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Teacher’s Guide Aztecs Dear Educator, nlock the mysteries of a lost Mexican empire whose legacy and traditions still exist today! While reading KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs, your young historical detectives will learn about the fascinating topics at right. U W H AT ’ S I N AZTECS PAGES 2–3 Welcome to the City in a Lake The greatest city of the Aztec empire—Tenochtitlan 4–5 Up and Down the Social Ladder What was life like for the nobles, commoners, and warriors? 6–7 Sacrifices and Smoking Mirrors Gods, priests, and religion of the Aztecs This Teacher’s Guide is filled with activity ideas and blackline masters to help your students enjoy and learn more from Aztecs. Select or adapt the activities that suit your students’ needs best. 8–9 The Mystery of Time The solar calendar and the sacred calendar 10–11 A Short Time on the Earth A painting of an Aztec religions gathering and a few lines from a Nahuatl poem 12–13 Fun and Festivals Games and special events in Aztec life Thank you for making KIDS DISCOVER a part of your classroom. 14–15 Disaster! Sincerely, 16–17 The Aztec Legacy Montezuma meets Cortes Descendants of the Aztecs keep traditions alive KIDS DISCOVER P.S. We would love to hear from you! E-mail your comments and ideas to [email protected] 18–19 Student Activities Make a clay sun sculpture, plus a word search, matching, and resources • IN THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE • Meeting the Standards ✔ World History: Era 6 The Emergence of the First Global Age, 1450-1770 ✔ United States History: Era 1 Three Worlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620) – National Standards for History 2 Prereading Activities 3 Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide) 4 Discussion and Writing Questions 5–6 It’s in the Reading (Reading Comprehension) 7 Everything Visual (Graphic Skills) ✔ Visit www.kidsdiscover.com/standards to find out more about how KIDS DISCOVER meets state and national standards. 8 Cross-Curricular Extensions 9–12 Answer Keys to Blackline Masters ........................... www.kidsdiscover.com ........................... KIDS DISCOVER • 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10010 • T: 212–677–4457 • F: 212–353–8030 © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 1 PREREADING ACTIVITIES efore distributing KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs activate students’ B prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading with these activities. , Discussion T o get students thinking about how this topic relates to their interests and lives, ask: ✔ Has anyone ever visited Mexico? What is it like? ✔ What do you want to know about the Aztecs? Concept map E xplain to students that they will be reading Aztecs. Ask: What are some words that are related to Aztecs? List students’ responses on the board. (See box below for some terms they may suggest.) After creating a list, ask students to group the words into categories, such as People or Places. Create a concept map by writing Aztecs on the board and circling it. Write the categories around the circle and draw lines between the ideas to show connections. Then write the words from the list around the appropriate categories. Encourage students to add more words to the concept map as they read Aztecs. KEY TERMS ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Tenochtitlan Mexico City Lake Texcoco Montezuma II Quetzalcoatl Hernan Cortes ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ Ocarina chocolate codex glyph gold calendar Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide) C opy and distribute the Get Set to Read blackline master (page 3 of this Teacher’s Guide). Explain to students that this Anticipation Guide will help them find out what they know and what misconceptions they have about the topic. Get Set to Read is a list of statements—some true, some false. Ask students to write whether they think each statement is true or false in the Before Reading column. Be sure to tell students that it is not a test and they will not be graded on their answers. The activity can be completed in a variety of ways for differentiated instruction: ◆ Have students work on their own or in small groups to complete the entire page. ◆ Assign pairs of students to focus on two statements and to become “experts” on these topics. ◆ Ask students to complete the Before Reading column on their own, and then tabulate the class’s answers on the chalkboard, on an overhead transparency, or on your classroom computer. ◆ Review the statements orally with the entire class. If you predict that students will need assistance finding the answers, complete the Page Number column before copying Get Set to Read. Preview D istribute Aztecs and model how to preview it. Examine titles, headings, words in boldface type, pictures, charts, and captions. Then have students add new information to the Concept Map. If students will only be reading a few pages at one sitting, preview only the selected pages. BE WORD WISE WITH POWER VOCABULARY! Y ou have exclusive access to additional resources including Power Vocabulary blackline masters for every available KIDS DISCOVER title! These activities introduce students to 15 specialized and general-use vocabulary words from each KiDS DISCOVER title. Working with both types of words helps students develop vocabulary, improve comprehension, and read fluently. Follow the links from your Teacher’s Toolbox CD-ROM and find your title to access these valuable resources: ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Vocabulary cards Crossword puzzle Word find Matching Cloze sentences Dictionary list ........................... www.kidsdiscover.com ........................... KIDS DISCOVER • 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10010 • T: 212–677–4457 • F: 212–353–8030 © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 2 Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ Get Set to Read The Aztecs built an empire in Mexico. What do you know about the Aztecs? