03.03 Travel Journal

Objectives of this lesson:

  • Compare advanced American civilizations with the four early river valley civilizations
  • Analyze map projections and explain uses of various types of maps
  • Explain why ancient civilizations developed networks of highways, waterways, and other transportation linkages

Question to answer below:

-What can you learn from studying different maps of the Inca Empire? What geographical challenges did the Incas face? What geographical advantages did they have?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. What continent did the Incas live on?
  2. What countries today would the Incas be living in?
  3. Using the physical map, you will see that the Incas lived high in the mountains. How could this be a benefit to them?
  4. What challenges do you think they faced by living in the mountains? (consider water, farming, defense, communication, etc)

-What were the main divisions of Inca society? How did members of an ayllu help one another?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. Who was at the top of the social pyramid? What was this person’s role?
  2. Who was the royal family?
  3. Who were the nobility?
  4. Who were the Ayllu?

-Describe the Sapa Inca’s power over his people. How was this similar to or different from rulers in other ancient river civilizations?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. How much did the Sapa Inca own?
  2. What system did the Inca use to get things done in the empire?

-How did the Incas worship their gods?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. Just like many ancient civilizations, would you consider the Inca to be monotheistic or polytheistic?
  2. Who was the main god for the Incas?
  3. In what ways did the Inca copy the Egyptians?

-What were some contributions of Inca civilization?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. What is Quachua?
  2. What is the quipu?
  3. Why do you think the Inca did not want to have a writing system?
  4. In terms of medicine, what cures did the Inca create?

-What are some examples of Incan technology?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. Why was the Incan road system so important?
  2. Besides building roads, what other objects had to be constructed based on living in the mountains?
  3. What is terrace farming and why was it necessary?
  4. Just like the Egyptians, they Incas were good in metallurgy. How did the Incas use metallurgy to their advantage?

-How did the Sapa Inca influence the Incan economy? How did the road system influence the economy?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. Unlike the many ancient civilizations that you learned so far, why did barter not play a big role in the Incan economy?
  2. The Incas mita system was their form of tribute. How is the Inca tribute system different from the Aztecs (lesson 3.02) tribute system?
  3. What was the benefit of having a good road system?

-How did Pizarro conquer the Incas?

Specific questions to answer:

  1. Just like Hernando Cortes, what did Pizarro do to conquer the Incas?
  2. Besides having better weapons, how else did the Spaniards defeat the Incas?