THE AZTECS: PART 1

Watch up to 6:58 (almost 7 minutes)
STOP when you hear him say, “Hey, do you remember how the Maya worked to make their gods happy?”

Where on planet Earth would we have found the Aztec civilization?
How did the Aztecs choose where to build their capital city on?
What city now sits where the ancient city of Tenochtitlan once stood?
What are chinampas?
What vegetables did the Aztecs grow in their chinampas?
What are adobe bricks made from?
What kinds of weapons did the Aztecs make?
What were the three main groups in Aztec society?
What is the name of one of the Aztec’s main temples?
Who was the most important Aztec god and what was he responsible for?

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THE AZTECS: PART 1

You may remember that a legend is a story supposedly based on historical events but that is not supported by evidence.

Well, the founding of one of the world's largest cities is such a story.

Long ago, the Aztecs, a powerful group of people in Central America, were looking for a place to build their city. They believed that they would know the perfect spot when they saw an eagle sitting on a cactus eating a snake.

Then one day, they saw exactly that. This significant moment is now part of Mexico's coat of arms, which is a special symbol for the country.

It shows the eagle on the cactus eating the snake, just like in the old Aztec story, and it's right in the middle of Mexico's national flag. This symbol reminds everyone of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan.

It was built where Mexico City is located today and was the heart of the Aztec empire.

You know what? We're in the neighborhood, and we have a time machine. You want to see it for ourselves? Let's go!

As we make the quick journey to Tenochtitlan, let's set the agenda for the visit.

We'll describe Aztec accomplishments and culture, along with their impact on other civilizations.

Are you ready, historians?

TIME TRAVEL

We're here! Tenochtitlan sounded so amazing. I'm already glad that we came.

Tenochtitlan is a magnificent city with huge pyramids and other awesome buildings, all beautifully decorated in their special style.

But the coolest thing is that the Aztecs literally built Tenochtitlan on an island right in the middle of a lake. This 500-year-old map shows it clearly.

How awesome is that? The Aztecs used their engineering skills in other ways too.

They built a network of elevated roads called causeways that connected their island city to the mainland. This made it easy to get around and trade with other places.

As the city grew in size, the Aztecs needed more and more food to feed everyone.

Here's a brain buster: How do you build a farm on an island? If you're the Aztecs, you don't.

Instead, they came up with a farming hack called chinampas. They were like floating gardens on the water.

They made these tiny islands to grow their food. These things were all around the city, and on these floating gardens, the Aztecs grew things like beans, squash, peppers, and their superstar crop, maize, which you know as corn.

Inside the cities, the Aztecs did things just as cool.

For example, they used a lot of adobe bricks, which are made from mud and straw, then dried in the sun.

Adding adobe mud made a strong construction material for many Aztec buildings.

The Aztecs were amazing artists too. They made beautiful gold and silver jewelry and were experts at carving stone into magnificent sculptures.

Imagine wearing a necklace made by an Aztec artist. You could even buy one at markets around the city.

The Aztecs were also really good at making weapons for hunting and warfare. What kind of weapons do you think they used?

They had super sharp weapons like spears and arrows, and they used obsidian tips like the Olmec.

They had super sharp weapons like spears and arrows, and they used obsidian tips like the Olmec. They also had armor made of tough animal hides. It's amazing to think about how the Aztec built such an incredible city and made all of these awesome things.

Even though the Aztecs had no contact with empires in Asia, Africa, and Europe, their cities still had huge temples and other important buildings, markets to buy goods, and roads to bring in trade. It was a place for people to conduct business and mingle.

Another similarity to other places we visited is that not everyone mingled with everyone else. In Tenochtitlan and Aztec society, there were three main social groups.

First, there was the emperor, his family, high priests, and military commanders. These were the top dogs, the most powerful and respected in Aztec society.

Then came the commoners. This group was huge. It included merchants who traded all sorts of goods, farmers who grew the food, and artisans who created beautiful things with their hands.

And lastly, there were enslaved people. They were usually captured in wars or were people who owed big debts. They worked for their owners doing all sorts of jobs, like building things.

Speaking of building things, there was the Templo Mayor, one of the Aztec's main temples.

That's our cue to talk about Aztec gods and goddesses. The Aztecs believed in many gods, each controlling different parts of their lives. At temples in and around the city, they had detailed ceremonies to show respect and ask favors from these gods.

The most important god was Huitzilopochtli, the god of war and the sun. He was like the protector for the Aztec people.

Adobe – A building material made from mud and straw, dried in the sun and used to make bricks.
Agenda – A plan or list of things to do or talk about.
Artisans – People who make things by hand, like pottery, jewelry, or clothing.
Causeways – Raised roads built across water or wet ground.
Ceremonies – Special events with actions, music, or words used to honor something important, like a god or tradition.
Chinampas – Floating gardens used by the Aztecs to grow crops on lakes.
Civilizations – Groups of people with their own cities, leaders, laws, art, and ways of life.
Coat of arms – A special symbol or picture used to represent a country, family, or group.
Commoners – Regular people in a society who are not part of the ruling or wealthy class.
Conduct – To carry out or do something, like business or a meeting.
Elevated – Raised above the ground.
Empire – A large group of lands or countries ruled by one leader or government.
Engineering – The use of science and math to design and build things like roads, bridges, and buildings.
Enslaved – Forced to work for others without being free.
Obsidian – A hard, black volcanic rock that can be shaped into sharp tools or weapons.

► COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

— please answer with complete sentences

Where on planet Earth would we have found the Aztec civilization?
How did the Aztecs choose where to build their capital city on?
What city now sits where the ancient city of Tenochtitlan once stood?
What are chinampas?
What vegetables did the Aztecs grow in their chinampas?
What are adobe bricks made from?
What kinds of weapons did the Aztecs make?
What were the three main groups in Aztec society?
What is the name of one of the Aztec’s main temples?
Who was the most important Aztec god and what was he responsible for?

► From EITHER/OR ► BOTH/AND

► FROM Right/Wrong ► Creative Combination

THESIS — Argue the case…
ANT-THESIS — Argue the case…
SYN-THESIS — Create a better solution…