AZTEC STUDY GUIDE

In this unit on the amazing Aztecs, we explored the following topics:

• The origins of the Aztec people (the Mexica) and their journey in the 1100s C.E. from Aztlán to the Valley of Mexico to settle on Lake Texcoco

• The geography and construction of the great Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlán, in 1325 C.E., with a focus on the challenges the Aztecs faced as a result of their location and environment

• The timeline of the Aztecs from 1100 C.E. to the arrival of Spanish explorer and conquistador (conqueror), Hernán Cortés in 1519

• The tribute system of the Aztecs, in which they "taxed" non-Aztec cities and provinces for practical items (e.g. food, clothing, human labor, etc) and other luxury goods such as jade, amber resin and quetzal feathers

To prepare for your Aztec Test, you should re-visit and review the following documents and activities:

• Aztec Video Key Terms Matching Activity (Activity Book)

• "Intro to the Aztecs" Reading and Chart (Activity Book, chart in History notebook)

• The Tenochtitlán Challenge Presentation and Notes (click the link for presentation, Activity Book for notes)

• 'Engineering an Empire' video clips about building Tenochtitlán (click the link)

• Aztec Graphic Timeline and Sporcle activity (Activity Book, click the link for practice)

• Tribute Reading + Topic Sentence Practice (click the first link for the reading, second for Answer Key)

• BrainPOP video - Aztec Civilization

• Socrative Weekly Wash-ups

• Aztec Quizlet (see below)

FOUR SPECIFIC YEARS you need to know include: 

• The year the Mexica left Aztlán and headed to the Valley of Mexico

• The year they began to construct Tenochtitlán having found the eagle on the cactus as a sign sent from their god, Huitzilopotchli

• The year the formed the Triple Alliance to defeat the Tepanecs

• The year Hernán Cortés arrived