Centuries before Columbus arrived in the western hemisphere, civilizations thrived in the Americas. These civilizations left behind cities, great buildings, and legends that continue to fascinate people in the 21st century.
Choose 1 topic listed below. From your reading of Chapter 1 and researching Internet sites, choose one of the listed civilizations and an area of focus (see below). Write descriptive essay about your topic. Your essay will be
submitted through SafeAssign and evaluated for plagiarism—check your SafeAssign originality report. You will have an opportunity to make corrections or additions and resubmit your work.
Other instructions:
1. Create a title for your essay.
2. Do not copy and paste written material from your sources. All work must be in your own words. If you use quotations, identify the source.
3. Include a list of your sources.
4. Use a size 12 font in either Times New Roman or Arial.
5. Submit your work as a Word or pdf file—I am unable to read .pages,. key files, web links, or Google doc files.
6. Include at least 2 illustrations with your essay that depicts your topic.
I. Choose one of the American Civilizations below:
 Olmec Civilization
 Maya Civilization
 Nasca Civilization
 Inca Civilization
 Mississippian Civilization
 Aztec Civilization
II. Choose one focus/topic listed below:
 Religious beliefs and practices
 Accomplishments or innovations
 Specific rulers, kings, warriors, or individuals associated with the civilization
 Lifestyle (homes, food, clothing, customs, family structure)
 Military (wars, weapons, military tactics, conquests)
 Economy and government
 Archeological discoveries

III. For the American civilization, you have chosen, research and write an essay on one of the focus/topics listed above. The body of your essay should be at least 500 words and contain verifiable historical information and detail. For example, if you choose the Aztec for your ‘civilization’ and “Religious beliefs and practices” as your focus, your essay might include information on Aztec deities, religious ceremonies and practices, the role of human sacrifice, and/or legends associated with gods and
goddesses. You may use you textbook, Internet resources, books and magazines. Please double–space
your essay and use a readable font such as Times New Roman. Do not copy from your sources—your
work must be in your own words. This assignment will be evaluated by SafeAssign—check your
Originality Report and make corrections if the originality percentage is more than 30%. You have
a second chance to submit your work with corrections.

IV. Copy and paste at least 2 illustrations or photographs that depict information presented in your essay.
You may present these illustrations as an ‘album’ on a separate page or throughout your essay.

V. Works cited page. List your resources—you may use a MLA or APA format for the works cited page