Mesoamerican architecture

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mesoamerican-architecture

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the geographic scope?Encompasses regions of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras
2. What is the cosmological integration?Buildings frequently aligned with astronomical events and symbolic of sacred mountains
3. What were Mesoamerican cities built for?They were built as sacred places that mirrored the cosmos, with pyramids and temples acting like mountains and guiding the people.
4. Why did the Maya and Aztecs build huge stone pyramids?The pyramids were stepped towers that connected earth to the sky, showing the ruler’s power and the gods’ presence. They also marked important stars and seasons.

Cosmology: The study of the origin, evolution, and eventual fate of the universe.
Ashlar Masonry: Building construction using precisely cut rectangular stone blocks.
Pre-Columbian: Referring to the Americas before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492.