Download The Aztec Social Hierarchy

Social Studies 8
Chapter 7: The People of the Sun
Word
Name: _____________
Class 8- __
Definition
Picture/Sentence
The name of the nomadic tribe
that settled in the Valley of Mexico
in the ___th Century.
The ________ lived in
what is now the country of
Mexico.
Chinampas
Floating _______ built in the
water around ____________ and
used for farming.
Picture:
Compulsory
Required by ______, which means
you have to do it.
Driving on the right side
of the road is __________
here in Canada.
Valuable ______ and taxes
collected by the ________ from a
conquered city or group.
Picture:
Artifacts
Aztec
Bias
Primary Source
Secondary
Source
Tribute
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The Physical Landscape
How might a society’s worldview influence its ability to adapt to its physical
geography?
What is missing from this picture? Draw in the missing object, and
then tell why it is important to Aztec culture.
The big city built by the Aztecs was called ________________.
It is pronounced:
The Power of Mountains
The mountains that surrounded _______________ gave the
Aztecs a sense of security. Like the walls of a ______, the
mountains ___________ the city from ________ by invaders.
They also saw the mountains as a sacred site closer to ________.
A problem occurred because mountains are so steep; rainstorms
can cause ________________. Mountains can also keep out the
clouds that would otherwise bring _____ to their area
(_______________). The Aztecs built ______________ to bring
fresh water from outside the city, thus avoiding this problem.
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Changing the Geography
Over to You!
What belief led the Aztecs to settle in Tenochtitlan?
This decision required the Aztecs to adapt the physical geography of
the area. Use the chart below to show how the Aztecs modified their
surroundings:
Mountains
Swamp
Island
Bonus: How has your society modified physical geography?
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The Sacred Landscape
Aztec Gods: The Aztecs believed
that the gods controlled every
aspect of their lives. They
believed in many gods, and some
were more important than
others.
Learn more by filling out the
chart below in this booklet!
God’s Name
DRAW! Image/Symbols that
represent this god!
Huitzilopochtli
(whets-eel-oh-POCH-tlee)
Information about this god!
Tribal God
Historical Importance:
Food:
Favorite Activity:
Tezcatlipoca
(tez-cah-tlee-POH-cah)
God of Night
Special Powers:
Alias:
Nemesis:
Quetzalcoatl
(ket-zal-COH-ahtl)
Meaning of his name:
Favorite offerings:
What happens when the Aztecs see him next?
Tlaloc
(TLAH-lzok)
God of Rain
Special Power:
Reason to fear him:
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Aztec Calendars
The Aztecs had two calendars: a solar calendar
and a sacred calendar (260 days long…it took a
52 year rotation for the calendars to “catch up”
to one another).
Sacred Calendar: The Aztecs believed that
there were 4 eras before the present one, and
that they had all been destroyed.
First Era: _____________
Second Era: ______________
Third Era: _____________
Four Era: _______________
According to the Aztecs, how will the 5th
era end?
Human Sacrifice
The Aztecs believed that the gods were ___________ by victims’ blood. Without it
the gods would grow sick and die and the _______ would end.
One of the reasons _____ was so important to the Aztecs is that it gave them the
opportunity to _________ new victims for sacrifice.
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Expanding the Empire
The Aztecs expanded in two ways:
1. Expanding through
2. Expanding through
1.
If the Aztecs were such good farmers, why would they need to trade with other
societies?
-The ___________ around Tenochtitlan affected the Aztec’s ability to get the goods
they needed.
- ___________________ (avocado, papaya, cacao) did _____ grow in the mountains
where they lived.
-They also loved tropical _________.
-Furthermore, there were no ________ and silver deposits in their area.
-They had to trade with other peoples in order to get these things!
-Merchants set out with hundreds of _________ to go and get goods from far away
places.
2.
“We shall conquer all the people in the universe. I will make you lords and kings of every place in
the world.” –Huitzilopochtli
How might this prophecy lead the Aztecs to believe that the gods favored them more
than other peoples?
How would it affect their attitude towards other people?
-Military service was _____________ in Aztec society.
-The worst insult was to call someone a _________, as cowardice was a sign of weakness
in _________ as a whole.
-Once the Aztecs conquered another group, they collected __________ from them.
-This tribute included valuable ________ and _______.
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-Examples: cotton blankets, feathered headdresses and shields, beads and cacao beans.
