human progress lesson

Centers of Progress, Pt. 6: Chichen Itza

In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

By Sean Kinnard

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Centers of Progress

14-part unit
  • A man, two women, and a little girl talking
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 37: Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik is a beautiful walled city on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, once home to one of the freest and most cosmopolitan societies in Europe and one of the first societies to implement comprehensive public health measures to contain disease.

  • Ships on the ocean coastline
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 36: Seville

    Today we know Seville as the sunny capital of the region of Andalusia, but during the century following the Iberian conquest of America, Seville was one of the most important cities in Europe.

  • Two men playing Mesoamerican Ball Game
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 6: Chichen Itza

    In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

  • Two women purchasing fish from a man
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 16: Amsterdam

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about how a unique set of cultural values that emphasized openness and tolerance helped lead Amsterdam to the pinnacle of European commercial success during the Dutch Golden Age

  • Two women tending to crops
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 1: Jericho

    Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture.

  • A royal man and woman drinking in front of the Taj Mahal
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 35: Agra

    In this lesson, students will learn about the Mughal Empire and its rulers by exploring the theme of monumental architecture. They will also have the opportunity to research other “new wonders of the world” and examine their own beliefs about memorials in contemporary society.

  • Three intellects sitting in an office having a conversation
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 18: Edinburgh

    In this article, Chelsea Follett describes why the small university city of Edinburgh, Scotland, was such an important intellectual center in the Enlightenment.

  • Two men and a teenager looking over a newspaper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 15: Mainz

    In this lesson, students will learn about the city of Mainz, Germany and the man responsible for Europe’s rapid adoption of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

  • Computer code overlapping people walking in the street
    Your Life in Numbers

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how these measures have changed during your lifetime and compare your results with people in other countries.

  • three women standing in a circle holding a long sheet of paper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

  • An illustration of a woman working on a loom.
    Centers of Progress: Manchester

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

  • Clock turning to dust in hand
    Your Life in Numbers: Student Work Document

    Interpret interactive, data‐​driven tools, and compare and contrast international results to make inferences and draw conclusions about changes and improvements over time in the quality of life: locally, regionally, and globally, and more.

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The development of team sports was a significant cultural achievement. Sports have transformed the way that people spend their leisure time by being one of the most universally loved forms of entertainment. To many people, team sports fulfill deeper psychological functions, such as providing an additional sense of meaning in their lives.

— Chelsea Follett

In this article, Follett writes, “The development of team sports was a significant cultural achievement. Sports have transformed the way that people spend their leisure time by being one of the most universally loved forms of entertainment. To many people, team sports fulfill deeper psychological functions, such as providing an additional sense of meaning in their lives.” In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

Warm‐​Up

  • Watch this video about the revival of a version of the Mesoamerican Ball Game.
    After watching, in partners, small groups, or as a whole class, answer these questions:
    • What are some unique aspects of this ball game?
    • Why isn’t this game more widely played now? Which huge change occurred in Mesoamerica that outlawed this game several centuries ago?
    • What are these players’ larger goals for the revival of the game? In other words, what legacy do they want to pass on to their descendants and to Mexican culture?
  • What do you know about Chichen Itza? Watch this video to build background knowledge about this UNESCO World Heritage site.
    After watching, in partners, small groups, or as a whole class, answer these questions:
    • What is the significance of the four sets of 91 steps leading to the top of the pyramid and the additional step on the pyramid’s top?
    • What happens at the stone step pyramid Kukulkan on the spring and autumn equinoxes?
    • What do the construction and placement of monumental architecture at Chichen Itza tell us about the sophistication of Mayan civilization?

Questions for Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

  • Follett writes, “Sports are among humanity’s oldest innovations.” Why do people play sports? What social and/​or cultural functions do team sports like the Mesoamerican Ball Game have in society?
  • Which three achievements make the Maya stand apart from all other pre‐​Columbian civilizations?
  • What extant evidence do we have of Toltec influence on Mayan culture?
  • What role did human sacrifice have in Mayan society?
  • Describe the economy of Chichen Itza. What was the basis of the economy?
  • What role did the Mesoamerican Ball Game have in the life of Mayan city‐​states like Chichen Itza?

Extension Activity/​Homework

  • Play the Mesoamerican Ball Game
    Watch this video on how to play the Mesoamerican Ball Game, also known as Pok‐​A‐​Tok.
    After watching, play the game!
    • Go to a basketball court with your classmates. Bring a foam ball, two hula hoops, and several cones (optional).
    • Use the cones to mark the boundary of your ball court. If there are already markings, you can use those instead.
    • Secure the hula hoops at either end of the court at about head height. The hoop’s opening should be vertical (not horizontal like a basketball hoop).
    • Form two teams of 4–6 players. Teams face each other.
    • The referee says, “Pok‐​A‐​Tok,” and the game begins.
      Rules:
    • The ball is hit into the field of play.
    • Players can pass the ball to each other using only their elbows, knees, and hips; hands, heads, and feet are not allowed.
    • A point is scored when the opposing team fails to return the ball before it bounces a second time or when the ball reaches the opposing end zone.
    • The game finishes when a player from one team gets the ball through the hoop at the opposite end of the court or when time runs out (together, you may decide the length of each game).
  • Profile a Pre‐​Columbian Civilization
    Create a PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation about one pre‐​Columbian American civilization. Choose one of the following:
    • Olmec
    • Maya
    • Aztec
    • Inca
    • Mississippian
    • Pueblo

Before making your presentation, do research using reliable sources and take notes in the chart below. You must use your own words.

Slide The _​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​Civilization

Introduction

One‐​paragraph summary about the civilization

Society

Population, social structure (classes)

Politics

Powerholders, governmental structure, role of military

Interactions with the environment

Resource use, geographical location and extant

Culture

Religion(s), artifacts, writing systems, pastimes

Economy

Economic system, trading partners

Technology

Architecture, canals, irrigation, roads

Works Cited

Cite sources using APA format

When you’ve gathered the necessary information, create your presentation using the categories above. Your presentation must have at least eight slides, and they must include visuals such as maps, photos, graphs, or artwork. Be as detailed and creative as you like.

  • Write an Essay on Sports and War
    In the article, Follett writes:
    “The Ball Game occasionally served as a substitute for war, with rival political leaders in the later Aztec civilization purportedly agreeing to confront each other on a ball court rather than on a battlefield. In fact, some psychologists believe that sports today help human beings to channel their competitive and aggressive impulses away from violence, and that athletic competitions are intertwined with the decline of overt conflict between states.”

What do you think? Do you think the decline in interstate warfare over the past 75 years is partly the result of the increase in the popularity of sports? Why or why not? Write an essay in which you take a stand on this question. Support your thesis with evidence (you may use this article, also linked above). In your essay, be sure to present and refute at least one counterargument.