Hi Teachers and families! If you’re planning to introduce ancient civilizations in your classroom and want your students to dive into the fascinating world of the Maya, I’ve got just the right resource for you. I’ve put together a set of kid-friendly reading passages and engaging activities that will help your students explore who the Maya were, how they lived, and why their legacy still matters today.
Do you want this resource?
You can get it, along with many other materials, in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.
This resource is perfect for upper elementary and even middle grades, depending on the level of support your students need. It’s super easy to use—no prep required, just print and go!
What’s Inside?
The pack includes four one-page informational texts, each focusing on a different aspect of Mayan culture:
- The Maya Civilization – A general overview to build context.
- Daily Life of the Maya – How families lived, farmed, and followed traditions.
- Maya Achievements – From science and architecture to art and writing.
- The Maya Legacy – How the Maya culture is still alive today.
Along with these passages, I’ve included five follow-up comprehension activities that reinforce key reading skills:
- Multiple choice questions
- Fill-in-the-blanks (with a word bank for support)
- Match the concepts
- Vocabulary word search
- Short-answer questions requiring text evidence
And yes—an answer key is included to make grading or self-checking a breeze!
What Skills Are We Working On?
With this resource, our students will:
- Identify main ideas and supporting details
- Use text evidence to support their answers
- Practice vocabulary in context (words like glyphs, jade, murals, slash and burn, and Pok-ta-pok)
- Summarize informational texts
Understand basic cause and effect relationships within historical content
Since everything is in black and white, it’s also perfect for printing without draining your ink!
Whether you’re introducing Mesoamerica for the first time or deepening your students’ understanding of ancient civilizations, this Maya reading pack is a great way to make learning meaningful, accessible, and engaging.
