Machu Picchu, an Incan citadel located between the Peruvian Andes and the Amazon Basin

You have already learned that the kingdoms in Africa were enriched through trade networks that connected them to what, at the time, was the known world. In this topic, you will discover a world that was still a mystery to those in Africa, Europe, and Asia - the world of the Pre-Columbian Americans. The native groups you will focus on, the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations, were considered empire builders who lived in large, organized groups.

Essential Question

• What characteristics differentiated the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan civilizations from one another?

 

Warm-Up

Think about the relationship you have with various places in your everyday life, for example, your desk, room, school building, town, state, and even your country. Then, consider the relationship someone else with a very different life from yours would have with these places. How does a person's physical environment impact his or her life? On a larger scale, how does the environment of a civilization impact the way it develops?

Post your responses to these questions in the discussion area. Then, return to the topic discussion several times over the next few days to read your coursemates' posts. Reply to at least two of them, making sure to ask questions and encourage further conversation.