General Outcome
Through an examination of Spanish and Aztec societies,
students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of
how intercultural contact affects the worldviews of societies.
SOCIAL STUDIES 8
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 7 OUTCOMES (THINGS YOU NEED TO
KNOW BY THE END)
Together as a class we are going to assess, critically,
how the Aztecs were affected by the Spanish
worldview by exploring and reflecting upon the
following questions and issues:
 What were the key elements of the worldview of
the Aztec civilization prior to contact with the
Spanish?
 How did the Aztec civilization’s worldview influence
the Aztecs’ choices, decisions and customs?
 What key elements of Spain’s worldview led to the
desire to expand the Spanish empire?
CHAPTER 7 GLOSSARY

Take the next 10-15 minutes to complete the
glossary for chapter 7
INTRODUCTION TO THE AZTEC'S AND SPAIN
INTRODUCTION TO CASE STUDY
Read page 224 as a class
 Discuss the timeline. One side depicts Spanish
events while the other depicts Aztec events
 Lets check these 2 countries out on Google Earth!
 Lets look at the two cultures visually. At the end
tell me what you think some of the key values and
beliefs of each society are
 What do you think will be the result upon contact?
(you’ll be making this prediction a lot as you learn
about the two cultures)

INTRODUCTION TO CHAPTER 7
Read page 226
 Read the Worldview Investigation page 227
 What would be the purpose of this worldview
investigation if we were going to do it?

How did geography influence the
societies of the Aztec and the Spanish?
PAGE 228-231
THE AZTEC
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Read pages 228-229 and examine the maps of Meso-America.
Discuss how people adapted to the land and the climate.
Discuss how geography affected the social structure.
THE AZTEC
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Mexico is a land of great diversity,
including deserts, mountains,
tropical forests, ranchland, rich
farmland, and seacoasts on the
east and west.
Much of northern Mexico is
desert.
Most of the major mountain
ranges are located in the central
plateau of Mexico.
Southern Mexico has dense
forests and a tropical climate with
lots of rainfall.
Most of the original societies,
including the Aztec, lived in the
central basin, the Valley of
Mexico.
The Valley of Mexico became the
centre of the Aztec civilization.
There were different ecological
zones within the Mexican basin.
THE SPANISH

Read pages 230-231 and examine the maps of
Reflect and Respond page 231 #1-2
Spain
THE SPANISH
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Spain occupies about 80% of the
Iberian Peninsula.
Towards the end of the 15th
century, the Spanish monarchs
wanted to increase the wealth
and prestige of Spain by exploring
and colonizing new lands.
Spain’s location on the Atlantic
Ocean was an important factor in
this decision.
Spain has several large mountain
ranges and many fast-flowing
rivers.
The central plateau is very dry
with frequent droughts.
Spain’s climate is rainy in the
north and dry in the south.
Due to the mountains and rivers
that were difficult to navigate,
Spain was made up of many
individual kingdoms, which
shaped its history and culture.
HISTORY OF THE AZTEC
What kind of historical records are you familiar
with?
 MAYBE: primary sources such as stories, artist’s
depictions, audio recordings, buildings, clothing,
pottery; secondary sources such as newspapers,
books, encyclopaedia, Internet websites.
 The Aztec used codices
 Compare that with the what the Spanish used by
skimming pages 236-239

HISTORY OF THE AZTEC
Read pages 232-235
 Interpret the images in the Boturini Codex

