The Topic: Incas Easier - Incas are a native South American people that once ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the Americas. Their empire covered much of present-day Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile and parts of Columbia and Argentina. The Inca empire was conquered by invading Spain in the 16th century.   Harder - In the 12th century, conquering Inca tribes spread from the mountains of Peru into the fertile Cuzco valley. By the end of the 15th century, the Incas controlled a huge empire. They numbered more than 10 million people and covered 440,000 square miles (1,140,000 square kilometers). Incas won these lands with their powerful armies, then strictly controlled their people with efficient organization and communication. Incas constructed a paved road system, irrigation canals, and massive stone buildings and fortress temples. In 1532, the empire weakened by civil war and unrest was overwhelmed by a small force of Spanish solders.   Ancient Peru http://www.ancientmexico.com/peru/peru.html This visually rich site explores the art, culture, and history of the Incas. Related Websites: 2) Art & Culture of the Incas http://www.theincas.com/ 3) Incan Government and Architecture by J. Friedman from Writings Collection http://mcjester.cjb.net/inca.html 4) Lost Empire by L. Clark from PBS NOVA http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/peru/worlds/index.html 5) Unraveling the Mysteries by C. Sherman from St. Petersburg Times http://www.sptimes.com/peru/unraveling.html   Civilization of the Incas (Grade 6) http://www.internet-at-work.com/hos_mcgrane/inca/eg_inca_menu1.html This student site provides a comprehensive overview of the Incas. Related Websites: 2) Inca http://www.att.virtualclassroom.org/vc98/vc_68/Mesoamerica/Inca/index.html 3) Inca http://lsa.colorado.edu/%7Edepaula/webguide/inca1.htm 4) Incas http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/lilac/3/incas.htm 5) Incas from Civilizations in America http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/CIVAMRCA/INCAS.HTM   Incas & Conquistadors by D. Bailey http://www.incaconquest.com/ Learn of the mighty and mysterious Inca Empire that ruled much of South America from 1438 to 1532. Related Websites: 2) Conquistadors - Peru from PBS http://www.pbs.org/opb/conquistadors/peru/peru.htm 3) Inca Expansion & the Conquistadors from Ecuador Explorer http://www.ecuadorexplorer.com/html/inca_expanison__the_conquista.html 4) Inca Civilization http://www.cyberschool.k12.or.us/~hamill/history/units/indigenous/incahistory.htm 5) Life, Times and Execution of the Last Inca by J.Q. Jacobs http://www.jqjacobs.net/andes/tupac_amaru.html 6) Pedro de Cieza de Léon: Chronicles of the Incas, 1540 from Modern History Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1540cieza.html   Incan Empire from Carmen Sandiego Connection http://www.carmensandiego.com/products/time/incasc09/ebmain_c09.html Here you can read about the Inca people, rulers, religion, calendar, and more. Related Websites: 2) Empire of the Incas by D.E. Ogburn http://www.millville.org/Workshops_f/Acker_Inca/inca.htm 3) Inca by K. Goehring http://www.snowcrest.net/goehring/inca/ 4) Inca Civilization History http://www.allsands.com/History/People/incacivilizatio_svs_gn.htm 5) Inca Empire http://travelvantage.com/per_inca_emp.html 6) Incas http://travelvantage.com/per_inca.html   After visiting several of the websites about Incas, complete one or more of the following projects:   Create A Inca History Timeline. Create a timeline that details the major events of Inca history. Consider using a database software and incorporating images and your own drawings.   Complete An Inca WebQuest. Adapt or follow the procedures found at these webQuest sites: 1) Culture of the Inca from Scholastic http://teacher.scholastic.com/webquest/socstudies/inca.htm 2) Inca Empire (Grade 5) http://www.loudoun.k12.va.us/schools/catoctin/5th/webquests/incas/ 3) Quest to Save Machu Picchu http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/lfitzgerald/webquest.htm   Compare and Contrast Aztec and Inca Culture. You may first want to visit the companion eduScapes 42eXplore project on Aztecs. Identify ways in which these two cultures are similar and ways in which they differ. Create a multimedia presentation in PowerPoint or HyperStudio that details your findings.   Plan A Tour of the Inca Trail. Use the websites to plan a tour of the major Inca sites in Andes Mountains of Peru and South America. Detail your pretend itinerary and project a time frame for your visit. Estimate the expenses for your trip.   