Year 5 – Mayans

This half term we have been learning all about the Maya civilisation. We discovered that the Maya people were farmers who grew maize, beans, and squash, which were very important foods in their daily diet. They also grew cacao beans and made hot chocolate! We went to the campfire and enjoyed a nice drink and listened to a Maya myth. We explored what daily life was like for the Maya, including the types of houses they lived in. We learned how their homes were built and even made our own model Maya houses to help us understand how they lived.

We also learned about Maya religion and their calendar and why these were so important in their society. The Maya believed in many gods and used their calendar to plan farming, ceremonies, and celebrations. We studied different artefacts and learned how drawings and objects from the past help historians understand how people lived long ago.

To link with our art topic, we created death and celebration masks using clay. This helped us explore how the Maya expressed their beliefs through art and ceremonies. We have really enjoyed learning about the Maya and showing our understanding through history, art, and creative activities.

What The Student Says

"I really enjoyed this topic because I loved learning about the Maya celebration and death masks. My favourite part of this topic was designing and making my own mask which I was extremely proud of." - Pupil from 5NP

"I liked going to the campfire to make the hot chocolate like the Maya did hundreds of year ago. Did you know they put chillies in it? I didn't like that though." -Pupil in 5LK

"So far in year 5 this has been one of my favourite topics. I have enjoyed exploring the daily life of the Maya and making comparisons with other time periods in history. My favourite thing I learnt was that the Maya loved to play football but it was called Pok a Tok." -Pupil in 5NP

"I used lollipop sticks to make the house because they were made out of wood. I then painted it white because they used lime to cover the wood. The roof was made of palm leaves so we used straw from the goats' pen." -Pupil in 5LK

What knowledge and skills have been developed?

Historical skills:

- Chronological Understanding
- Historical enquiry
- Historical interpretation
- Knowledge and understanding of events, people, and changes in the past
- Organisation and Communication

Art skills:

- Develop an understanding of different ways of finishing work (e.g. glaze, paint, polish, varnish)
- Understand that a range of media can be selected (due to their properties) for different purposes
- Independently recognise problems and adapt work when necessary – taking inspiration from other sculptors
- To know and understand that the Mayan civilisation was an ancient civilisation
- To know where the Mayan civilisation came from
- To know and understand how the Mayan civilisation celebrated significant events
- To understand the importance of the celebration masks in Mayan culture
- To use clay to create a 3d Mayan mask for a specific purpose
- To use scoring and finishing techniques to create a replica Mayan mask using clay
- To use simple rolled out 3d shapes (spheres, cylinders) to create other shapes for their final clay, Mayan mask

What the Teacher says

Throughout this half term, the children have been highly engaged in learning about the Maya civilisation. They showed great curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored daily life, farming, religion, and the Maya calendar, developing a strong understanding of how people lived in the past. Through studying artefacts and drawings, the children built important historical enquiry skills and learned how evidence from the past helps us gain knowledge today.

The practical activities, including creating model Maya houses and designing death and celebration masks with clay, allowed the children to develop a range of artistic skills while making meaningful links to history. They demonstrated creativity, focus, and pride in their work, applying new techniques and ideas confidently. Overall, the children made excellent progress, developing both their historical understanding and artistic skills throughout this topic.

School Address:

Clapgate Primary School
10 Cranmore Drive
Belle Isle
Leeds
LS10 4AW

School Contacts:

Headteacher: Miss Taylor
Deputy Headteacher: Miss Procter
SENDCO: Mrs Lawton
Office: Mrs Austin, Miss Johnson, Mrs Belt and Miss Stamp
Chair of Governors: Mr Bache

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Tel: 0113 271 6700
Email: clapgate@clapgateprimaryschool.org

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