Sixth grade history education is focused on various aspects of World History. By using key scenes from this film, we can show students important topics that they need to know about ancient civilizations. The Emperor's New Groove was created to mimic the Incas, an ancient civilization that lived in the Andes Mountains in Peru. When looking at current North Carolina history textbooks, we found sixth grade level books which discussed the Incas, the Mayans, and the Aztecs. We believe that showing key scenes from this movie can give students a better understanding of these ancient peoples.
North Carolina essential standards - 6th grade social studies
- 6.H.1: Use historical thinking to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions over time. -- (6.H.1.1) Construct charts , graphs and historical narratives to explain particular events or issues over time.
- 6.H.2: Understand the political, economic and/or social significance of historical events, issues, individuals and cultural groups. -- (6.H.2.1) Explain how invasions, conquests and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions.
- 6.E.1: Understand how the physical and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions.
wORKING WITH KEY SCENES
Scene:
Timecode (0-10.25) The opening 10 minutes of the movie introduce the main characters of the film. During this segment, students will see the following connections between the movie and ancient civilizations that they are reading about in their textbooks.
Teacher Notes & Questions for Students:
As the instructor, you should lead students to make the connections between the film and their textbook. Ask them what they see in the movie that relates to what they have been learning about in class. Facilitate discussion in how these connections work.
Key Dialogue:
Theme song guy: He's the sovereign lord of the nation
He's the hippest cat in creation
He's the alpha, the omega, a to z
And this perfect world will spin
Around his every little whim
'Cause this perfect world begins and ends with him
What's his name?
Kuzco, Kuzco, Kuzco...
Guy: Uh, excuse me, your Highness. The village leader is here to see you.
Kuzco: Oh, great, send him in. (to Yzma) Oh, and by the way, you're fired.
Yzma: Fired?! What do you mean, fired?
Kuzco: Uh, how else can I say it? You're being let go, your department's being downsized, you're part of an outplacement, we're going in a different direction, we're not picking up your option. Take your pick. I've got more!
Yzma: But I -- you -- uh -- but your Highness, I have been nothing if not loyal to the empire for -- for -- for many, many years --
Kuzco: Hey hey, everybody hits their stride, you just hit yours fifty years ago. So, who's in my chair?
Kronk: Oh, oh, I know! Yzma! Yzma's in your chair, right?
Kuzco: Very good, Kronk! Here, get the snack!
Activities:
Students will be placed into groups where they will choose an ancient ruler (Inca, Aztec, or Maya). They will research this person and present them to the class with some sort of visual -example: cardboard figurine, multimedia presentation or another visual aspect, be creative! Students will present the ruler and explain to their classmates how their reign compared to the rulers that we read about in our texts.
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Scene:
Timecode (20.11-21.00) This short scene shows Kuzco and Pacha being chased back to the city by Yzma and Kronk. While they are in pursuit, we are shown a map of their path which depicts the geography of the country (mountains, etc.). Although there is no character dialogue in this scene, viewers have a chance to see both the geography of the region and the architecture of the Incas. The students also learned that since the Incan empire was vast, they communicated to different regions with runners across a vast network of roadways. You see the characters in the scene running across similar pathways.
Teacher Notes & Questions for Students:
Compare the map and geography shown in the film to a map of Peru, where the Incan empire was built. Show them the locations of various Incan cities and infrastructures. You could also show them pictures of what the ruins look like present-day in places like Machu Picchu -the Incan capitol city.
Activities:
Give the students a map of Peru, and ask them to create a pathway from the country to Machu Picchu. Ask them, if they were Kuzco and they were running from Yzma in an attempt to beat her to the palace, how would they go? Ask them to pay attention to geographic features like mountains, rivers and lakes; looking also at the extensive road system that the Incas created for their runners.
Timecode (0-10.25) The opening 10 minutes of the movie introduce the main characters of the film. During this segment, students will see the following connections between the movie and ancient civilizations that they are reading about in their textbooks.
- (1.35-3.56) Kuzco introduced as the all-powerful Emperor, the Incas had a central figurehead (one ruler)
- (5.40-8.10) Yzma is introduced as Kuzco's advisor, but is soon fired. Shows that the Incan emperors had trusted advisors/nobles that they entrusted to help them govern their territory. Loyalty was a main value in their society.
- (8.10-10.25) Pacha is also introduced as the man who owns the farmland that Kuzco is taking to build his summer home. In their reading, students learned that when the Incas conquered new territory they forcibly took land from the inhabitants if they would not pledge their loyalty to the Emperor. Students also learned about how farming was very vital in their society.
Teacher Notes & Questions for Students:
As the instructor, you should lead students to make the connections between the film and their textbook. Ask them what they see in the movie that relates to what they have been learning about in class. Facilitate discussion in how these connections work.
Key Dialogue:
Theme song guy: He's the sovereign lord of the nation
He's the hippest cat in creation
He's the alpha, the omega, a to z
And this perfect world will spin
Around his every little whim
'Cause this perfect world begins and ends with him
What's his name?
Kuzco, Kuzco, Kuzco...
Guy: Uh, excuse me, your Highness. The village leader is here to see you.
Kuzco: Oh, great, send him in. (to Yzma) Oh, and by the way, you're fired.
Yzma: Fired?! What do you mean, fired?
Kuzco: Uh, how else can I say it? You're being let go, your department's being downsized, you're part of an outplacement, we're going in a different direction, we're not picking up your option. Take your pick. I've got more!
Yzma: But I -- you -- uh -- but your Highness, I have been nothing if not loyal to the empire for -- for -- for many, many years --
Kuzco: Hey hey, everybody hits their stride, you just hit yours fifty years ago. So, who's in my chair?
Kronk: Oh, oh, I know! Yzma! Yzma's in your chair, right?
Kuzco: Very good, Kronk! Here, get the snack!
Activities:
Students will be placed into groups where they will choose an ancient ruler (Inca, Aztec, or Maya). They will research this person and present them to the class with some sort of visual -example: cardboard figurine, multimedia presentation or another visual aspect, be creative! Students will present the ruler and explain to their classmates how their reign compared to the rulers that we read about in our texts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scene:
Timecode (20.11-21.00) This short scene shows Kuzco and Pacha being chased back to the city by Yzma and Kronk. While they are in pursuit, we are shown a map of their path which depicts the geography of the country (mountains, etc.). Although there is no character dialogue in this scene, viewers have a chance to see both the geography of the region and the architecture of the Incas. The students also learned that since the Incan empire was vast, they communicated to different regions with runners across a vast network of roadways. You see the characters in the scene running across similar pathways.
Teacher Notes & Questions for Students:
Compare the map and geography shown in the film to a map of Peru, where the Incan empire was built. Show them the locations of various Incan cities and infrastructures. You could also show them pictures of what the ruins look like present-day in places like Machu Picchu -the Incan capitol city.
Activities:
Give the students a map of Peru, and ask them to create a pathway from the country to Machu Picchu. Ask them, if they were Kuzco and they were running from Yzma in an attempt to beat her to the palace, how would they go? Ask them to pay attention to geographic features like mountains, rivers and lakes; looking also at the extensive road system that the Incas created for their runners.