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The Aztecs
E. Napp
Objective: To identify and describe significant characteristics of the Aztec Empire
Do Now: Multiple-choice questions from previous lessons
1. Which factor most influenced the
4. The Aztec use of the calendar and the
development of diverse cultures in preMaya writing system both illustrate that
Columbian South America?
pre-Columbian cultures in the Americas
(1) trade agreements
(1) traded extensively with Africa
(2) geographic features
(2) flourished prior to European contact
(3) imported religious ideas
(3) declined because of invasion and disease
(4) peasant revolts
(4) converted others to Islam
2. Which geographic feature had the
greatest influence on the development of the
Inca Empire?
(1) deserts
(2) irregular coastline
(3) river valleys
(4) mountains
5. The destruction of the rain forests in
Latin America is primarily due to the
(1) diseases carried by insects
(2) wildfires occurring during dry seasons
(3) devastation caused by high winds during
the tropical storm season
(4) demand for timber, farmland, and
grazing land
3. Which continent’s economic and political
development has been influenced by the
Andes Mountains and the Amazon River?
(1) Asia
(2) Africa
(3) Europe
(4) South America
The Aztec Civilization flourished from the late
1200's until the time of European conquest. The
Aztecs established an empire that consisted of
most of Mexico. They setup a strong, central
government, and received tribute payments
from many of their subject peoples. Similar to
earlier Mesoamerican civilizations, the Aztecs
were deeply religious. The practice of their
religion included the building of large temples
where human sacrifice took place. Aztec
scientists developed an accurate calendar similar
to the Mayan. Physicians were able to treat a
variety of wounds and injuries, including setting
broken bones and filling cavities in teeth. The
Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, was well
designed and constructed.
~regentsprep.org
Questions:
When did the Aztec civilization
flourish?
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Where was the Aztec empire located?
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Describe the Aztec government.
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Provide examples of how the Aztecs
were deeply religious.
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What did the Aztec develop?
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What could Aztec physicians do?
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What was the Aztec capital?
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Cornell Notes Outline: The Aztecs (Add Key Words and Summaries)
The Key
Words:
The Notes:
1. The Aztecs migrated south and settled in the Valley of Mexico around
Lake Texcoco in the 1200s.
2. The Aztecs were extremely warlike and spoke Nahuatl, a language of
Central Mexico.
3. They established a capital (Tenochtitlan) and quickly became a
powerful tribe.
4. The Aztecs constructed three wide causeways (roads over water) to
connect the island capital to the lake’s shores.
5. They drained swamps to create more usable land and built pyramids.
6. Over 250,000 people lived in the Aztec capital.
7. Families grew corn and beans.
8. The Aztecs saw life as fragile and temporary. They believed that their
safety depended on pleasing the gods.
9. The Aztecs believed that the sun god had to battle the forces of
darkness each night in order for a new day to dawn.
10. To provide the sun god with strength, the Aztecs offered the sun god
human sacrifices.
The
Summaries:
Please read the passage below and answer the questions:
The Aztecs lived in Central Mexico. They migrated into the Valley of Mexico as early as
the 1100s. Learning to grow corn and acquiring other skills from their neighbors, the
Aztecs developed a powerful civilization. They developed a calendar and constructed
pyramids. They also built a new capital called Tenochtitlan on an island in Lake Texcoco.
The Aztecs built their island capital of Tenochtitlan in 1325. As many as 300,000 Aztecs
lived in the capital. Causeways, or paved roads over water, connected the island capital to
the mainland. The Aztec capital had temples, pyramids, palaces, gardens, and markets.
The king, his family, and thousands of servants and officials lived in an enormous palace in
the capital. The capital also had a library and a zoo.
Religiously, the Aztecs worshipped many gods. Aztec priests believed that the sun god –
who was also the god of war – needed human sacrifice. They believed that the sun would
not rise if Aztec priests did not sacrifice humans to the sun god. For this reason, the Aztecs
practiced human sacrifice on a massive scale. Captured warriors from other tribes were
sacrificed, as well as Aztecs who volunteered for this honor, believing their sacrifice was
necessary to keep the universe in motion. For nearly 200 years from the 1300s to the early
1500s, the Aztecs made war with neighboring tribes. Sometimes the Aztecs engaged in war
just to capture people to sacrifice.
In 1519, Hernan Cortes, a conquistador from Spain, sailed to Mexico with a force of
soldiers in search of gold and silver. Cortes met the Aztec Emperor Montezuma. At first,
the Aztecs believed the Spaniards were gods and showered them with gifts. Later, Cortes
allied with the enemies of the Aztecs. With a few hundred Spaniards and several thousand
native allies, Cortes defeated the Aztecs in 1521.
Questions:
1: Discuss the accomplishments of the Aztecs.
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2: Where and when did the Aztecs live and what was significant about their capital?
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3: Why did the Aztecs engage in human sacrifice?
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4: Who was Cortes and why was he able to defeat the Aztecs?
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The ancient Aztecs believed in many gods (Polytheism is the belief in many gods).
However, the sun god was most important. The Aztecs believed that the sun god needed
human blood and hearts in order to make its journey across the sky each day. As farmers,
the sun’s journey meant the difference between life and death. The sun had to rise every
day. Therefore, the Aztecs supplied their god with the blood it needed to rise by sacrificing
some people from their own tribe but mostly capturing victims from neighboring tribes.
Of course, neighboring tribes hated them.
5: Define polytheism.
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6: Who was the most important Aztec god?
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7: What did the Aztecs believe that the sun god needed?
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8: Why did the sun? ____________________________________________________________
Word Bank:
Polytheism
Sun
Mayas
Cortes
Mexico
Pyramids
Mountains
Tropical Rain
Forest
Tenochtitlan
Human Sacrifice
Incas
In Latin America, the Maya and the Aztec civilizations were similar in that they
1.
2.
3.
4.
showed little evidence of urbanization
lacked a strong central government
developed complex mathematical and calendar systems
used military weapons superior to those of Europeans
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Where did the Aztecs live?
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What crop made Aztec civilization possible?
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Where did the Aztecs build their capital?
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List two Aztec accomplishments:
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