Download THIS IS A STORY ABOUT…

THIS IS A STORY ABOUT…
AGE OF EXPLORATION
 Two societies, both wealthy and powerful.
 Building Empires
 Completely unknown to each other
 Teaser: they were about to collide
Quick Think
 What are parts of Worldviews?
 What is history?
 Imagine the first contact between two groups who come
from very different places with different histories and
different worldviews. What would happen?
FIRST CONTACT
Aztecs and Spanish
Societies
AZTECS: GEOGRAPHY
GEOGRAPHY CONTINUED
 Can you say diverse?
 Deserts
 Mountains
 Tropical Forests
 Ranch Land
 Rich Farm Land
 Seacoasts (WEST/EAST)
 PLATEAU – large raised area of mostly level land
Rivers
Rio Grande
Usamacinta
Usumacinta
 Largest rivers
Pre-Columbian Meso-America
 Time in Americas before Columbus (1519)
 Region stretching from central Mexico to Nicaragua
GEOGRAPHY CONTINUED
 Live in central basin aka VALLEY OF MEXICO
 Lake Texcoco: largest of five lakes
 CENTRE OF AZTEC CIVLIZATION
GEOGRAPHY CONTINUED
1.
Larger cities located around lakes
2.
Increase of population of city dwellers
3.
More reliance on farmers in the outer areas to meet their
food needs
4.
Variety of farming techniques, different kinds of food

abundance of corn, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, beans,
and other kinds of food
IRRIGATION
 Stop and think…
Irrigation
 Valleys
 For Farming
 Dams divert water from natural springs to the fields
 Why?
 harvests on a regular basis
Other Farming Techniques
 Slash and burn
GEOGRAPHY CONTINUED
 Canals
 Waterways
 Transportation
AZTECS: TIME
 Temperature/Seasons
 Arable Soil
 Harvests
 Spring-like in the valley
 Why?
 ALTITUDE!
TIME CONTINUED
 ANALOG OR DIGITAL?
AZTECS: BELIEFS
 Most cultures have stories and
beliefs about the creation of
the world and the origins of
its people… what are some
creation stories in Canada?
AZTECS: BELIEFS
 Huitzilopochtli: main god of the Aztec
 Incarnation of the Sun
 What did he tell his followers?
BELIEFS CONTINUED
Important Dates
 ~ 1100: Leave Aztlan
 ~ 1200: Arrive in Valley of Mexico
 ~1250: Finally settle in Lake Texcoco
 ~ 1300: First temple
Tribe Reflections
 Name two interesting things you learned today


 Name something you’re confused about still

HOMEWORK – use your notes to
answer the following questions
 What are the three important farming techniques used?
 What was the key events in Aztec history that affected their
worldview in
 A) GEOGRAPHY
 B) TIME
 C) HISTORY
 How long did they travel for?
Teaser: Spanish Exploration
 http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk/games/fling/aztecs/