Engaging Classroom Activities on Land-Based Empires and Gunpowder

I think that a nice complimentary activity/reading would be to also look at indigenous forms of technology throughout the Americas - not to compare but to also hit on the fact that empires in the Americas were also quite advanced and had various feats when it comes to technology

These illustrations give a great addition to the topic itself.  It seems to put the development into perspective so much more clearly.

Speaking of technology, a new article recently came out in Nature regarding a surprising finding of tools being used much earlier than originally thought. It might be fun for your students to see how far we've come. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00693-0 

I appreciate this suggestion Jazmin Puicon ! I love the idea of shifting the focus to indigenous technology. Are there any particular examples you’d recommend exploring? 

This is one of my favorite ones to talk about. We actually talk a great deal about bridges in my sixth grade class, and this video is fascinating:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dql-D6JQ1Bc 

Thanks for sharing Denise Ford ! I like how this video highlights both engineering and cultural heritage. 

This article from Nature is such a great find! It's always fascinating to see how discoveries like this push our understanding of early technology even further back.

Chinampas Mexico | Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The return of Aztec floating farms

South America's Inca civilization was better at skull surgery than Civil War doctors | Science | AAAS

Trepanation Reveals the Success of the Incas | ACS

The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire

Hope these are helpful!

 Jazmin Puicon  Wow, you always come through with such great sources—appreciate it! 

 Denise Ford Thank you for sharing the video. It’s not only remarkable from a technological standpoint, but also powerful in showing how the entire community participates in building the bridge.

In Peru, there are still-functional drainage systems, terraces, and trails originally built by the Incas—evidence of engineering that has endured for centuries.

It’s so important to show examples like these to our students when we talk about technology. It helps them expand their understanding beyond the traditional, often Western, narratives and see innovation as something deeply rooted in diverse cultural and historical contexts.