Though the Mayan did not speak Spanish, originally, it is the language of Central America where the descendents of the Maya still live. The Mayan sites in the Yucatan and surrounding area are very impressive and are a real draw for tourists and scholars. This unit will use the student's own understanding of where they live in temperate climates and compare and contrast this to the sub-tropical living of the Maya. In the same light, these students will look at their own towns from the perspective of a town planner to compare their post colonial style towns with those of the Mayan sites. Climate determines building structure types as well as materials for construction.
Economic factors contribute to the lifestyle of societies.
The present day Mayan descendents have adopted the Spanish colonial environment but still maintain their own traditions. Transportation of goods and people plays a role in the establishment of cultures of people. Spanish can be used to describe our own surroundings as easily as those of Spanish speaking cultures. General vocabulary is stressed and its use in higher thinking skills. Objectives Establish a common vocabulary, compare and contrast the climatological differences and the types of materials needed for housing construction in temperate and sub-tropical environments and establish the current presence of the Mayan influence in present Central American living.