-do strategy as you support students in learning to use the bookmark (10 min.)
4) Ask students to reflect on the central question. (5 min.)
5) Review the questions on the bottom portion of the bookmark (“Discuss and make notes after
you read”). Model using the bottom portion of the bookmark (“Discuss and make notes
after you read”) with the Popol Vuh. Use an I-do, We-do, You-do strategy as you support
students in learning to use the bookmark (5 min.)
6) Ask students to reflect on the central question. (5 min.)
7) Have students reflect on how different parts of the bookmark helped them think about
different aspects of the source (Bookmark Reading Guide page) (10 min.)

DAY TWO: WRITING (Student packet pp. 4-7)

1) Review the “formula” of Argument = Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (5 min.)
2) Review the mentor Text. Allow students to sort and identify Useful Language within the
mentor text. (15 min.)
3) Introduce the writing assignment for this investigation. (5 min.)
4) Allow students to think-pair-share about their arguments. (5 min.)
5) Write a draft. (15 min.)

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Popol Vuh
Sacred Book of the Quiché Maya People

Headnote: The Popol Vuh is the sacred book, or “Bible,” of the Mayan people.
The Mayan people wrote the early versions of the Popol Vuh in the form of
codices, a hieroglyphic-type writing. When the Spanish conquered this region in
the 1500s (what is now Guatemala), the Mayan translated the Popol Vuh into
Latin to preserve their history. During their conquest, the Spanish destroyed much
of the Mayans’ recorded history and the Popol Vuh is one of only four recorded
histories to survive. In the early 1700s, a Spanish preist named Father Ximénez
transcibed it into Spanish. The Popol Vuh contains many stories. In this story, the
twins Hanahpu and Xbalaque are called by the gods of the underworld, called
Xibalba, to play ball.

“Summon the twins here,” the gods of the underworld said to their
messengers. “Tell them, we shall play ball with them. In seven days, we will play,
say the lords. Tell them this when you arrive there,” the messengers were told . . .
When Hanahpu and Xbalaque entered the House of Darkness, they took out
their rubber all and threw it down. Before the game began, they chose prizes:
“What will we win?” the Xibalbans, or people of the underworld, asked.
“Surely it is your choice,” Hanahpu and Xbalaque said.
“Our prize shall be merely four bowls of flowers,” said the Xibalbans.
“Very well. What kinds of flowers?” the twins asked the Xibalbans.
“One bowl of red petals, one bowl of white petals, one bowl of yellow
petals, and one bowl of the large ones,” said the Xibalbans.
“Very well,” replied the boys.
So then the ball was dropped into play. The Xibalbans and the twins were
equal in strength, but the twins made many plays with the ball for they played with
all their hearts. At last, the twins gave themselves up to be defeated, and the
Xibalbans thus rejoiced at their defeat: “We have done well. We have already
defeated them at the first attempt!”

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

“Where shall we go to get the flowers?” the twins asked.

“You must find them and give them to us tomorrow morning,” the
Xibalbans said.

Attribution: Adapted excerpt from the Popol Vuh. Translated into Spanish by
Father Ximénez in the 1700s. Translated into English in 2003 by Dr. Allen J.
Christenson, Professor of Humanities at Brigham Young University, pp. 143-156.
http://www.personal.psu.edu/abl128/PopolVu/PopolVuh.pdf

AFTER YOU READ…

(1) What does this story from the Popol Vuh help you understand about how
the Mayans combined recreation and religion? This source shows that the
ball game was important in Mayan religion because it was played in the
stories included in their sacred text.

(2) How reliable is this source for understanding how the Mayans combined
recreation and religion?
Reliable –
This source is reliable for helping understand the importance of recreation
in the Mayan religion because it’s a story based on their religious text.

Unreliable –
This source is unreliable because it is only one story from one source—a
Spanish priest, not a Mayan. It would be helpful to read the whole source
and read others as well.

(3) Box the parts of the source that help you think about the central question.

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How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Bookmark Reading Guide

Headnote and attribution: What did

this part of the bookmark help me think

about?

Notice who wrote this, when, and

why.

Source: What did this part of the

bookmark help me think about?

Notice the different people

mentioned. Look for parts of the

source that tell you about the game.

After you read: What did this part of the

bookmark help me think about?

Look at the whole document. Think

about if this author is in a position to

report on what is in here.

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Defining Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

Directions: In your own words, define argument, claim, evidence, and reasoning
and note any useful language you see in the mentor text for writing claim,
evidence, reasoning.

Argument A set of reasons on a topic that is intended to persuade

or convince; includes claim-evidence-reasoning

Claim To argue something as a fact

“In my judgment . . .”

Evidence Proof that supports your claim; often written sources

you think are reliable

“According to . . .”

Reasoning Conclusions, judgments, or inferences about your

evidence

“This shows that . . .”

“ ________ is a reliable source because . . . ”

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Argument Sort (TEACER GUIDE)

Directions: A sixth grade student wrote a suspension report after reading through
the evidence in the Lunchroom Fight. She included a claim, evidence, and
reasoning in her report, but her work is mixed up. Cut out the sentences below and
arrange her argument by C-E-R.

_______

This shows that Max and his friends have a history of bothering Justin
when there is no adult supervision. Jamie is a reliable source because she
is not friends with Justin or Max, so she no reason to lie.
(REASONING)

_______

In my judgment, Max should be suspended for starting the lunchroom

fight with Justin. (CLAIM)

_______

According to Jamie, a student in their English class, Max and his friends
are often “mean to Justin in the hallways and in class when the teacher
isn’t looking,” because they say “jokes under their breath and then
laugh.” (EVIDENCE)

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Now, ARGUE: How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Your Writing Assignment: Email to Detective Stone,

Director of Historical Crimes

Your Assignment:
You are close to solving how the Mayans
combined recreation and religion!
To submit your Forensic Report and Analysis,
you must write an email to your boss,
Detective Stone, and make an argument
about how the Mayans combined
recreation and religion. Your evidence can
come from your notes from the first day of the
investigation and the excerpt from the Popol
Vuh. Make sure your email includes a
CLAIM, EVIDENCE, and REASONING.
You might want to use some of the useful
language below in your argument.

USEFUL LANGUAGE for writing your argument:

Making a claim:
Mayans thought it was important that…..
For the Mayan people, recreation and religion …..
Recreation and religion were …
Providing evidence:
The Popol Vuh, for example, says that "...."
For example, in class our Detective’s Research said that “…..”
The headnote tells me that “….”

Reasoning:
This means that …..
This makes me think that …..
This shows that …
This source is reliable because….

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 How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

However, the source might not be reliable because….it is possible that….

Email to Detective Stone

Dear Detective Stone,

Claim
How did the Mayans combine recreation and religion?

Evidence
What information from the source supports your claim?

Reasoning
Explain how the evidence supports your claim and why it is reliable.

Sincerely,

_______________________

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