Teacher’s Guide Aztecs - Cengageclic.cengage.com/uploads/aa1751b40005dbe08c59c27c... · Montezuma meets Cortes 16–17 The Aztec Legacy Descendants of the Aztecs keep traditions

• IN TH IS TEACHER ’S GU IDE •

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)

8 Cross-Curricular Extensions

9–12 Answer Keys to Blackline Masters

Dear Educator,

Unlock the mysteries of a lostMexican empire whose legacyand traditions still exist today!

While reading KIDS DISCOVERAztecs, your young historical detec-tives will learn about the fascinatingtopics at right.

This Teacher’s Guide is filled withactivity ideas and blackline masters to help your students enjoy and learnmore from Aztecs. Select or adapt the activities that suit your students’needs best.

Thank you for making KIDS DISCOVERa part of your classroom.

Sincerely,

KIDS DISCOVER

P.S. We would love to hear from you! E-mail your comments and ideas [email protected]

P A G E S WHAT ’S IN AZTECS

2–3 Welcome to the City in a LakeThe greatest city of the Aztec empire—Tenochtitlan

4–5 Up and Down the Social LadderWhat was life like for the nobles, commoners, and warriors?

6–7 Sacrifices and Smoking MirrorsGods, priests, and religion of the Aztecs

8–9 The Mystery of TimeThe solar calendar and the sacred calendar

10–11 A Short Time on the EarthA painting of an Aztec religions gathering and a few linesfrom a Nahuatl poem

12–13 Fun and FestivalsGames and special events in Aztec life

14–15 Disaster!Montezuma meets Cortes

16–17 The Aztec LegacyDescendants of the Aztecs keep traditions alive

18–19 Student ActivitiesMake a clay sun sculpture, plus a word search, matching,and resources

Meet ing the Standards✔ World History: Era 6 The Emergenceof the First Global Age, 1450-1770

✔ United States History: Era 1 ThreeWorlds Meet (Beginnings to 1620)– National Standards for History

✔ Visit www.kidsdiscover.com/standardsto find out more about how KIDSDISCOVER meets state and nationalstandards.

Teacher’s Guide

AztecsTeacher’s Guide

........................... www.kidsdiscover.com ...........................KIDS DISCOVER • 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor • New York, NY 10010 • T: 212–677–4457 • F: 212–353–8030

AZTECS 1© KIDS DISCOVER

Discuss ion

To get students thinking about how this topicrelates 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

Explain to students thatthey will be reading

Aztecs. Ask: What are somewords that are related toAztecs?

List students’ responses onthe 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 bywriting Aztecs on the board and circling it. Write thecategories around the circle and draw lines betweenthe ideas to show connections. Then write thewords from the list around the appropriate cate-gories. Encourage students to add more words to theconcept map as they read Aztecs.

Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide)

Copy and distribute the Get Set to Read black-line master (page 3 of this Teacher’s Guide).

Explain to students that this Anticipation Guide willhelp them find out what they know and whatmisconceptions they have about the topic. Get Setto Read is a list of statements—some true, somefalse. Ask students to write whether they thinkeach statement is true or false in the BeforeReading column. Be sure to tell students that it isnot a test and they will not be graded on theiranswers. The activity can be completed in a vari-ety of ways for differentiated instruction:

◆ Have students work on their own or in smallgroups to complete the entire page.

◆ Assign pairs of students to focus on two state-ments and to become “experts” on these topics.

◆ Ask students to complete the Before Reading col-umn on their own, and then tabulate the class’sanswers on the chalkboard, on an overheadtransparency, or on your classroom computer.

◆ Review the statements orally with the entire class.

If you predict that students will need assistancefinding the answers, complete the Page Numbercolumn before copying Get Set to Read.

Prev iew

Distribute Aztecs and model how to preview it.Examine titles, headings, words in boldface type,

pictures, charts, and captions. Then have studentsadd new information to the Concept Map. If stu-dents will only be reading a few pages at one sit-ting, preview only the selected pages.

PREREADING ACTIVIT IES

KEY TERMS✔ Tenochtitlan✔ Mexico City✔ Lake Texcoco✔ Montezuma II✔ Quetzalcoatl✔ Hernan Cortes

✔ Ocarina✔ chocolate✔ codex✔ glyph✔ gold✔ calendar

B efore distr ibut ing KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs , act ivate students’pr ior knowledge and set a purpose for reading with these

act iv i t ies.

BE WORD WISE WITH POWER VOCABULARY!

