Ghosts of Machu Picchu (Video)
See how the design of Machu Picchu reveals a remarkable engineering feat by the Inca. (Chapters 4 and 5, approx. 15 min.; Program available after broadcast)

The Lost Empire (Article)
Travel back 500 years to a magnificent society made up of more than 10 million subjects: the world of the Inca.

Outfitting for Battle (Interactive)
Compare Inca and conquistador soldiers to see how markedly their dress and weaponry differed—differences that played a decisive role in the fall of the Inca Empire.

Grass Bridge (Video)
Watch residents of the Peruvian Andes build a traditional and functioning grass bridge—the likes of which enabled the ancient Inca people to flourish for several hundred years. (4:50 min.)

The Great Inca Rebellion (Lesson/Viewing Ideas: Before Watching #1)
Make a timeline of Inca civilization on the board. Have students research and plot when Inca civilization began, when it peaked, and when it fell. Then, have students find and post (above the Inca time line) information about what was going on in Europe and Asia during that time period.

Curriculum Connections
Inca civilization, plotting data, timelines

Standards
Grades 5-8
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Nature of science
Math Standards (Grades 6-8): Data Analysis and Probability

Grades 9-12
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Nature of scientific knowledge
Math Standards: Data Analysis and Probability

Secrets of Lost Empires I—Inca (Lesson)
Construct suspension cables out of newspaper. (If possible, watch the "Grass Bridge" video segment described and linked to above, first.)

Curriculum Connections
Engineering, bridge construction, suspension bridges, Inca civilization, building practices

Standards
Grades 5-8
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard E: Science and Technology: Abilities of a technological design, Understanding about science and technology
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor, History of science

Grades 9-12
Standard A: Science as Inquiry: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry, Understanding about scientific inquiry
Standard E: Science and Technology: Abilities of a technological design, Understanding about science and technology
Standard G: History and Nature of Science: Science as a human endeavor, Historical perspectives