Grade 5History & geographyquiz16 questions

The Maya

Grade 5: where the Maya lived, cities and pyramids, Maya writing and calendar, farming maize, number system with zero.

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Free to play. Teams answer on one screen; your phone is the remote. No student devices.

Questions

  1. In which part of the world did the ancient Maya live?

    • Central America and southern Mexico
    • Central Asia and Mongolia
    • Northern Europe and Iceland
    • Southern Africa and Madagascar
    Show answerCentral America and southern Mexico

  2. Which type of land covered much of the Maya homeland?

    • Cold snowy mountains
    • Dry sandy desert
    • Frozen tundra
    • Hot, wet rainforest
    Show answerHot, wet rainforest

  3. The ancient Maya lived in the cold Arctic. (True or false?)

    Show answerFalse

  4. What shape were the great Maya temples at cities like Tikal?

    • Flat tents
    • Round domes
    • Stepped pyramids
    • Tall glass towers
    Show answerStepped pyramids

  5. What did Maya priests and rulers often use the tops of the pyramids for?

    • Farming maize
    • Fishing
    • Storing winter snow
    • Temples and ceremonies
    Show answerTemples and ceremonies

  6. Name one famous ancient Maya city. (Answer out loud)

    Show answerTikal (also Chichen Itza, Palenque, Copan or Uxmal)

  7. What are the Maya picture-symbols used for writing called?

    • Alphabets
    • Cuneiform
    • Glyphs
    • Runes
    Show answerGlyphs

  8. The Maya made a detailed calendar by watching the Sun, Moon and stars. (True or false?)

    Show answerTrue

  9. How many days are in the Maya solar calendar called the Haab?

    • 100
    • 260
    • 365
    • 400
    Show answer365

  10. Which crop was the most important food for the Maya?

    • Maize
    • Potatoes
    • Rice
    • Wheat
    Show answerMaize

  11. Name one other crop the Maya grew besides maize. (Answer out loud)

    Show answerBeans, squash, chilli peppers or cacao

  12. Which Maya crop was used to make a chocolate drink?

    • Cacao beans
    • Chilli leaves
    • Maize husks
    • Squash seeds
    Show answerCacao beans

  13. In the Maya number system, what did a dot stand for?

    • Five
    • One
    • Ten
    • Zero
    Show answerOne

  14. In the Maya number system, a bar stood for which number? (Answer out loud)

    Show answerFive

  15. The Maya had a symbol for zero, and one form of it looked like a shell. (True or false?)

    Show answerTrue

  16. The Maya number system was based on counting in groups of what number?

    • Sixty
    • Ten
    • Twelve
    • Twenty
    Show answerTwenty

Play it as a game

Penalty KickAnswer right to take a penalty: left or right for 2, the top corner for 3. Will the keeper save it?Fishing PondAnswer right to cast at a buoy: fish worth 1 to 3, the golden fish for 5, or a silly old boot!Claw MachineAnswer right to work the claw: grab a plush prize, but the big ones slip more often!Lucky DropAnswer right to drop a ball through the pegs. Every bucket scores, and the golden one is worth 10!

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