The Aztecs

The Aztecs

Page 210

The Valley of
Mexico

Tenochtitlan - “the Place of
the Prickly Pear Cactus,”
the biggest Aztec city and
the center of the Aztec
world

Mexican Flag

Why did the
Aztecs build their
capital city in the
middle of a lake?

Poll

Why do you think that the Aztecs believed their god led them to Tenochtitlan?

• They wanted to feel that they belonged there.

• They had a spiritual vision.

• They wanted to settle in a strategic spot.

• They were simply lucky.

Using the
Environment

Drag and Drop

Which resources did the Valley of Mexico have? (Add correct answers in alphabetical order.) ​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

fish

plants

water

buffalo

forest

ice

mountains

How did the Aztecs
increase the amount
of land available for
farming?

chinampas -
floating gardens
Aztecs used for
farming

Aztec Schools

specialize - people in a
civilization are able to
concentrate on doing
particular kinds of work

Match

Match the following. Which specialized skills were boys and girls taught in the Aztec empire?

• boy

• girl

• girl

• boy

• boy

trading

weaving

embroidery

astronomy

building and engineering

• trading

• weaving

• embroidery

• astronomy

• building and engineering

Why do you think
that the Aztecs set
up schools for all
children?

Tenochtitlan
Flourishes

Tenochtitlan
was the
center of the
Aztec world.

Open Ended

Write in complete sentences and use the diagram on page 212 to answer this question. Which features in the diagram suggest that Tenochtitlan was a prosperous (or wealthy and s city?

Building an
Empire

empire - a group of lands
and people under the
control of one government

Add the Aztec Empire and the city of

Tenochtitlan to your Latin America map.

(pg. 213 in your book)

Open Ended

Write in complete sentences. How did war help the Aztecs?

tribute - a tax that was
paid in good or services

Multiple Choice

How did the Aztecs make use of the people they captured?

• They invited them into their empire with open arms.

• They enslaved them to work on buildings or sacrificed them to their gods.

• They made sure that all of them were educated.

• They did not conquer any people.

​Map Skills (pg. 213)

Multiple Choice

Which body of water bordered the Aztec Empire to the east?

• Atlantic Ocean

• Pacific Ocean

• Caribbean Sea

• Gulf of Mexico

Multiple Choice

In which part of present-day Mexico was the Aztec Empire located?

• central and southern Mexico

• northern Mexico

• on the Yucatan Peninsula

• The Aztec Empire wasn't located in Mexico.

Where is the
Valley of Mexico
located?

Why was
Tenochtitlan able
to prosper?

How did the
conquered people
feel about the
Aztecs?