Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 15, Lesson 4

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 15, Lesson 4: The Tiwanakans and the Moche (pp. 412-415)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Diversity Two civilizations of South America, the Tiwanaka and the Moche, developed unique cultures in vastly different environments.

Tell students that they are on a survival course. Half of them are in the high mountains. The other half are on a dry coastal desert. Now each set of students will have to figure out how to survive in their different environments. Have the class brainstorm the kind of environmental challenges the two groups will face, how they will decide which crops to plant, and how they will develop farming techniques suitable to their environment. Then tell the class that the Tiwanakan and Moche peoples of South America developed civilizations with specialized farming methods perfectly suited to their geographical locations.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Divide the class into pairs. Ask each pair of students to write a dialogue between a Tiwanakan and a Moche, comparing and contrasting their two cultures. Topics covered should include location, environment, farming, and way of life.
Divide the class into groups. Ask each group to create two travel posters, one advertising the achievements of Tiwanakan culture, the other advertising the achievements of Moche culture. Posters should include farming methods, environment, food, and arts.

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