Focus: SWBAT define cities SWBAT explain the purpose of cities by using text on Mayan cities Name: Brainstarter:

1. Name two large cities. a. ____________________________________ b. ____________________________________ 2. What do these two cities have in common (example: they both have lots of people) Date: January 13, 2014

Braintstorm: What is the purpose of cities? What do we use them for?

Key Vocabulary Word: City: A center of population, commerce, and culture; a town of significant size and importance. Mayan Cities Mayan cities were the governmental and ritual centers for regions, which included the city, itself and its agricultural surroundings. The largest Mayan cities were home to many people. At the major center of Tikal, for example, within a six-square-mile area, there were over 10,000 individual structures ranging from temple-pyramids to thatched-roof huts. Tikal's population is estimated at up to 60,000 people. In some regions, groundwater was scarce, and large cities like Tikal would have had large man-made reservoirs to service their populations during the dry season. Many Maya sites had ball courts; others had sweat baths, possibly adopted from Mexico.

Using the passage above, answer the following questions: 1. What types of architecture was the city made up of?

2. What important things to place in the city?

3. What was the purpose of Mayan cities?

When researching your city answer the following questions: 1. What types of architecture was the city made up of?

2. What important things to place in the city?

3. What was the purpose of your civilizations cities?

Homework: 5 sentences in your notebook about how NYC is different from your civilizations cities.