The Maya
Today’s lesson 1. The blood of the queen
Let’s hear a story – page 3 river deep gorge the cliffs a crocodile, waiting for food the sound of monkeys avoiding the hungry jaguars connects one city with another city a religious ritual
Let’s hear a story – page 3 raises a flaming torch the queen descends to her knees clasps the end of a long piece of rope a sharp piece of black volcanic glass temple’s summit a sacred temple ascend the stone steps the king and queen night
pierces her tongue razor - sharp glass blood is released rope through her tongue another shard of black glass more blood drops to the ground Let’s continue the story – page 4 Lincoln
Let’s continue the story – page 4 Repton Lincoln a large shallow bowl a piece of paper soaked with drops of her blood his flaming torch sets fire to the paper the blood rises as smoke The sacrifice is over. It is the twenty - eighth day of October in the year 709.
Let’s look and talk. Use these words to describe what is happening in this carving. (It is on Page 5 in your booklet.) king queen temple flaming torch rope shard of glass tongue blood paper bowl smoke
Let’s write and draw. Your title: The blood of the queen Answer these questions in full sentences around your image of the king and queen.You could use arrows to point to what you are writing about. 1. Who was on the summit of the stone temple? 2. What did the queen do with the shard of black glass? 3. What did the king do with the queen’s blood? We are going to read Pages 3 and 4 before we answer these questions. Then keep Pages 3 and 4 open as you answer these questions in your book.
Let’s read. Let’s hear the teacher read Pages 3 and 4 in our new booklet.
Let’s write and draw. Your title: The blood of the queen Answer these questions in full sentences around your image of the king and queen.You could use arrows to point to what you are writing about. 1. Who was on the summit of the stone temple? 2. What did the queen do with the shard of black glass? 3. What did the king do with the queen’s blood? We are going to read Pages 3 and 4 before we answer these questions. Then keep Pages 3 and 4 open as you answer these questions in your book.
Let’s gain some new knowledge. The king was called Lord Shield Jaguar. Lord Shield Jaguar ruled over the city of Yaxchilan . Lord Shield Jaguar’s family had ruled the city of Yaxchilan for hundreds of years. His dynasty can be traced back hundreds of years to the fourth century.
Let’s gain some new knowledge. The king was called Lord Shield Jaguar His dynasty can be traced back to the fourth century. His city was Yaxchilan . The queen was called Lady Xoc .
Let’s gain some new knowledge. Lord Shield Jaguar held the flaming torch. He watched the queen shed her blood. The queen, Lady Xoc , was performing an ancient ritual known as bloodletting .
Let’s use our new knowledge to discuss. Bloodletting involved shedding one’s own blood and offering it up to the gods as a sacrifice. Lady Xoc performed the ritual of bloodletting to offer up her blood to the gods as a sacrifice. Describe the ritual of bloodletting to your partner using this carving of the queen, Lady Xoc . Find: • her tongue • the rope • the bowl
Let’s draw and write. 1. What happened in the bloodletting ritual? 2. What did the king do with Lady Xoc’s blood? 3. What did Lady Xoc see in her hallucination? Your teacher will give you this sheet. In the first section, draw some pictures (not the whole scene) to show what happened in the bloodletting ritual. Then write some sentences describing what happened, trying to use these words: • shard of black glass • blood • bloodletting
Let’s look and learn a new word. Lord Shield Jaguar ruled the city of Yaxchilan . The city of Yaxchilan Lady Xoc lived in the city of Yaxchian . Lord Shield Jaguar’s family had ruled the city of Yaxchilan for hundreds of years. Lord Shield Jaguar’s dynasty can be traced back to the fourth century. Whose dynasty can be traced back to the fourth century? Whose dynasty had ruled Yaxchilan since the fourth century? Which city had Lord Shield Jaguar’s dynasty ruled since the fourth century? Lord Shield Jaguar’s dynasty had ruled Yaxchilan since the fourth century.
Let’s gain some new knowledge. Lady Xoc was performing the ritual of bloodletting to give thanks to the gods for the birth of a son. Shield Jaguar’s son was his heir who would rule over Yaxchilan when Shield Jaguar died. Shield Jaguar’s heir would continue his dynasty. Shield Jaguar’s heir was called Bird Jaguar. Why was Lady Xoc performing the ritual of bloodletting? Who would rule the city when Shield Jaguar died? Who would continue Shield Jaguar’s dynasty? Who was Bird Jaguar?
Let’s draw and write. 1. What happened in the bloodletting ritual? 2. What did the king do with Lady Xoc’s blood? 3. What did Lady Xoc see in her hallucination? In the second section, draw some pictures (not the whole scene) to show what the king, Shield Jaguar, did with Lady Xoc’s blood. Then write some sentences describing what happened, trying to use these words.
Let’s think and learn a new word. The king and queen were giving thanks to the gods for the birth of their son and heir. Let’s think: Before a king has an heir to continue his dynasty , he first needs to... Part 1 of the story is about Shield Jaguar becoming king. We say that a king accedes to his throne. There is another carving showing Lady Xoc , before the birth of the son and heir. Part 1? This carving showing Lady Xoc is Part 2 in a story. The first carving is about the king’s accession to his throne.
He is the first ancestor of Shield Jaguar’s dynasty. The first ancestor of the dynasty is the founder of the dynasty. He is an ancestor of Shield Jaguar’s dynasty. Let’s look, think and talk. This is the other carving showing Lady Xoc at the time of the king’s accession to the throne. Find Lady Xoc . Find her bowl. What do you think in is her bowl? Smoke is rising from her bowl. The smoke is in the form of a serpent . Find the serpent’s mouth opening wide. There is someone coming out of the serpent’s mouth.
Let’s think and discuss. Do you think Lady Xoc really saw this? Discuss: In our story, what did Lady Xoc see? No . The pain and loss of blood were so intense that it caused Lady Xoc to see things that were not real. Lady Xoc saw a hallucination . Lady Xoc was hallucinating .
Let’s read. On Pages 6 and 7, some pupils will be chosen to read a paragraph each.
the founder Let’s draw and write. 1. What happened in the bloodletting ritual? 2. What did the king do with Lady Xoc’s blood? 3. What did Lady Xoc see in her hallucination? In the last section, draw some pictures (not the whole scene) to show what Lady Xoc saw in her hallucination. Then write some sentences describing what happened, trying to use these words: • founder • dynasty • hallucinating • hallucination
The people of Yaxchilan had studied the planets. The people of Yaxchilan had worked out that the planets of Saturn and Jupiter would be aligned in the night sky on the night of the bloodletting . The align ment of the planets Saturn and Jupiter was a good omen. Let’s gain new knowledge. the planet, Saturn the planet, Jupiter Bloodletting during a planetary align ment made the offering to the gods even more powerful! Bloodletting when the planets were aligned was more potent .
Let’s read. Let’s open to Page 8 and read Page 9 in our new booklet.
Let’s draw and write. Above your drawings, can you show that the planets are aligned during the bloodletting ritual?
Lesson 1 Resources for printing
1. What happened in the bloodletting ritual? 2. What did the king do with Lady Xoc’s blood? 3. What did Lady Xoc see in her hallucination? | Chalk