Do Now 1/28/15 What modern day country did the Aztecs live in?
STORY TIME!
Welcome to Tenochtitlan! The Capital of the Aztec Empire
SWBAT explain how the Aztec Empire arose. Objective
The Founding of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire
The Aztecs inspired the design of the Mexican flag! In your notes, write a short poem about the legend of the founding of Tenochtitlan! Be sure to use the words eagle, cactus, snake, and Tenochtitlan.
SWBAT explain how the geography of the Aztec Empire affected its economy. Objective
Where did the Aztecs find an eagle with a snake in its mouth on a cactus?
Where did the Aztecs find an eagle with a snake in its mouth on a cactus? Does this sound like a good place to live?
Living on a swampy island led to many problems but fortunately the Aztecs had smart solutions!
Problem Aztec buildings sunk into swampy land. Solution Aztecs used wood pilings and volcanic stone to make a more solid foundation.
Problem Living on an island, the Aztecs were too isolated. Solution Aztecs built causeways to connect the island with the mainland.
Problem Aztecs did not have enough fresh water for 200,000 people. Solution Aztecs went to war with the Tepanecs in order to control the Chapultepac springs. Aztecs built an aqueduct.
Problem Solution Lake Texcoco flooded. Aztecs built a dike.
Problem Aztecs did not have enough land for growing crops. Solution Aztecs built chinampas ( floating gardens ).
Homework: Draw the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan Read section 24.3 On a separate sheet of paper, create a colorful, labeled diagram of Tenochtitlan. Use all of the following vocabulary: canal, chinampas ( floating gardens ), Coatepantli ( snake wall ), plaza, Great Temple, shine to Huitzilopochtli, shrine to Tlaloc, tzompantli ( skull rack ), ritual ball court, palace, aviary, zoo, marketplace, bridges, causeway, aqueduct, Chapultepec springs, dike Awards for best work: 1 st place: 3 merits; 2 nd place: 2 merits; 3 rd place: 1 merit Anyone who beats my drawing gets 5 merits!
The winners of the contest are 3 rd place 2 nd place 1 st place
Diego Rivera s Tenochtitlan
DO NOW: Do you think the school rules and punishments are too cruel? Why or why not?
Cruel to Kids https://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=bh4zjtoltu4 How were Aztec children punished? Do you still think our school is too hard on you?
Objective SWBAT describe family life of the Aztecs.
Some of you might ask Is this stuff true??? Let s find out!
Primary Source vs. Secondary Source Primary source: an object created during the historical event being studied Examples: fossils, artifacts Secondary source: an object created after the historical event being studied; analyzes and interprets the event Examples: History Alive!, Horrible Histories
Mendoza Codex Today, we will study a primary source document called the Mendoza Codex. codex: a handwritten book This codex gives us a lot of information about daily life in the Aztec Empire!
Study this image. Tell your neighbor what you see.
Your Turn! Can you decode this page from the Mendoza Codex? You can figure out their age! You can figure out how much they eat!
Your Turn! How old are these children? How much are they permitted to eat? What is happening at age 7? At age 8? At age 9? At age 10?
Your Turn! How old are these children? How much are they permitted to eat? What is happening at age 11? At age 12? At age 13? At age 14?
How old are these children? What is happening?
Here s a hint. The calmecac is the school where boys train to become priests. The telpochcalli is the school where boys train for the military.
Some of you asked Is this stuff true??? Yes, we have primary source documents to prove it!
Homework Create a brochure to convince someone to move to Tenochtitlan Six sections: Cover Family Life (yesterday s lesson helps) Warfare & Tribute (Station #1 and #2) Religion (Station #3 and #4) Dances & Games (Station #5 and #6) Food (Station #7 and #8) Each section needs to have a colorful illustration and at least 2 specific pieces of information to persuade the reader to move to Tenochtitlan. Due on Friday! Contest for most persuasive, informative brochure: 1 st place: 3 merits; 2 nd place: 2 merits; 3 rd place: 1 merit
Warfare
Aztecs often asked a city-state to join the empire. The citystate had sixty days to agree. If the ruler refused, the Aztecs declared war. Most wars ended after one battle, usually with an Aztec victory. The Aztecs brought captured warriors to Tenochtitlan. Some became slaves, but most were sacrificed. Warfare
Tribute
Tribute The Aztecs forced hundreds of conquered citystates to pay tribute. Each year, the Aztecs collected over 7,000 tons of maize, 4,000 tons of beans, and at least 2 million cotton cloaks from its tributaries.
Human Sacrifice
Like the Mayans, the Aztecs tried to please the gods. Aztecs believed that the blood of strong warriors captured in battle would nourish the gods. The Aztecs also used the threat of human sacrifice to frighten city-states into paying tribute. Human Sacrifice
Tlachtli
The Aztecs played a game called tlachtli, which was very similar to the Mayan game of pok-a-tok. Tlachtli
Volador
Patolli
Patolli The Aztecs played a game called patolli on a crossshaped board divided into 52 squares. Five times around the board equals 260. Thus, the game symbolizes the 260-day calendar. How to play: Roll five white beans. For each bean that lands with a dot facing up, move forward one space. The first person around the board five times is the winner.
Delicious Food
Delicious Food The most important crop to the Aztecs was maize. After grinding maize into flour, women baked fresh tortillas. Women also made tamales by wrapping maize in husks and steaming it.
DO NOW: Aztecs vs. Spaniards In 1519, the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes landed on the Yucatan Peninsula with only 600 men. Despite being outnumbered, how did Cortes defeat the Aztec Empire? Make a prediction. Come up with three ideas. (video below)
Objective SWBAT explain the primary factors that led to the fall of the Aztec Empire.
Discuss What do you think are the top five factors (in order of most important to least important) that contributed to the Aztecs defeat?
Why were the Aztecs defeated? The Aztecs thought Hernan Cortes was the god Quetzalcoatl. Cortes made allies with the Aztecs native enemies who were tired of paying tribute. The Spanish had horses, armor, and superior weapons. The Spanish carried diseases such as smallpox that caused deadly epidemics among the Aztecs. Cortes had an Aztec translator named Malinche.
Was Hernan Cortes actually Quetzalcoatl?
Prophecy of Quexalcote http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos #wonders-of-latin-america-engineering-anempire-aztecs
Broken spears lie in the roads We have torn our hair in grief. The houses are roofless now, and their walls Are reddened with blood. We have pounded our hands in despair Against the adobe walls, For our inheritance, our city, is lost and dead. The shields of our warriors were its defense, But they could not save it. -Aztec poem, 1528
Diego Rivera s Tenochtitlan
Do Now: Tenochtitlan and Venice Spaniards called Tenochtitlan the Venice of the Americas. Why? What do both cities (Tenochtitlan and Venice) have in common?