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Lesson 4: TRIBUTE, TRIBUTE AND MORE TRIBUTE STAGE 3 Lesson Overview • Lesson Objective Through playing a board game, students will show their understanding of the impact of the Aztec tribute system. • Time Required 60 minutes • Materials Required Game pieces (various colored and shaped objects, like colored disks, beans, pieces from other games) Dice (one per game group) Reproducibles: “Tribute List” “Paying Tribute Game Rules” “Paying Tribute Game Board” • Support Materials Books or electronic resources containing tribute lists from the Mendoza Codex Background Information The Aztecs, as a civilization, were quite wealthy. A lot of this wealth came at the expense of others through the payment of tribute. The Aztecs considered the residents of Tenochtitlán and Tlatelolco the only true Aztecs. All other cities, towns and provinces under Aztec rule were considered non-Aztec and were assessed a high tax or tribute. Tribute was paid quarterly and annually and often caused great financial hardship to those paying it. Tribute lists from the Mendoza Codex (a codex, written in 1541 at the request of Spanish leaders, describing Aztec life and government) are filled with both practical items, such as clothing and food, and many luxury items. The luxury items came from places both in and outside of the Central Valley of Mexico and included amber resin, quetzal (brightly colored tropical bird) feathers and jade. Human labor was also sometimes requested as tribute, especially when the Aztecs wanted a new project completed. The tlatoani and his advisors determined the tribute lists. Even though the Aztecs allowed their conquered provinces to maintain their own identities, the people of these provinces often hated the Aztecs. The demands of paying tribute often left them with little to care for their own people’s needs. Aztec merchants played a critical role in the tribute system. When merchants ventured to a new land, they brought back samples of the goods and stories of the lives of the people. Upon seeing the value of these goods, Aztec leaders could decide to wage war in order to conquer PAST PORTS CONNECTION On this stop along the journey, students will learn about the potentially devastating impact that the Aztec tribute (taxing) system had on its provinces. CURRICULUM CONNECTION Problem-solving Skills Math Record-keeping Skills 134 these lands. The merchants’ stories of how the people in these lands lived and behaved would help Aztec leaders develop their warring strategies. After the lands had been conquered, merchants still played a crucial role in maintaining Aztec power. After returning from a trading journey, merchants were expected to meet with high-level officials to share information they had learned during the journey. This information might include new goods the province had discovered or invented, or the merchants might tell stories of possible revolts from the provinces. ✍ DID YOU KNOW? Upon returning from a trading journey, merchants first met with governing officials to make a report about the types of goods acquired and the activities of the people in the province. They next had their feet washed to cleanse them both physically and symbolically after their long and dangerous journey. Lastly, they celebrated and feasted for two days with family and friends. ? Activities 1. Before the lesson, make enough copies of the reproducible, “Paying Tribute Game Board” for game groups. Consider having groups of 4 to 6 students play at one board. Smaller groups (4 students) will help the game move more quickly. Follow the assembly directions on the reproducibles. 2. Gather game pieces. Colored disks, beans, small objects, pieces from other games will work well. Be sure that each player in each game group has a distinguishing game piece. 3. Share the Background Information with students. 4. To help them understand the potential impact of the tribute system on lands under Aztec rule, have them play the “Paying Tribute” game. 5. Divide students into groups of desired sizes and give each group a game board and playing pieces. Each student receives the reproducible, “Tribute List.” 6. Each student represents a town, city or province under Aztec rule, paying tribute. The goal of the game is to collect the required tribute listed on the reproducible by the end of the game. Students record the tribute items gained or lost throughout the game, using the reproducible. At the end of the game, each student calculates whether he or she has gathered the required tribute. If not enough tribute has been gathered, students decide how to resolve the dilemma. 7. Follow the directions of the reproducible, “Paying Tribute Game Rules.” 8. Process the experience, using the Journal Prompts and Processing Questions. Connecting the Cultures Incas Tribute, in the form of goods and labor, paid for the running of the Inca government. Tribute was paid to the Sapa Inca (chief leader). A census was taken of a province to decide how much tribute was to be paid. Men under 25, nobles, curacas (leaders of provinces) and women were not required to pay tribute. 135 Tribute was sent along strict trade and travel routes, finally arriving for final storage in Cuzco, the Inca capital. It was stored in large storehouses. The storehouses were divided into two groups; the storehouses of the Sun and the storehouses of the Emperor. Storehouses of the Sun were used to meet the needs of the priests, priestesses and those who cared for the temples. The storehouses of the Emperor met the needs of the noble classes. Extensions ☞ • The tlatonis had powerful influence over the lives of Aztec people, as well as the people living in the provinces. Working in cooperative groups to accommodate diverse learning styles and abilities, have students choose a tlatoani to research. Students write a short biography of their tlatoani. • Lead a discussion comparing the Aztec tribute system and our tax system. Help students to discover any similarities and differences. Journal Prompts and Processing Questions • Did you have enough goods to pay your province’s tribute at the end of the game? If not, what did you decide to do about this problem? Explain your reasoning. What impact could your decision have on your province? • After playing the game, what do you think of the Aztec tribute system? Speak or write about this from multiple perspectives; that of the Aztec rulers, merchants, and people of the provinces. • Merchants often served as spies for the Aztec government, reporting to the tlatoani about the resources and activities of other peoples. Aztec leaders then used the information to conquer another group or to increase the tribute owed by a province. What do you think of this system of using the merchants as informants? Evaluation ? ? DID YOU KNOW? Merchants also sacrificed a person they had purchased during the journey, as thanks to the gods for keeping them safe while away from home. ✔ Content: Use students’ ideas from oral discussion and written journal entries to gauge their understanding of the tribute system and its impact on non-Aztec people. Process: During the game, observe students’ ability to play cooperatively – taking turns and being good sports. Also, observe their reasoning skills as they make decisions about what to do if they did not gather enough tribute. 136 137 Paying Tribute Game Rules Game Equipment Game board One die Game piece for each player Tribute List for each player Pen or pencil for each player Object of the Game Throughout the game, try to gather as many items from the tribute list as possible. If you are unable to gather all the items required by the end of the game, you will need to decide what to do. How to Play 1. Each player rolls the die to see who goes first. Highest roll goes first, play continues in a clockwise manner. 2. On each turn, roll the die and move the number indicated. Read the information on the square landed on. If tribute goods are gained or lost during the turn, record this on your Tribute List. 3. Some spaces may require you to make a decision. Make your choice and record any goods, if appropriate to do so. 4. Take turns. Play continues until each player has reached the end of the game. 5. Add up your tribute goods. If you gathered enough goods to pay your tribute, congratulations! If you did not, decide how your province will deal with the shortfall. Sometimes provinces paid what they could and suffered any consequences the tlatoani chose for them. Other times they traded away precious resources, including food and members of their community to get the items required for tribute. Still other times, provinces revolted against the Aztecs and hoped they had enough strength to stand up to the Aztec’s powerful army. 138 139A 139B