Download this ready-to-teach series of Maya Civilisation KS2 lessons and take your Year 3 and Year 4 class on an exciting journey into the fascinating Maya civilisation. Children will discover where the Maya lived, learn about their daily lives, explore how their society was structured, investigate the evidence they left behind and delve into some intriguing Maya mysteries.

This comprehensive Maya Civilisation resource includes detailed lesson plans, engaging and informative slides, differentiated worksheets, fun activities, games, captivating images and more.

These KS2 Maya Civilisation History lessons are designed to immerse your class in this rich culture, providing a thorough overview of this remarkable period in Mesoamerican history. Perfect for inspiring curiosity, developing a sense of chronology and deep learning about the ancient Maya!

A Knowledge Organiser is available to support the learning in this scheme. It is included in the Complete Series download or can be purchased individually.

You may also be interested in our The Maya Topic Bundle - perfect if you want to take a cross-curricular approach to teaching!

Lesson 1

Historical Evidence

In this first History lesson, children will discover where and when the ancient Maya civilisation developed. They will learn how historians and archaeologists have used the temples, pyramids stone monuments and other artefacts left by the Maya to find out about their society and way of life.

Children then apply their understanding by studying a range of historical artefacts and interpreting what these reveal about the past.

This ancient Maya civilisation KS2 lesson pack is completely planned and ready to deliver to your keen historians. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable resources to support your children as they investigate artefacts left behind by the ancient Maya.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Artefact Cards
Question Cards
Connection Cards

View Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Maya City-States

Now children understand the context of the ancient Maya civilisation, they will learn about how its society was governed and organised. Children will learn about the Maya city-states, their social hierarchy and the roles, power and status of each social group.

Then, children will reflect on how people’s lives and experiences would have differed according to their social group and why we have more information about the lives of some social groups than others.

This ancient Maya city-states lesson contains all you need to teach your children about the society of the ancient Maya. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable resources.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Social Pyramid
Palenque Map
Information Sheet
Visitor Guide Template

View Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Maya Gods and Religion

Children begin this lesson by generating questions they have about the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Maya. They will develop their understanding of the role that gods and goddesses played in different areas of the daily lives of the Maya and explore the different ways that the Maya worshipped their deities.

Children apply their understanding by designing their own deity for modern times or by reenacting the Maya creation story.

With a comprehensive lesson plan, engaging teaching slides, activity ideas, information sheets and a Maya creation story board, this Maya Religion KS2 Lesson Pack is completely ready for you to download and teach.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Deity Cards
Information Sheet
Design Sheet
Maya Creation Story
Story Planner

View Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Maya Achievements

In this lesson, children will learn about the achievements of the ancient Maya civilisation, including their writing and number systems and the development of accurate calendars based on their astronomical observations.

They will consider the significance of these achievements and how their impact on future societies and generations. Alternatively, they can participate in a 'hands-on' activity carousel to form a better understanding of the Maya calendar, writing and number systems.

This fully resourced planning pack includes everything you need to teach your children about the achievements and contributions of the ancient Maya civilisation.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Invention Cards
Ranking Sheet
Information Sheet

View Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Maya Timeline

For this lesson, children will learn about the key periods in the development of the Maya civilisation: preclassic, classic and postclassic and explore aspects of change and continuity across these. Children will also learn how to practically construct timelines, including how to use bars to represent periods of time and arrow to mark distinct events.

They will also learn how to practically construct timelines, including how to use bars to represent periods of time and arrow to mark distinct events.

This KS2 ancient Maya timeline lesson pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class construct and interpret historical timelines.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Timeline Template
Event Cards
Kaboom! Cards
Kaboom! Instructions

View Lesson 5

Lesson 6

Comparing the Ancient Maya and Anglo-Saxons

For this lesson, children will investigate the similarities and differences between the daily lives of people living in the ancient Maya civilisation and Anglo-Saxon England c.900 CE.

Children will use research and role-play to find out, compare and contrast what life was like for ordinary citizens in both societies. There is also an opportunity for writing a historical narrative in role.

This KS2 Ancient Maya History Lesson Pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class to contrast the ancient Maya and Anglo-Saxons!

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Role Cards
Information Sheet
Writing Template
Example Diary
Challenge Card
True or False? Cards

View Lesson 6

Lesson 7

The End of the Ancient Maya

In the last lesson of this scheme of work, children will investigate some of the reasons for the decline of the ancient Maya civilisation and its city-states. They will consider different interpretations and perspectives of the historical events associated with the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in Mesoamerica.

Children will also discover that, although the last city-states were abandoned to the jungle in the sixteenth century, the Maya still live in Mesoamerica today.

This a lesson pack includes a detailed lesson plan, a teaching slideshow and activity ideas along with a range of printable resources to support your class to create an informative documentary about the fall of the ancient Maya civilisation.

What's included:

Lesson plan
Slides
Activity ideas
Cause Cards
Ranking Sheet
Storyboard
Interview Sheet

View Lesson 7

The Maya Civilisation: Knowledge Organiser

This Year 3/4 History Knowledge Organiser has been created to complement our History 'Non European Societies' strand. It is designed to support your children’s understanding of key vocabulary linked to this scheme of work. Enquiry questions have been included to encourage your children to think like a historian within this topic.

View Knowledge Organiser

Maya KS2 Lesson Planning and Resources

The Maya Civilisation