Create A Model of a City Fortress. Construct a model or diorama of a mountain fortress inhabited by Inca people.   Create A Poster Celebrating Inca Accomplishments. Identify all the contributions or accomplishments of the Inca culture. Incorporate these in a colorful and informative poster display.   Websites By Kids For Kids Inca (Section from The Andes, a1999 ThinkQuest Junior Project) http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/5058/inca.htm This project provides information about the Inca culture.   Inca (Reports from Kent School District) http://www.kent.wednet.edu/KSD/SB/Ancient/Inca.html This site contains elementary school student reports and artwork on the Incas.   Incas, Mayas y Aztecas (2000 ThinkQuest Internet Challenge) http://library.thinkquest.org/C006206F/fotos%20incas_i.htm This site examines the history, art, culture, and religions of three important civilizations: Incas, Mayas and Aztecas.   Life in the Andes (2001 ThinkQuest Internet Challenge) http://library.thinkquest.org/C0126101/ This project focuses on trekking the Inca trail in the Peruvian Andes.   Project: Inca (2000 ThinkQuest Internet Challenge) http://library.thinkquest.org/C004980/index2.htm For centuries, the Incas ruled over their mountainous realm in peace &endash; the same kingdom was brought down to its knees by Spanish invaders leaving behind nothing but cities built on perilous precipices and ruins with foundations so solid, that they have remained standing to this day.   More Websites Ancient Inca Irrigation Works Restored To Raise Record Crops by S. Litherland http://www.interlog.com/~ggh/peru.htm Learn how the agricultural practice of terracing used by the ancient Incas is being revived to help modern farmers in Peru.   Descendants of the Incas by D. and E. Van Buskirk http://www.incas.org/ Lean about the culture of Inca people living today near the city of Cusco, once the capital of the Inca empire.   Inca from Minnesota State University - Mankato EMuseum http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/south/cultures/inca.html Here is a brief summary of the dates, location, population, and religious practices of the Inca Empire. Other Related Webpages from EMuseum: 2) Inca (Quechua) http://www.anthro.mankato.msus.edu/cultural/southamerica/inca.html 3) Spanish Conquest http://emuseum.mankato.msus.edu/prehistory/latinamerica/topics/spanish_conquest.html   Inca Architecture http://www.rutahsa.com/incaarch.html The essence of Inca architecture illustrates three themes: precision, functionality, and austerity. Related Websites: 2) Inca from PBS NOVA Online http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/inca/ 3) Great Wall of the Incas from Science Frontiers http://science-frontiers.com/sf036/sf036p03.htm   Inca Mummies: Secrets of a Lost World from National Geographic http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/ This site has great pictures, maps, and more about this fantastic archaeological find! Another Websites from National Geographic: 2) Andes Expedition: Searching for Inca Secrets http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/97/andes/ 3) Ice Treasures of the Inca http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mummy/ Related Websites: 4) Despite Their Rap, Mummies are Really Very Chummy by J. Sanders from St. Petersburg Times http://www.sptimes.com/peru/mummies_rap.html 5) High Mummies by L. Clark from NOVA http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/peru/mummies/high1.html 6) Ice Mummies of the Inca from NOVA http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/peru/ 7) Mystery of Inca Child Sacrifice from Discovery Channel Canada http://exn.ca/mummies/Andes.cfm 7) Mummy Trove Found in Peru from BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1936023.stm 8) Search for Living Relatives of Inca Child Sacrifices by R. Highfield, News Telegraph http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/05/13/winca13.xml&s Sheet=/news/2002/05/13/ixworld.html   Inca Trail by D. Szostak http://www.shsd.org/NewSite/middleSchool/Szostak/Inca%20Trail.htm Join a middle school teacher on his exploration of Peru and the ancient Incan civilization that once ruled there. Provides background information and pictures of Incan cities and the Spanish influence, especially Cuzco, Machu Picchu, and the Inca Trail. Related Websites: 2) Cuzco - Capital of the Incas & Machuu Pichuu http://newton.umsl.edu/~mway/trip.dec95/cuzco/ 3) Inca Trail and Machu Picchu http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Photos/SouthAmerica/Peru/IncaTrail/index.html 4) Inca Trail to Machu Picchu http://www.ex.ac.uk/~RDavies/inca/ 5) Qosqo: Inkas' Sacred Capital http://users.bestweb.net/~goyzueta/qosqo/   Llamapaedia http://www.llamapaedia.com/origin/domestic.html Learn why llamas were important to Incan life.   