-Did you know? The Aztecs used _________ beans for currency!!!
Social Studies 8
Chapter 8: For the Good of the People
Word
Definition
Picture/Sentence
glyph
________ or symbols
used in writing.
The Aztecs used ________ instead of
alphabet letters to tell a story.
telpochcalli
Aztec school for
____________.
Draw some subjects you can learn:
calmecac
Aztec school for
_____________.
Draw some subjects you can learn:
calpolli
Units or groups of
organization in Aztec
society.
The merchants were the richest
_________ in all of Tenochtitlan.
artisan
A _________
craftworker (someone
who makes art).
An __________ makes art in Aztec
culture.
quetzal
A brightly colored
_____ that lives in
tropical rainforests.
Picture:
omen
A _____ that something
is going to happen.
Seeing a black cat is a bad _____ for
some people.
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Essential Learning Outcomes
8.3.1: I can explain how a society’s worldview influences their choices, decisions and interactions with others.
8.3.3: I can explain how rapid change can alter a society’s beliefs, values and knowledge.
The Aztec Social Hierarchy
(pg. 172-179)
-The make up of the Aztec
social hierarchy included 2
main classes: __________ and
______________.
-Position in society was
determined by the ________
into which a person was
_________.
-However, there was some
_____________.
Roles Within Society
The Emperor
-Known as Huey Tlatoani, meaning the
“______________”
-Treated as a ________
-Was a skilled _________
-Was the head of state; the good of the entire
_________ rested on his shoulders
Family Clans
-Society was organized into units called ___________
-Some _________ were based on the work that people did
-Merchants made up the __________ ___________in Tenochtitlan
Name the following 3 calpolli in Aztec society using pages 174 and 175.
M_RCH_NT_
F_R_ _ RS
_R_ _ SA_S
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Feather Artisans:
Only members of the nobility could wear feathers. The most
prized feathers were those of the __________ bird.
Signs of Status
Do It! What are some status symbols in our society? List them below:
In Aztec society, the three most important ways of indicating your
position in society were expressed through:
1. _____________
2. _______________ 3. ________________
The main way to move up in Aztec society was
by achieving success in the battlefield.
A warrior who captured 4 prisoners during battle
immediately became eligible for higher status.
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Contributing to Society (pg. 185-190)
Connections: Look at the examples of national mottos on page 185
from countries such as Canada, The United States and France. Create a
motto that reflects the values of Renaissance Europe.
-Aztec society was based on producing citizens that would contribute to
the community.
-Lessons in good citizenship were part of the Aztec education system.
The Aztecs had a very clear idea of the virtues of an ideal citizen. Look at
the characteristics of an ideal Aztec citizen on page 187 and list them
below:
An Ideal Aztec Citizen
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Create a list of the 5 characteristics of an ideal citizen in Canadian
society. Justify your choices.
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Aztec Law
-Law was very important to the Aztecs.
-Nobles could be judged more __________ as they were expected to be
role models for ___________ citizens.
See Figure 8-25 (page 187) to see the 3 levels of the legal system (write
them below), and answer the question in the caption as well!
How does the Aztec legal system
protect the rights of a person accused
of a crime?
Slaves
-The Aztecs relied on slaves to perform __________________ in society,
and as such, there were laws in place to protect them.
-Example: If a noble beat a slave to death, the noble could be __________.
-It was not shameful to be a slave, just bad ____________.
-Slavery was not a ____________ condition; slaves could own property and
even their own slaves, they could take their place in society again after
repaying any __________ they had to their owners, and their children were
always born _________.
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Now that you’ve finished the Chapter 7 and 8 booklets, how do you feel about your
learning in relation to the Essential Learning Outcomes below?
8.3.1: I can explain how a society’s worldview influences their choices, decisions and
interactions with others.
8.3.3: I can explain how rapid change can alter a society’s beliefs, values and
knowledge.
8.3.4: I can explain how the Aztecs were affected by the Spanish worldview.
ELO
Am I
getting it?
Chapter 7/8
1.
2.
Evidence:
What activity helped you to learn this ELO?
What were the key
elements of the
worldview of the
Aztec civilization
prior to contact
with the Spanish?
What suggestions do you have that would
help you to learn?
How did the Aztec
civilization’s
worldview influence
the Aztecs’
choices, decisions
and customs?
Booklet Self-Evaluation:
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