Ancient Aztec: the • While the Aztecs Did Not Have a Formal Written Language, They Did Keep • Mathews, Sally Schofer
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T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E • What did the Aztecs think of the Spanish explorers? Share with the class • www.ucalgary.ca/applied_history/tutor/eurvoya/index.html parts of an Aztec account on the arrival of the Spanish in Tenochtitlán A tutorial on the European voyages of exploration, with detailed (see www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/aztecs1.html). Discuss the information and historical illustrations and documents regarding Spain’s changes in the Aztec attitudes towards the Spanish and the reasons why. explorers, including Hernán Cortés. • The night that Cortés and his men fled Tenochtitlán after the Aztec • www.lib.uci.edu/libraries/exhibits/meso/sacred.html revolt is referred to as “La Noche Triste” — the Sad Night. Divide the stu- An online exhibit featuring “Early Written Records of Mesoamerica.”The dents into groups to research the events leading up to and following Aztec Codices and Colonial Codices feature scenes from daily Aztec life, this night.Then have the groups create Spanish and Aztec accounts of traditions and the Spanish encounter. this night, perhaps in the form of a newspaper front page or a news • www.lib.utah.edu/digital/aztec/ interview (with both Cortés and an Aztec warrior) or a storytelling. An online digital collection of Mesoamerican Manuscript Facsimiles, Students may share their work with the class. including the Codex Laud, from the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and the • Historical records of Hernán Cortés’s meetings with Moctezuma II Codex Magliabecchi, both excellent sources of Aztec picture-writing. TM mention “La Malinche” or Doña Marina, a native slave who served as Cortés’s interpreter. Some call her a traitor who helped the Spanish take Suggested Print Resources control of Mexico, while others say she was a heroine who helped save many people’s lives by bringing down a cruel empire. Share with stu- • Flowers, Charles. Cortés and the Conquest of the Aztec Empire in World dents a description of Doña Marina and discuss her significance. History. Enslow Publishers, Inc., Berkeley Heights, NJ; 2001. Ancient aztec: The • While the Aztecs did not have a formal written language, they did keep • Mathews, Sally Schofer. The Sad Night: The Story of an Aztec Victory and record of events, daily life and legends using glyphs, or a form of a Spanish Loss. Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY; 2001. picture-writing. Collections of the glyphs, called codices, were compiled • Smalley, Roger. The Aztecs: Rise and Fall of a Great Empire. Red Brick fall of the empire before and after the Spanish conquest. Share with students images from Learning, Mankato, MN; 2003. these codices. In groups, have students examine the pictures for details • Tanaka, Shelley. The Lost Temple of the Aztecs:What It Was Like When the Grades 3–7 about Aztec life: How were warriors depicted? What colors were used? Spaniards Invaded Mexico. Hyperion, New York, NY; 2000. • Diego Rivera was a famous Mexican muralist. He created panoramic his guide is a supplement designed for teach e r s to use murals about Mexico’s culture, history and daily life. Share examples of TEACHER’S GUIDE T when presenting this pro gra m . The guide provides yo u Rivera’s work and encourage the class to notice how Rivera depicted Enakshi Bose, M.S.Ed. with a summary of the pro gra m , p re - v i ewi ng and fo l l ow - u p Aztec life and the Spanish encounter.Then, divide the class into groups Curriculum Specialist, Schlessinger Media q u e s t i o n s , a c t i v i t i e s , vo c a b u l a r y and print and Intern e t to paint murals depicting the Aztec Empire and the defeat by the TITLES IN THIS SERIES re s o u rc e s . Spanish. (Excellent resources for images of Rivera’s works include • Ancient Aegean • Ancient Egypt B e f o r e Vi e w i n g : G i ve students an ove r v i ew of the ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~border/resource_pages/rivera.html • Ancient Africa • Ancient Greece • Ancient Aztec Empire • Ancient Inca p ro gra m . Use