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you found it. CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true. Before Reading _____________ After Reading 1. The Aztecs lived in what is today Page Number _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ Mexico. _____________ 2. By the early 1500s, far fewer people lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan than lived in the English city of London at that time. _____________ 3. The Aztecs built their empire by conquering other people and forcing them to pay tribute. _____________ 4. The Aztecs believed in many gods. _____________ _____________ _____________ 5. The Aztecs divided their history into _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ _____________ centuries. _____________ 6. The Aztecs held important cere- monies for the birth of a child. _____________ 7. The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro conquered the Aztecs. _____________ 8. The green, white, and red stripes in the Mexican flag are reminders of the Aztec past. © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 3 DISCUSSION & WRITING QUESTIONS se the following questions as oral discussion starters or for U journaling. For additional in-class discussion and writing questions, adapt the questions on the reading comprehension blackline masters on pages 5 and 6. Pages 2–3 Tenochtitlan was surrounded by water. Ask: Pages 10–11 ✔ What do you think is happening in this painting? Who are the people and what are they doing? Why? ✔ What are some advantages for a city that is surrounded by water? What are some disadvantages? Pages 12–13 Several special events the Aztecs celebrated are mentioned on page 12. Ask: Pages 4–5 The Aztecs treated their leader like a god. Even the ground where he walked was swept. Ask: ✔ Do you think leaders should be treated like gods? Are leaders “sacred,” or are they simply people who have been elected or chosen to be in office? Do you think leaders who have been elected should be treated differently than those who are in the position because of heredity, such as a king or queen? Explain. Pages 4–5 In Aztec society, rules governed how people of different classes dressed. In the United States, some people believe that there should be dress rules, too, particularly for students in school. Ask: ✔ Do you think there should be dress codes for students in school? What are some advantages and disadvantages to having dress codes? Do you think school dress codes are a good idea? Why? Pages 6–7 ✔ What parts of training to be a priest surprised you the most? Why? Pages 8–9 ✔ Why do you think the Aztecs had two calendars? ✔ How are the two calendars similar? How are they different? ✔ How are these two calendars similar to the calendar that you use? How are they different? ✔ Which of these special events do you celebrate? What other events do you celebrate? How do you celebrate them? ✔ Which of the Aztec games, festivals, or ceremonies would you want to see or participate in? Why? Pages 14–15 The Aztecs were superstitious. They believed that certain unexplainable events, such as “a ball of fire streaking across the sky,” could foretell disaster. Ask: ✔ Do you have any superstitions? If so, what are they? Where do you think superstitions come from? What are they based on? Pages 14–15 ✔ What were some advantages Cortes and his men had over the Aztecs? Pages 16–17 Some cities, such as Mexico City, are built on top of older cities. Ask: ✔ Why do you think some cities are built on top of other cities? ✔ How would you feel if you were the worker who discovered a statue of the Aztec goddess? All pages After students read the issue, ask: ✔ What one fact about the Aztecs is most interesting to you? Why? ✔ Would you like to have lived during the height of the Aztec empire? Explain Read KIDS DISCOVER aloud to demonstrate fluency, expressive reading, and how to read nonfiction texts. ........................... www.kidsdiscover.com ........................... KIDS DISCOVER • 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10010 • T: 212–677–4457 • F: 212–353–8030 © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 4 Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ It’s in the Reading After reading KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs, choose the best answer for each question. Fill in the circle. Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question. 1. What does Tenochtitlan mean in English? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. Place of Reeds B. Place of the Prickly Pear C. Place of the Deer D. Place of Land on Water 2 3 2. What is the tribute paid by conquered people to the Aztec rulers most like? A. taxes B. loans C. gifts D. salary ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ 4 5 3. Why might the jaguar warriors have been called Soldiers of the Night? