Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Inca Empire for Kids: Myths, Legends, and Stories highlights how studying myths, legends, and stories tells the story of the civilization. Featured are links to the Incan creation myth video, the llama legend, the myth of Mano Capac, the myth of the Rod of Gold, and more.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): myths and legends (42)

View this in-depth look at how the Inca civilization thrived through practical innovation. The site explores topics such as the role of llamas in daily life, strategies used to unite newly conquered tribes, the purpose and design of Incan roads, and how messengers navigated the empire. The site also covers the empire's defense systems, the way Incan architecture blended with the landscape, and how they communicated without a written language. Rich in content, the site includes photos, videos, and maps to enhance student understanding.

tag(s): architecture (84), south america (77)

Ghosts of Machu Picchu is a free site that explores careers related to Machu Picchu. The site offers a video on the Ghost of Machu Picchu, an interview on the Incas' ice mummies, a profile of a climate expert, and a lesson on ice mummies. The lesson is divided into grades 5-8 and 9-12, with an extension activity on falling on the leaning tower.

tag(s): climate (85), south america (77)

Peru's Machu Picchu site offers a virtual tour of Museo de Sitio and a link to Machu Picchu viewed through the eyes of Fernando Astete. The site can be translated into Spanish and French.

tag(s): cultures (226), south america (77)

Discover an entire unit in which students will gain knowledge of the geography of South America, how mountains affect climate, plant and animal ecology and the daily life of humans living in the region, the history of the Incas, the economy and social life of the Inca Empire, the impact of the Spanish Conquest on the Andean people, the archaeological site of Machu Picchu, and more. The lesson plans themselves consist of materials needed, an overview, an introduction, procedures including inquiry questions, discussion, assessment, and homework. A teacher and student guide are included as well as additional resources, word match, and glossary. The unit aligns to the Connecticut Social Studies Framework.

tag(s): cultures (226), south america (77)

View these resources related to Ancient Africa and the Kingdom of Kush. Find art, civilizations, daily life, people, geography, culture, government, and war. Under each topic are many resource links. The resource links include a Q&A or questions and answers at the very bottom.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): africa (170)

Share this site with your students that offers a clear overview of the Kingdom of Kush, highlighting its emergence as a significant civilization in the Nile River Valley. It discusses Kush's expansion over regions of present-day Sudan and its period of ruling Egypt for over a century. The resource is suitable for middle-grade students, offering an accessible introduction to the history and influence of Kush in ancient Africa.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): africa (170)

Discover this accessible and engaging overview of this ancient African civilization for young learners. It covers Kush's origins in Nubia, its interactions with Ancient Egypt--including periods of both conflict and cooperation--and its eventual rise to power, culminating in the Kushite pharaohs' rule over Egypt during the 25th Dynasty. The article highlights Kush's achievements in trade, ironworking, and architecture, notably the construction of pyramids at Meroe. Accompanied by printable worksheets, this resource is well-suited for upper elementary and middle school students studying ancient civilizations or African history.

tag(s): africa (170)

The Britannica Kids article on the Kingdom of Kush offers a clear, student-friendly overview of this ancient African civilization. It explains how Kush, located in what is now Sudan, began as an Egyptian colony and later rose to power, even ruling Egypt during the 700s BCE. The article highlights Kush's wealth from gold mining, agriculture, and trade, as well as its cultural blend of Egyptian and African influences. It also notes the kingdom's eventual decline after being conquered by Aksum around 350 CE. This resource is ideal for upper elementary and middle school students studying ancient civilizations or African history.

tag(s): africa (170)

View this site about Ancient Africa, which has links to information on Ancient Africa, Medieval African Kingdoms, stories, fables, and proverbs, religions, art, and geography. Additionally, the site contains links for lesson plans, animals, Kwanzaa, crafts, and the continent today. Don't miss the site's interactive games.

tag(s): africa (170), kwanzaa (12)

The Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) Toolkit, provided by the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, offers educators a variety of downloadable resources to celebrate and raise awareness of JAHM each May. The toolkit includes social media posts, posters, a resource guide, and logos. Additionally, companion resources are available for the poster series featuring notable Jewish Americans. Educators seeking professional development opportunities and further teaching materials can find them through the toolkit. For specific needs, the JAHM team is available year-round to assist schools and organizations in finding appropriate resources.

tag(s): cultures (226), jews (52), social media (50)

The Louisiana Department of Education's "Unit 4: The Inca and Aztec Empires" resource provides teachers with a structured collection of activity pages, assessments, and learning materials focused on the rise, achievements, and decline of the Inca and Aztec civilizations. This PDF includes reading passages, vocabulary exercises, map activities, comprehension questions, and writing prompts to support student engagement and understanding. This resource is designed to align with curriculum standards, and is ideal for reinforcing key concepts, assessing student knowledge, and facilitating discussions on Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations.

tag(s): aztecs (10), letter writing (20), maps (224), south america (77), vocabulary (242)

The BrainPOP Inca Civilization page provides an engaging multimedia approach to teaching students about the history, achievements, and daily life of the Inca Empire. This resource includes an animated video, quizzes, vocabulary activities, and interactive features that help students explore Inca engineering, agriculture, government, and communication systems. BrainPOP's content is great for introducing or reinforcing key concepts in social studies, and is designed to support diverse learning styles. Teachers can use the provided lesson ideas and extension activities to promote critical thinking, discussion, and hands-on learning in the classroom.

tag(s): agriculture (52), communication (130), engineering (137), south america (77)

The EDSITEment lesson plan "Couriers of the Inca Empire: Getting Your Message Across" provides educators with an engaging way to teach students about the Inca Empire's communication system. This resource explores how the chasquis (Inca messengers) used an extensive relay network and quipu (knotted cords) to transmit information across the vast empire. The lesson includes primary sources, interactive activities, and discussion prompts to help students understand the challenges of communication in a pre-modern society. It supports inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and cross-curricular connections in history, geography, and STEM.

tag(s): communication (130), inquiry (30), native americans (116), south america (77), STEM (310)

The Inka Road History Timeline highlights the Incan civilization via a timeline from 100 BC to 1825 AD. As you learn about the ancient civilization, maps and images are featured. To interact with the site, click on the timeline at the top. The site also pronounces some of the words from the ancient civilization.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

View this site to learn about information on the Incas' legendary and historical origins, the rise of the Inca empire, Pachacutec, Machu Picchu, and the Qhapac nan, the civil War, the fall of the empire, and knowledge of the Incas.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

PBS Nova's The Lost Inca Empire shares information on the wealth, growth, the beginning of the end, Machu Picchu, Living at Heights, and the conquest. There is a lot of reading on this site, so pair stronger readers with weaker readers.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

The Great Inca Rebellion is a question-and-answer site that shares information about the Ancient Inca civilization. Some of the questions answered include: Just how big was the empire in its heyday?, How far did it extend?, How much was the empire's rapid growth due to the exploits of a single great leader, the Alexander-the-Great-like Pachacuti?, How much of the Inca leaders' phenomenal success was due to their building on administrative and economic systems that were already in place?, and The Incas also had an elaborate food storage system. How much did that play into their success?

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

History Dose's The Entire Rise of the Inca Empire is a twenty-seven-minute YouTube video that shares the rise of the Incan empire. The video highlights the stone marvels of Machu Picchu and Sacsayhuaman and their immense road system.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): native americans (116), south america (77)

Twinkl Home Educators' "Time Explorers Lesson One--The Ancient Maya" is a forty-four-minute YouTube video. The video explores who the Ancient Mayans were, what their beliefs were, and how they lived. It is recommended that you have an atlas and a copy of the Activity Sheet Maya Map, which you will find in the planning pack linked below the video. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video may not be viewable.
This site includes advertising.

tag(s): central america (26), mayans (32), mexico (46)