Inca Empire for Teachers

For the Inca Empire: Free Use lesson plans, classroom activities, interactive activities, learning modules for kids, review activities, and concluding activities and projects written by us and by other teachers for the Incas. These lessons are designed for 5th-8th grade, but can be adjusted for any grade.

Doorway into your classroom: Create an entrance to the Inca Empire high in the Andes Mountains. Suggestion: On the hallway side of the door into your classroom, cut some snow capped mountain peaks on construction paper. Label your peaks the ANDES MOUNTAINS. Over your door, add a sign Cuzco/Cusco. Use both spellings because the kids will see both spellings in their study.

Vocabulary Words, Word Wall for the Inca (Donn)

Closing Class Each Day: Close with a sentence that reminds the kids what we are studying. With the Incas, you might want to close each day with "See you tomorrow from the top of the world, the Andes Mountains."  As we are sure you are aware, the Andes Mountains are not the tallest mountains in the world. The Himalayas are the tallest. If a student does not challenge your statement, you will need to point this out. Then add, “To the Inca, the Andes Mountains were the top of the world.”

Inca Origins (Mr. Roughton):  One challenge faced by historians is determining what is true and what is mythical. This lesson includes two accounts of the origin of the Inca people. Make copies, one for each student. Then direct students to mark the text and try and think about which seems to be more mystical and which seems to be more historically accurate. Give students some time to answer the questions. Then open discussion. Scientists try very hard to be accurate when putting pieces of the past together. It's not as easy as you might think.

The Inca Myth Unit and Inca Myths

Aztecs, Incas, Mayas, Activities (Mr. Roughton)  Unit, taught separately but tested together. Easily takes six weeks, but can be cut down. Bunch of activities and lecture notes. Some of the activities are The Maya Files and Culture Shock: Aztec and Inca

Getting Your Message Across (Incan communication, edsitement)

The Inca unit, excellent. You have to register but it's a free account, free materials to be downloaded

Inca Textiles - download, worksheet, nice one to have around if you have a little time somewhere in a lesson

Free download, window transparency to dress up your classroom

Peru Lesson Plans (worldtrek)

Interactive Quiz about the Incredible Incas (with answers, Donn)

Review Game to Close Our Unit on the Incas, Mayas, Aztecs: The Game of Skill and Chance (Donn)

For Kids

The Incredible Incas for Kids

Free Presentations about the Incas