District News

Fifth graders investigate ancient writing system

 

Feb. 10, 2012

 

Fifth grade students from Joan Kolodziej's fifth grade class at East Hill Elementary School have been learning about the ancient Mayan civilizations, using books, articles, and videos. The group recently used a fast-drying clay to recreate Mayan hieroglyphic, or glyphs, featuring logograms (specific meanings) and syllabograms (particular sounds).

Many of the glyphs were created to record important events in the lives of their rulers. And although the last Mayan kingdom ended in 1697, there are still many descendants lived in Mexico and around South America.

For some examples of the students' work, check out the pictures below.

(Click on any image to view a 3" x 4" image in a new window)