Maya Government Activity
One Day at a Time
At the top of Maya government sat the king. As you know, Maya kings had great responsibilities. Of course, they were expected to be great military leaders, carrying out raids against rival city-states. However, they also needed to be able to solve the sort of problems that affect all cities. They needed to ensure that the population was fed. They needed to be able to protect their people from outside threats. They needed to administer law and order and, in matters of justice, they were the final decision-makers. Of course, they also needed to make sure that the Maya gods were pleased. Indeed, a Maya king's responsibilities were great and those responsibilities kept them very busy.
As you learned in your last lesson on Maya Society, persons at every social class had responsibilities. Without each member of Maya society fulfilling their individual responsibilities, the Maya civilization would not have achieved the level of greatness for which the Maya are known. From this lesson on Maya government, you know that the Maya system of government had many levels. Just as each class in Maya society fulfilled roles that made Maya society great, officials at each level of Maya government had their specific duties.
As you learned in your last lesson on Maya Society, persons at every social class had responsibilities. Without each member of Maya society fulfilling their individual responsibilities, the Maya civilization would not have achieved the level of greatness for which the Maya are known. From this lesson on Maya government, you know that the Maya system of government had many levels. Just as each class in Maya society fulfilled roles that made Maya society great, officials at each level of Maya government had their specific duties.
To be successful with this activity you will need to include what you learned about Maya society in your last lesson and what you now know about the Maya government, and you will need to think deeply about how the different levels of government worked together to manage city-states with populations numbering in the tens of thousands and spread out over miles and miles of dense forest.
With all of those many responsibilities in mind, I want you to create a calendar for a Maya king. Think about their responsibilities and the officials with whom they might work to meet all of the many demands made upon their time.
For your king's calendar, you do NOT need to schedule an activity for every hour of every day. Instead, you will be assessed on which activities you schedule for the king. Please provide details. For instance, if you schedule a meeting with the High Priest, please note what the meeting is about.
With all of those many responsibilities in mind, I want you to create a calendar for a Maya king. Think about their responsibilities and the officials with whom they might work to meet all of the many demands made upon their time.
For your king's calendar, you do NOT need to schedule an activity for every hour of every day. Instead, you will be assessed on which activities you schedule for the king. Please provide details. For instance, if you schedule a meeting with the High Priest, please note what the meeting is about.