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. Eagle warriors already had the name Soldiers of the Day. B. They refused to fight during the day. C. Jaguars hunted mainly at night. D. Jaguar warriors were fierce like jaguars. 4 5 4. Why was the Great Temple rebuilt seven times? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. The Great Temple had been destroyed by fire. B. The location of the Great Temple was moved to the capital city. C. Each ruler wanted to make the Great Temple grander. D. The Great Temple was rebuilt to honor different gods. 6 7 5. How long was the Aztec history if the Aztecs believed they lived in the fifth sun and each sun was 52 years? A. more than 1,000 years B. almost 300 years C. about 550 years D. at least 408 years ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ © KIDS DISCOVER 8 9 AZTECS 5 It’s in the Reading (continued) 6. Why did the Aztec poet say that “Even gold breaks”? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. to emphasize that nothing lasts forever B. to explain why gold is worthless C. to explain why gold is valuable D. to tell why sacrifice was permitted 10 11 7. Which of the following games is most like the Aztec game tlachtli? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. baseball B. bowling C. soccer D. American football 12 13 8. Why did the Spanish soldiers stay and fight the Aztecs? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ A. Cortés had promised them riches. B. Their ships had been burned so they could not leave. C. They wanted to honor their king. D. They wanted to help the enemies of the Aztecs. 14 15 9. How did the turkey get its name? ❍ ❍ ❍ ❍ 10. A. The name comes from an Aztec word. B. The name is what the Spanish called the bird. C. The name is short for the name of the Aztec capital city. D. The British named it after a similar bird from near Turkey. 16 17 Do you think the Aztecs helped bring about their own downfall? Explain. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 6 Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ Everything Visual Maps provide information about location. Study the maps on page 2. Use the maps to answer questions about the land of the Aztecs. 1. What is the purpose of the small inset map? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 2. What does the red box in the inset map do? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. What two large bodies of water have shores on Mexico? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4. Why is Tenochtitlan printed under the name Mexico City? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 5. What does the white star in the red circle stand for? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 6. How can you tell that the map was drawn to scale? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 7. Why does the map show only Mexico in yellow? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 7 CROSS-CURRICULAR EXTENSIONS H aa vned si nt ut edreenstts itnr yt hteh eAszet eaccst.i v i t i e s t o e x p a n d t h e i r k n o w l e d g e Geography Art, Math Have students find Mexico on a map or in an atlas. Then have students locate Mexico City. Explain that latitude and longitude are used to give the exact location of a city or place. Students should find the latitude and longitude of Mexico City. Students can then play a longitude and latitude game. On a piece of paper, each student should jot down the latitude and longitude of any other city in the world and the name of the city. Collect all the papers and select one at a time. Read the longitude and latitude aloud and challenge students to name the city. Have students draw their own versions for each of the 20 days on the right hand side of the sacred calendar, shown on page 9. First, have students use a compass to draw a large circle. Then ask, “How many degrees are in a circle?” (360) Explain that they will need to divide the circle into 20 sections, and guide students to determine how many degrees each section will be. Next, have students use a protractor to measure each section. Then students can draw each of the “days” in order, similar to the way it is shown on page 9. Display artwork on the bulletin board. Math Social Studies, Language Arts On pages 8–9, students learn that the Aztecs’ solar calendar was divided into 18 months of 20 days each. Five “nothing” days were added at the end of each year. Have students do some math problems using those numbers. For example, how many total days were there in one year? In two years? In five years? In ten years? How many “nothing” days are there in 15 years? Twenty years? What percent of the days of the year are nothing years? Promote reading, speaking, and listening skills by having students read KIDS DISCOVER aloud in pairs. In 1519, Spanish explorer and conqueror Hernán Cortés arrived in Tenochtitlan. Have students find out about some other events that took place around the world in the 16th century. Each student should write a paragraph on five events that took place in the 16th century. They should explain what happened and where it took place. As a class, put the events in time line order. Language Arts In Aztec times, there were celebrations like the sun dance ceremony, in which people asked the jaguar god for rain. Have students imagine that they are asking the jaguar god for rain. Students should write a poem, asking the jaguar god for rain, and telling why they want the rain. ........................... www.kidsdiscover.com ........................... KIDS DISCOVER • 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10010 • T: 212–677–4457 • F: 212–353–8030 © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 8 ANSWER KEY Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ Get Set to Read The Aztecs built an empire in Mexico. What do you know about the Aztecs? