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Fascinating Fortress: Machu Picchu

Students will explore the wonder and history of Machu Picchu and depict this "lost city of the Incas" in a piece of artwork.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

Steps

  • Step 1

    Machu Picchu - which means "old mountain" - is located near Cuzco, Peru in the Cordillera de Vilcabamba of the Andes Mountains. It was where the last Inca rulers led a rebellion against Spanish rule in 1572. In 1983 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2007 it was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Have students research its history. Who lived there? Who was it built for? What were its uses? What was grown there? Have students learn about "andenes," Spanish for "platforms," which were terraces dug into the slope of a hillside for agriculture.

  • Step 2

    Have students view images of Machu Picchu and then choose an area or structure to depict, such as the central plaza, the Principal Temple, the andenes carved into the hillsides, the royal tomb, or other features. Ask them to first sketch a depiction of the feature or features they chose and then complete image by filling in the sketch with paint.

  • Step 3

    When the work is dry, have students present their work and give aDescription of the scene depicted in their painting.

Standards

SS: Culture: Through experience, observation, and reflection, identify elements of culture as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups across place and time.

SS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Analyze the causes and consequences of past events and developments, and place these in the context of the institutions, values, and beliefs of the period in which they took place.

Adaptations

Have students research the Wonders of the World. What were the original Seven What are the New Seven Wonders? What are the Seven Wonders of the Underwater World?

Have students investigate the Inca civilization, viewed as among the most vital of South America in terms of its cultural influence and legacy. What is its significance in history? What was daily life like? They had no writing system, so how did they keep records and transmit information?