Download Maya/Aztec Project

Maya/Aztec Project
This project will consist of 2 parts. You will draw and design an Aztec Codex, and you will
hypothesize about the downfall of the Maya.
Aztec Codex
1. Read the following information:
Aztec codices
Left: Detail of first page from the Boturini Codex, depicting the
departure from Aztlán.
Aztec codices (singular codex) are books written by pre-Columbian
(before the arrival of Columbus) and colonial-era Aztecs. These
codices provide some of the best primary sources for Aztec culture.The
pre-Columbian codices differ from European codices in that they are
largely pictorial; they were not meant to symbolize spoken or written
narratives. The colonial era codices not only contain Aztec
pictograms, but also Classical Nahuatl (in the Latin alphabet), Spanish, and occasionally
Latin.
2. Create a codex on one side of a piece of blank white paper describing an average day in your
life. Include at least 6 events with a colored picture and description for each event. (8 points)
3. Title your codex. (2 points)
Maya Downfall
1. Using your textbooks, information from class, and any other sources you choose, make a
list of reasons for the downfall of the Maya (at least 5). (2 points)
2. Rank the reasons in order of the one you think was most influential to the one you think
was least influential. (1 points)
3. Imagine that you a farmer living during the time of the downfall of the Maya. Write a 1page story that describes the downfall of your civilization. Include your name, which Maya
city you were from, and explain the main reasons why you left the city. Use as much detail as
possible. (10 points)
4. Type your story and glue it to the back of your Aztec codex. (2
point)
This project is worth 25 points.