Lost Crops of the Incas from National Academy Press http://www.nap.edu/books/030904264X/html/ This online book highlights plants of the Andes with promise for worldwide cultivation.   Machu Picchu: How They Kept the Secret by G. Ziegler from GORP http://gorp.com/gorp/location/latamer/peru/machu.htm Until its discovery in the 1911, Machu Picchu,"the lost city of the Incas", remained forgotten for 400 years. Related Websites: 2) Machu Picchu: Crown Jewel in the Clouds http://www.he.net/~mine/inca/ 3) Machu Picchu, Home of the Ancients... http://www.shastahome.com/machu-picchu/guide.html 4) Machu Picchu Journey http://www.radix.net/%7Echinatom/mp.html   Talking Knots of the Inka http://www.archaeology.org/9611/abstracts/inka.html This article is about a recently discovered manuscript, supposedly dating from the 17th century, explaining the function of the quipus, or knotted strings used by the Incas for keeping records. Related Websites: 2) Quipu, an Incan Data Structure http://www.cs.uidaho.edu/~casey931/seminar/quipu.html 3) Quipucamayu http://www.spanish.sbc.edu/MMLatAm/Quipus.html   Quechua http://www.shef.ac.uk/q/quechua/index.html This reference site provides information about the language that was spoken by the Incas and that is used by millions of their descendants today. Related Websites: 2) Basic Quechua Lessons http://www.andes.org/q_index.html 3) Cultures of the Andes http://www.andes.org/   Websites For Teachers Achievements and Challenges of Peru http://www.worldtrek.org/odyssey/teachers/perulessons.html This unit is intended to focus on some of those aspects of Peruvian life and history that are of great significance to understanding the people of Peru today and their situation.   Civilization of the Incas (Grade 6) http://www.millville.org/Workshops_f/Acker_Inca/www%20Inca%20Lesson.html This lesson directs students to students research the ancient Inca empire as a social studies project. Their project will integrate social studies, writing, and research skills.   Inca (Grade 7) from Houghton Mifflin Social Studies http://www.eduplace.com/ss/hmss/7/laag/16.2.html This publisher's lesson plan site contains activity ideas and a curriculum outline for learning about the Inca culture.   Inca Engineering from Newton's Apple http://www.ktca.org/newtons/14/incaengineer06.html Stone structures, road systems, agricultural terraces, and irrigation systems built in 1450 - 1540 A.D. by Incan engineers speak eloquently of a highly developed culture. The precisely carved, carefully fitted stones required no mortar, yet have withstood 500 years of weather and earthquakes.   Inca Expansionism (Grades 10-12) by B. Turpen, Oklahoma School of Science and Math http://ofcn.org/cyber.serv/academy/ace/soc/cecsst/cecsst157.html Students become familiar with some aspects of the Incas while learning the skills associated with making a map overlay.   Inca Regime (Grades 5-7) http://www.montana.edu/4teachers/instcomp/multipleintel/incas/incas.html This lesson introduces students to the historical, cultural, and geographical existence of the Inca Culture in South America.   Land of the Inca from National Geographic Xpeditions http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/gk2/landinca.html This lesson will introduce students to the ancient Inca people and the land on which they lived. They will learn basic facts about the Inca and be able to show where they lived on a map. Students will also look at pictures of the Andes mountains and Inca ruins and discuss the geography of the area. Finally, they will talk about how the Inca lived and compare the Inca way of life to their own.   Inca warrior llama road system Native American Machu Picchu conquistador architecture army Peru drainage system temple gold canal punishment stonework priest Tawantinsuyu Aztec textile Andes pottery fortress human sacrifice farming Mount Ampato fiber & fabric feather mask quipu ritual masonry knot sun god craft Cuzco South America potato chasqui Latino-Hispanic heritage Franciso Pizarro way station Children of the Sun communication system weaving terrace music empire        Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 10/02.