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you found it. CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true. Before Reading After Reading 1. The Aztecs lived in what is today Page Number True p. 2 False p. 2 True p. 5 True p. 6 False p. 8 True p. 12 False p. 14 False p. 16 Mexico. 2. By the early 1500s, far fewer more people lived in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan than lived in the English city of London at that time. 3. The Aztecs built their empire by conquering other people and forcing them to pay tribute. 4. The Aztecs believed in many gods. 5. The Aztecs divided their history into centuries 52-year time periods. 6. The Aztecs held important cere- monies for the birth of a child. 7. The Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro Hernán Cortés conquered the Aztecs. 8. The green, white, and red stripes eagle and cactus in the Mexican flag are reminders of the Aztec past. © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 9 ANSWER KEY Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ It’s in the Reading After reading KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs, choose the best answer for each question. Fill in the circle. Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question. 1. What does Tenochtitlan mean in English? ❍ A. Place of Reeds ● B. Place of the Prickly Pear (word meaning) ❍ C. Place of the Deer ❍ D. Place of Land on Water 2 3 2. What is the tribute paid by conquered people to the Aztec rulers most like? ● A. taxes (inference) ❍ B. loans ❍ C. gifts ❍ D. salary 4 5 3. Why might the jaguar warriors have been called Soldiers of the Night? ❍ A. Eagle warriors already had the name Soldiers of the Day. ❍ B. They refused to fight during the day. ● C. Jaguars hunted mainly at night. (draw conclusions) ❍ D. Jaguar warriors were fierce like jaguars. 4 5 4. Why was the Great Temple rebuilt seven times? ❍ A. The Great Temple had been destroyed by fire. ❍ B. The location of the Great Temple was moved to the capital city. ● C. Each ruler wanted to make the Great Temple grander. (cause and 6 7 effect) ❍ D. The Great Temple was rebuilt to honor different gods. 5. How long was the Aztec history if the Aztecs believed they lived in the fifth sun and each sun was 52 years? ❍ A. more than 1,000 years ● B. almost 300 years (inference) ❍ C. about 550 years ❍ D. at least 408 years © KIDS DISCOVER 8 9 AZTECS 10 It’s in the Reading (continued) 6. Why did the Aztec poet say that “Even gold breaks”? ● A. to emphasize that nothing lasts forever (interpretation) ❍ B. to explain why gold is worthless ❍ C. to explain why gold is valuable ❍ D. to tell why sacrifice was permitted 10 11 7. Which of the following games is most like the Aztec game tlachtli? ❍ A. baseball ❍ B. bowling ● C. soccer (draw conclusions) ❍ D. American football 12 13 8. Why did the Spanish soldiers stay and fight the Aztecs? ❍ A. Cortés had promised them riches. ● B. Their ships had been burned so they could not leave. (cause and 14 15 effect) ❍ C. They wanted to honor their king. ❍ D. They wanted to help the enemies of the Aztecs. 9. How did the turkey get its name? ❍ A. The name comes from an Aztec word. ❍ B. The name is what the Spanish called the bird. ❍ C. The name is short for the name of the Aztec capital city. ● D. The British named it after a similar bird from near Turkey. (details) 10. 16 17 Do you think the Aztecs helped bring about their own downfall? Explain. Answers will vary, but students should provide reasons for their opinion. © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 11 ANSWER KEY Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________ Everything Visual Maps provide information about location. Study the maps on page 2. Use the maps to answer questions about the land of the Aztecs. 1. What is the purpose of the small inset map? The inset map helps show the location of Mexico in relation to North and South America. 2. What does the red box in the inset map do? It highlights the section of the map that is shown on the larger map. 3. What two large bodies of water have shores on Mexico? The Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico 4. Why is Tenochtitlan printed under the name Mexico City? Tenochtitlan and Mexico City are in the same place. 5. What does the white star in the red circle stand for? The encircled star is a symbol for a capital city. It shows that Mexico City is the capital of Mexico. 6. How can you tell that the map was drawn to scale? A scale with miles is shown on the map, so the map must have been drawn to scale. 7. Why does the map show only Mexico in yellow? Mexico is the present-day country that once was the land of the Aztecs. © KIDS DISCOVER AZTECS 12