What's included in the Maya History Stem Sentences resource and why is it useful?

LKS2 The Maya History Stem Sentences is a set of sentence stems that give children a clear starting point for discussion and written answers about the topic. The content includes 28 stem sentences across 7 pages, covering why the Maya civilisation was important, how the Maya lived and organised their society, homes, games and laws, farming and food, Pakal the Great, Maya beliefs and how the Maya compared with Britain at the same time.

Each stem gives children the first part of a sentence, so they can focus on the history rather than how to begin. Children practise using topic vocabulary, explaining causes and consequences, and giving reasons with "because". This builds the oracy and extended writing skills they need to show what they know.

Daily Life and Society

Stems about Maya homes, games, laws and farming, such as "Pitz was an important game because..."

Pakal the Great and Maya Beliefs

Stems about significant people, gods, temples and the Maya calendar, such as "Pakal the Great is remembered for..."

Comparing the Maya and Britain

Stems that help children compare Maya society with Britain at the same time, such as "The Maya and British were different because..."

How do our history stem sentences work?

Our stem sentences sit alongside our history scheme. Display a stem on the board or print the pages for tables, and children finish the sentence aloud or in writing. You can also use them:

• as a lesson starter to recap learning from the previous lesson
• with talk partners, who finish a stem together and then share their answer
• as a writing frame for extended answers in books
• on a working wall, so children can refer back to them across the topic
• at the end of the unit, to see what children can explain on their own

Stretch confident learners by asking them to add a second reason or a piece of evidence. Support others by modelling a complete sentence first.

Teach the full unit with our six Maya lessons.

Supporting Children with EAL and SEND

Stem sentences reduce the language load of a task, so every child can take part in the discussion. Read stems aloud together, point to the photo on each strip and give a word bank of key vocabulary from the topic. Children can answer with a single word or a drawing before building to a full sentence.