The Mayan calendar is a fascinating topic for your students who love science fiction, history, and numbers. They find tons of information—some reliable and some not— online. A good place to begin is with a trusted resource like the NASA site. NASA experts assured people that the world wouldn’t end on 12/12/12 or 12/21/12. NASA says people read the Mayan calendar wrong, for it has no predictions about the end of the world. On the date 12/21/12, the world will refresh itself, according to the Mayans, and the calendar will begin again like a rotating odometer. That’s because the Mayan calendar began in August 11, 3114 B.C., which to the Mayans was 13.0.0.0.0. December 21, 2012 is the next 13.0.0.0.0. So what about 12/12/12? What does that have to do with 12/21/12? It’s supposed to be the same number, according to numerology, and perhaps 12/12/12 just has a better ring to it?
How did the Mayans come up with such an amazing system of calculating time? That’s the real question. Your students will enjoy learning how the Mayan Calendar works and how to count like Mayans.
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