the pro gram summary to help provide this and www.diegorivera.com/murals/index.html.) • Ancient Aztec: The Fall of the • Ancient Maya i n t ro d u c t i o n . Select pre - v i ewing discussion questions and Empire • Ancient Mesopotamia • Ancient China • Ancient Rome vocabulary to provide a focus for students when they view Suggested Internet Resources the program. Periodically, Internet Resources are updated on our web site at After Vi e w i n g : R e v i ew the pro gram and vo c ab u l a r y and www.LibraryVideo.com Teacher’s Guides Included discuss what students learn e d . Use fo l l ow-up questions and and Available Online at: 800-843-3620 a c t i v i t i e s , and encourage students to re s e a r ch the topic • www.ancientmexico.com/ f u rther with the Internet and print re s o u rces prov i d e d . This site explores the art, culture and history of Ancient Mesoamerica. Interactive features include a map of the area with major Aztec settlements, a flash presentation about the arrival of the Spanish and Program Copyright 2004 by Teacher’s Guide Copyright 2006 passages from historical documents, including letters from Cortés. BBC Worldwide Limited. by Schlessinger Media, (Continued) BBC is a trademark of the British Broadcasting a division of Libra ry Video Company Corporation and is used under license. P.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 800-843-3620 All rights reserved. K6818 V7114 5 Historical Overview codices — The collective term given to the painted manuscripts depicting 7. How did Moctezuma II die? Aztec culture and history, produced before and after the Spanish conquest. Over 550 years ago, the Aztecs controlled a strong and wealthy empire across 8.Why did Cortés and his men leave Tenochtitlán in July 1520? the re gion of pre s e n t - d ay Mex i c o . The capital city,Te n o ch t i t l á n , was the fo c a l Diego Rivera — (1886–1957) A famous Mexican artist who created 9.What is a siege? How long did the siege of Tenochtitlán last? point of an ex p a n s i ve trading netwo rk and gove r nment as well as the re l i - panoramic murals of Mexican culture, history and daily life. 10.What happened to the Aztec people after the fall of the empire? gious and spiritual center of the empire . All this ch a n ge d , h o weve r, with the 11.Why did monks and priests come to New Spain? a r ri val of Spanish c o n q u i s t a d o r s, led by Hernán Cort é s , in 1519. Seeking to Time Line 12.What were the Aztec codices? a c q u i r e wealth and land for Spain and to conve rt native peoples to 1492 Christopher Columbus lands in the West Indies C h r i s t i a n i t y, C o r tés fo r med alliances with the T l a x c a l a n s , enemies of the 1519 Hernán Cortés arrives in Mexico, allies with the Tlaxcalans A z t e c s , and fought for control of Te n o ch t i t l á n , then ruled by Aztec Empero r and meets Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II Follow-up Discussion Moctezuma II. In 1520, the Spanish tempora r i ly re t r eated after an A z t e c 1520 Cortés takes Moctezuma II prisoner;Aztecs revolt against • Review the interactions between the Aztecs and the Spanish.Why did revo l t , but within a year they laid siege to Te n o ch t i t l á n . In 1521, the A z t e c the Spanish, who flee Tenochtitlán; Moctezuma II is killed Cortés come to Mexico? How did the Aztecs react to the Spanish? How E m p i re fe l l . C o r tés claimed the re gion in the name of Spain, and the Spanish did Cortés feel about the Aztecs? Discuss the challenges the conquista- May 1521 Cortés and his allies lay siege to Tenochtitlán d e s t roye d Aztec buildings and conve rted the Aztecs to Chri s t i a n i t y. S p a n i s h dors faced and the actions they took.Were they reasonable or unfair? p r iests wo rked to translate Aztec c o d i c e s, or collections of picture wri t i n g . August 1521 The Spanish defeat the Aztecs, leading to the fall of the • Discuss why the Tlaxcalans agreed to ally with the Spanish.Ask students To d ay in Mex i c o , the Aztecs live on through arch a e o l o g ical art i fa c t s , a r t , Aztec Empire whether they believe the alliance was in the Tlaxcalans’ best interest. music, dance, crafts, food and the Nahuatl-speaking descendants.