You have exclusive access to additional resources including PowerVocabulary blackline masters for every available KIDS DISCOVERtitle! These activities introduce students to 15 specialized and

general-use vocabulary words from each KiDS DISCOVER title. Workingwith both types of words helps students develop vocabulary, improvecomprehension, and read fluently. Follow the links from your Teacher’sToolbox CD-ROM and find your title to access these valuable resources:


◆ Vocabulary cards

◆ Crossword puzzle

◆ Word find

◆ Matching

◆ Cloze sentences

◆ Dictionary list


Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Get Set to ReadThe 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 correctanswer and the page number where you found it.

CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.

1. The Aztecs lived in what is todayMexico.

2. By the early 1500s, far fewer peoplelived in the Aztec city ofTenochtitlan than lived in theEnglish city of London at that time.

3. The Aztecs built their empire byconquering other people and forcingthem to pay tribute.

4. The Aztecs believed in many gods.

5. The Aztecs divided their history intocenturies.

6. The Aztecs held important cere-monies for the birth of a child.

7. The Spanish explorer FranciscoPizarro conquered the Aztecs.

8. The green, white, and red stripes inthe Mexican flag are reminders ofthe Aztec past.

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Before Reading After Reading Page Number


Pages 2–3Tenochtitlan was sur-

rounded by water. Ask:

✔ What are some advan-tages for a city that issurrounded by water?What are some disadvan-tages?

Pages 4–5The Aztecs treated their

leader like a god. Even theground where he walkedwas swept. Ask:

✔ Do you think leadersshould be treated likegods? Are leaders“sacred,” or are they sim-ply people who have beenelected or chosen to be inoffice? Do you thinkleaders who have been elected should be treated dif-ferently than those who are in the position becauseof heredity, such as a king or queen? Explain.

Pages 4–5In Aztec society, rules governed how people of

different classes dressed. In the United States, somepeople believe that there should be dress rules, too,particularly for students in school. Ask:

✔ Do you think there should be dress codes for stu-dents in school? What are some advantages anddisadvantages to having dress codes? Do you thinkschool 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 theydifferent?

✔ How are these two calendars similar to the calendarthat you use? How are they different?

Pages 10–11✔ What do you think is happening in this painting?

Who are the people and what are they doing? Why?

Pages 12–13Several special events the Aztecs celebrated are

mentioned on page 12. Ask:

✔ Which of these special events do you celebrate?What other events do you celebrate? How do youcelebrate them?

✔ Which of the Aztec games, festivals, or ceremonieswould you want to see or participate in? Why?

Pages 14–15The Aztecs were superstitious. They believed that

certain unexplainable events, such as “a ball of firestreaking across the sky,” could foretell disaster. Ask:

✔ Do you have any superstitions? If so, what arethey? 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 16–17Some cities, such as Mexico City, are built on top

of older cities. Ask:

✔ Why do you think some cities are built on top ofother cities?

✔ How would you feel if you were the worker who dis-covered a statue of the Aztec goddess?

All pagesAfter students read the

issue, ask:

✔ What one fact aboutthe Aztecs is mostinteresting to you?Why?

✔ Would you like to havelived during the heightof the Aztec empire?Explain

DISCUSSION & WRITING QUESTIONS

Use the fo l lowing quest ions as ora l d iscuss ion s tar ters or forjourna l ing. For addi t iona l in -c lass d iscuss ion and wr i t ing

quest ions , adapt the quest ions on the read ing comprehens ionblack l ine masters on pages 5 and 6.

Read KIDS

DISCOVERaloud

to demonstrate fluency, expressive

reading, and how to read

nonfiction texts.



It’s in the ReadingAfter reading KIDS DISCOVER Aztecs, choose the best answer for each question.

Fill in the circle.

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. What is the tribute paid by conquered people to the Aztec rulers mostlike?

❍ A. taxes❍ B. loans❍ C. gifts❍ D. salary

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. 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.

Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.

Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

2 3

4 5

4 5

6 7

5. How long was the Aztec history if the Aztecs believed they lived in thefifth 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

8 9


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

7. Which of the following games is most like the Aztec game tlachtli?❍ A. baseball❍ B. bowling❍ C. soccer❍ D. American football

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.

10. Do you think the Aztecs helped bring about their own downfall?Explain.

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

10 11

12 13

14 15

It’s in the Reading (continued)


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.

16 17

Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Everything VisualMaps 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?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________


GeographyHave students find Mexico on a map or in an

atlas. Then have students locate Mexico City.Explain that latitude and longitude are used to givethe exact location of a city or place. Studentsshould find the latitude and longitude of MexicoCity. Students can then play a longitude and lati-tude game. On a piece of paper, each studentshould jot down the latitude and longitude of anyother city in the world and the name of the city.Collect all the papers and select one at a time. Readthe longitude and latitude aloud and challenge stu-dents to name the city.

