Decoding Mayan Hieroglyphs
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Objective
I can interpret the meaning of a Mayan hieroglyphic symbol and explain its significance in Mayan culture.
Part 1 of 4
Warm-up video
NativLang · 5:31
We don't generate video — this one is by NativLang on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Part 2 of 4
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
The Maya glyph for "mountain" is witz, which is spelled using two sound symbols.
- 2
The Maya glyph for "cocoa" is kakaw, and it uses a syllable multiplier, also known as an iteration mark.
- 3
To deal with consonants at the end of words, the Mayan syllabary uses either underspelling, or an echo vowel, such as writing "balam" as ba-la-ma.
Part 3 of 4
Practice
10 questions
What is a stela?
In Mayan hieroglyphics, what does the glyph that looks like a block mean?
Part 4 of 4
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“The Mayan word for mountain is "witz". According to the video, how would a Mayan scribe write "witz" using hieroglyphs?”
Sample answer included in the free materials
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