The First Americans: Guided Notes

During the lecture, please fill in the blanks with the text in red in the teachers
presentation. These guided notes will be used over the two-day duration of the
lesson.
Farming Begins in Mesoamerica
1. About 10,000 year

ago__________________________________________.
2. They crossed __________________________________________________ land bridge
called Beringia.
3. As the Ice Age ended, _________________________________-farming
______________________________.

Early American Civilizations

4. The first civilizations in America

_____________________________________ and trade.
5. Growing corn __________________ Mesoamericans _________________________
societies.
6. One of these groups built_______________________________________________
Teotihuacan.
7. The Olmec used _____________________________________________.

8. A people called ________________________________________

of the Yucatan Peninsula.
9. The Maya______________________________________, rulers
said they

were descended from the sun, had

____________________, women ____________________, they

_________________________ and____________________________. Developed
_________________________. Invented ____________________.
10. The Aztec culture:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
Civilizations of South America

11. The Inca:

_________________________. The

greatest

______________________. They
_____________________________________________________________________
____________ as cattle. Believed _______________________, but they
_________________________________. ____________________________, no
wheels, and ___________________________________.

Reading Strategy
Directions: please read the sections about the Olmec (page 453) and the Moche (page 454). As
you read, look for the required information in the chart. Write the characteristic pertaining to
each civilization in the boxes. This reading strategy will help you summarize information that
you can compare and contrast.

Location
Olmec

Moche

Dates

Lifestyle