MathOn pages 8–9, students learn that the Aztecs’

solar calendar was divided into 18 months of 20days each. Five “nothing” days were added at theend of each year. Have students do some mathproblems using those numbers. For example, howmany total days were there in one year? In twoyears? In five years? In ten years? How many “noth-ing” days are there in 15 years? Twenty years? Whatpercent of the days of the year are nothing years?

Art , MathHave students draw their own versions for each of

the 20 days on the right hand side of the sacred cal-endar, shown on page 9. First, have students use acompass to draw a large circle. Then ask, “Howmany degrees are in a circle?” (360) Explain thatthey will need to divide the circle into 20 sections,and guide students to determine how many degreeseach section will be. Next, have students use a pro-tractor to measure each section. Then students candraw each of the “days” in order, similar to the wayit is shown on page 9. Display artwork on the bul-letin board.

Socia l Stud ies ,Language Arts

In 1519, Spanishexplorer and conquerorHernán Cortés arrivedin Tenochtitlan. Havestudents find out aboutsome other events thattook place around theworld in the 16th cen-tury. Each studentshould write a paragraph on five events that tookplace in the 16th century. They should explain whathappened and where it took place. As a class, putthe events in time line order.

Language ArtsIn Aztec times, there were celebrations like the

sun dance ceremony, in which people asked thejaguar god for rain. Have students imagine that theyare asking the jaguar god for rain. Students shouldwrite a poem, asking the jaguar god for rain, andtelling why they want the rain.

CROSS-CURRICULAR EXTENSIONS

H ave students t ry these act iv i t ies to expand the i r knowledgeand interest in the Aztecs .



Promotereading,

speaking,and

listening skillsby having

students read KIDS DISCOVERaloud in pairs.

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 correctanswer and the page number where you found it.

CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true.

1. The Aztecs lived in what is todayMexico.

2. By the early 1500s, far fewer morepeople lived in the Aztec city ofTenochtitlan than lived in theEnglish city of London at that time.

3. The Aztecs built their empire byconquering other people and forcingthem to pay tribute.

4. The Aztecs believed in many gods.

5. The Aztecs divided their history intocenturies 52-year time periods.

6. The Aztecs held important cere-monies for the birth of a child.

7. The Spanish explorer FranciscoPizarro Hernán Cortés conqueredthe Aztecs.

8. The green, white, and red stripeseagle and cactus in the Mexicanflag are reminders of the Aztec past.

True

False

True

True

False

True

False

False

p. 2

p. 2

p. 5

p. 6

p. 8

p. 12

p. 14

p. 16

Before Reading After Reading Page Number

ANSWER KEY


Name ____________________________________________ Date _________________

It’s in the ReadingAfter 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.

ANSWER KEY


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. What is the tribute paid by conquered people to the Aztec rulers mostlike?

● A. taxes (inference) ❍ B. loans❍ C. gifts❍ D. salary

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. 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

effect) ❍ D. The Great Temple was rebuilt to honor different gods.

2 3

4 5

4 5

6 7

5. How long was the Aztec history if the Aztecs believed they lived in thefifth 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

8 9

It’s in the Reading (continued)


Answers will vary, but students should provide reasons for their opinion.

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

7. Which of the following games is most like the Aztec game tlachtli?❍ A. baseball❍ B. bowling● C. soccer (draw conclusions) ❍ D. American football

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

effect) ❍ C. They wanted to honor their king. ❍ D. They wanted to help the enemies of the Aztecs.

10. Do you think the Aztecs helped bring about their own downfall?Explain.

10 11

12 13

14 15

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)

16 17

ANSWER KEYName ____________________________________________ Date _________________

Everything VisualMaps 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?

The inset map helps show the location of Mexico in relation to North and South America.

It highlights the section of the map that is shown on the larger map.


The Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico

Tenochtitlan and Mexico City are in the same place.

The encircled star is a symbol for a capital city. It shows that Mexico City is the capital of Mexico.

A scale with miles is shown on the map, so the map must have been drawn to scale.

Mexico is the present-day country that once was the land of the Aztecs.

Documents

Teacher’s Guide Aztecs - Cengageclic.cengage.com/uploads/aa1751b40005dbe08c59c27c... · Montezuma meets Cortes 16–17 The Aztec Legacy Descendants of the Aztecs keep traditions