Spy on the Aztecs!!
For this project, you will create an Aztec Spy Journal and a 3-D object that
we will pretend you stole from the Aztecs in order to learn their secrets.
Background:
Five hundred years ago, the Aztecs stood as the most powerful
civilization in Central Mexico. Although the Aztecs were feared and
respected, they were not without enemies. The Tlaxcalan stood as a hateful
neighbor to the Aztecs for hundreds of years. Although the Tlaxcala hated
the Aztecs there was little that they could do to defend themselves. They
owned only a small area of land that was deep inside of the Aztec empire.
Over hundreds of years, the Aztecs sent warriors to fight the Tlaxcalan.
After attacking the Tlaxcala, the Aztecs would collect tributes in the forms
of gold, slaves, feathers and other goods. After frequent attacks, the
Tlaxcalan had very few material goods to give the Aztecs as tribute.
Although the Tlaxcalan were broke, the Aztec continued to attack them in
order to get people that they could sacrifice to their gods. Some historians
believe that the Tlaxcalan could have easily been wiped out by the Aztecs,
but instead were spared because they provided the Aztecs a regular supply
of people to be sacrificed. After being forced to give tributes and people to
the Aztecs for years you can guess just how much the Tlaxcalan hated the
Aztecs!
For this assignment, you will create a spy journal that will tell how you
entered the city of Tenochtitlan and what you learned about the Aztecs.
You will also either draw or create an object that you stole from the Aztec
city of Tenochtitlan. Perhaps your journal and object will give the Tlaxcalan
clues about how to attack or protect themselves from the powerful Aztecs!
Grades
Major Story Elements:
_____________ Our journal has a description of how we snuck into Tenochtitlan to learn
the Aztec's secrets. In our intro, we describe why our characters are entering
Tenochtitlan, how we snuck into the town, and gave three examples of things
Tenochtitlan had in it. (10 points)
_____________ Our journal explains six different ways that the Aztecs lived (Choose
six of the following to write about: marriage, weaving, warfare, crime and punishment,
education, recreation, food, sacrifices, motherhood, clothing, markets, social classes) (36
points)
_____________ We describe the object that we took from the Aztecs while spying on
them. (5 points)
___________ We described how we snuck out of Tenochtitlan. (5 points)
_____________ Our journal has transition words as it moves from one portion of the
story to another. (For example: "After witnessing the sacrifice, we...") (5 points)
_____________ We use correct spelling and punctuation in our descriptions. (10 points)
Presentation:
_____________ We have a colored drawing for each of the six things that we saw the
Aztecs doing.
____________ Our journal has a drawing showing how we snuck into Tenochtitlan.
Object:
______________ We created/ drew an object that we took from the Aztecs when we
were spying on them. The object can teach the Tlaxcalan more about one of the things
we saw and described (your drawing/ creation must be something dealing with either:
marriage, weaving, crime and punishment, etc.). The object must be based on
something real that the Aztecs had