Mayan Math Basics

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The ancient Maya had a sophisticated number system that was unlike anything used today. Introduce your students to this fascinating system and challenge them to solve math equations using these numbers. Printer Settings Brand: MakerBot Model: MakerBot Replicator 2 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: Standard Infill: 10% How I Designed This The 3D printed parts were designed in Tinkercad, a popular online platform for creating and editing digital models. Overview and Background Maya math was the most advanced number system ever developed in the Americas. It allowed scholars, astronomers, and architects to make complex calculations, but it was simple enough for market traders and illiterate farmers to use. Where we use ten different symbols to represent numbers (1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0), the Maya used only three: a dot for one, a line for five, and a shell for zero. The Maya were the first civilization to discover and understand the concept of zero. Below are the Maya numbers from 0–19: We use a decimal system based on the number ten, but the Maya used a vigesimal system based on the number twenty. So where we learn to count on our fingers, Maya children counted on their fingers and toes. In fact, the number twenty was very important to the Maya, so much so that the words for "human being" and "twenty" share the same root in most Mayan languages. The Maya wrote their numbers from top to bottom rather than from left to right, but apart from that, their system was not so different from ours. Objectives Identify the Maya number system as a place-value system Identify the symbols used in the Maya number system Read and identify the value of Maya numerals Standards FINE ARTS: Visual Arts GRADES 5 - 8 NA-VA.5-8.4 Understanding the Visual Arts In Relation to History and Cultures NA-VA.5-8.6 Making Connections Between Visual Arts and Other Disciplines LANGUAGE ARTS: English GRADES K - 12 NL-ENG.K-12.1 Read with accuracy and fluency NL-ENG.K-12.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text NL-ENG.K-12.3 Make inferences and draw conclusions NL-ENG.K-12.4 Identify the main idea of an informational text LANGUAGE ARTS: Mathematics GRADES K - 12 MA.MD.1 Write numbers from 0 to 20. MA.MD.2 Compare two whole numbers. Duration of Lesson 60 minutes Preparation Briefly discuss the geographical area occupied by the Maya; explain that the Maya were excellent mathematicians and that they used a counting system different than our Arabic System. Base 20 vs Base 10 To prepare for this lesson, you will need the Maya Number System tiles. Rubric and Assessment Can students recognize and write the Maya numbers 0-19? References Sara Otto-Dinez; Mysteries of the Maya PBS.org: Ancient Civilizations/The Maya Chronicles