Mayan Calendar

Objective:

Students will learn about the Mayan numeral system’s base-20 structure and apply it to solve basic arithmetic problems, enhancing their understanding of numerical systems.

Materials Needed:

• Handout of the Mayan numeral system (including symbols for numbers 0-19, and the representation of 20 as a base).
• Worksheets with addition and subtraction problems presented in Mayan numerals.
• Blank sheets for students to work on.
• Pencils and erasers.

Instructions:

Step 1: Introduction to the Mayan Numeral System (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief presentation on the Mayan civilization, focusing on their contributions to mathematics and astronomy.
• Introduce the Mayan numeral system, explaining the symbols for 0 (a shell), 1 (a dot), and 5 (a bar). Highlight that it’s a vigesimal (base-20) system.
• Show how numbers up to 19 are represented and how larger numbers are stacked vertically to represent multiples of 20.