This illustration indicates
that the Mexica settled in
this spot for awhile. The
footprints indicate travel.
The curled illustrations
coming from people’s
mouths indicate
speaking. There appears
to have been a circle
discussion with a leader
or priest in the centre. A
tree falls on the temple to
Huitzilopochtli; this is a
sign they
must move on. Note the
arms on the tree,
indicating the belief that it
contains a living spirit.
THE LONG MIGRATION
The Aztec were one of several groups who left
northern Mexico and migrated southward over
many years.
 They were devoted to their god, and moved
according to his directions to the priests so that
they could reach the land of their destiny.
 This created many hardships.
 They eventually settled in the Valley of Mexico,
in the city of Tenoch.
 This city proved to be an excellent site for trade.
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HUITZILOPOCHTLI
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The creation stories of the origin of the Mexica and their migration
include stories of the birth of Huitzilopochtli, the main god of the
Aztec. The Aztec believed he was the incarnation of the sun and
struggled against the forces of night to keep humans alive. In one
story, the old goddess Coatlicue (koh-ah-TLEE-kway) found herself
pregnant. Her eldest daughter, Coyolxauhqui (koh-yohl-SHAHW-kee),
convinced her 400 brothers to assist her in killing their mother. The
unborn Huitzilopochtli learned of the plot and just in time, burst from
Coatlicue’s belly fully grown and fully armed. He killed Coyolxauhqui
and her brothers. Coyolxauhqui rose to become the moon and the
brothers rose to become the stars. The Aztec believed that
Huitzilopochtli became the sun, which battled and overcame the
moon and stars each day as he rose into the sky.
TENOCHTITLAN
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After years of looking for a home the Aztecs
found Tenochtitlan.
Reflect and
Respond #1-2
HISTORY OF THE SPANISH
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Read pages 236-239
THE RECONQUISTA
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There was Muslim rule in southern Spain in the early
700’s when the Moors came from North Africa and took
over the Christian lands of the Iberian Peninsula.
This Muslim rule lasted for more than 700 years.
Over the centuries, Christian kingdoms gradually
became more powerful and struggled to take over
Muslim rule.
Most people in Europe followed Christianity at this time,
and Muslims and Jewish people were often not
accepted because they were not Christian.
The move to retake land under Muslim control was
called the reconquest, or “Reconquista” in Spanish.
The conquistadors of King Ferdinand and Queen
Isabella rid Spain of Moorish control in 1492.
SPANISH INQUISITION
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After the Reconquista, the
Roman Catholic faith was
considered the only true
faith in Spain.
The king and queen felt
that the country would
only be united if everyone
followed the same
religion.
This was an opportunity to
control the people.
In 1492, the Spanish
Inquisition was reinstated.
It was both a civil and a
religious court.
DESIRE FOR EXPLORATION
The Spanish wanted to explore new, undiscovered
lands because the routes to the East around Africa
had already been explored by other countries.
 Their two directions for expansion were to the
Western Mediterranean and the west across the
Atlantic.
 The Spanish monarchy had religious, economic,
and political motives for building its empire.
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GEOGRAPHY AND MESO-AMERICA
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Please read page 240
EXPLORING HISTORICAL LEGACIES
What is a legacy?
 Two types of legacies: one given to you, and
one passed on to you
 What types of legacies do individuals leave?
(think about our past 2 units)
 What about societies and groups?
 What criteria is necessary in determining
whether or not a society has left a legacy?
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CONTACT WITH OTHER SOCIETIES
Keep the following in mind when reading the
next section:
1. What was the nature of the intercultural
contact?
2. What was the short-term impact of this
contact?
3. What was the long-term legacy of this contact?
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SPANISH CONTACT WITH THE MOORS
Read page 242-243
 What was the legacy of the Muslims in Spain?
 How might the location of Cordoba have
contributed to its status as a “major centre of
learning and the arts.”
 What is the legacy of Cordoba?
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MOORS
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The Moors conquered
regions of the Iberian
Peninsula,
They imported their
Islamic culture.
THE LEGACY OF THE MOORS
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This culture influenced
Spanish learning,
architecture and design,
such as:
Important schools of
astronomy, mathematics
and architecture.
Illuminated manuscripts
and murals.
Great libraries containing
books on a variety of
topics.
A large collection of
classical documents.
Beautiful buildings.
AZTEC CONTACT WITH OTHER MESO-AMERICAN SOCIETIES
Read pages 244-246 and answer the guiding
questions
 What was the legacy of the Toltecs in MesoAmerica?
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TOLTEC
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Read page 247
The Toltec, who had the
greatest impact on
Aztec culture because
they were seen to be a
refined civilization.
OLMEC
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The Olmec, which was
the founding society of
all Meso-American
civilizations.
TEOTIHUACAN
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The Teotihuacan, who
left enormous ruins,
thought to be holy.
AZTEC AND SPANISH BECOME POWERFUL
CONCEPTS OF POWER
In our previous two units:
1. Who was powerful and how did they become
powerful?
2. What makes a strong leader?
3. What are some historical examples of
empires?
4. How were the lives of common people affected
by the political system and leaders of the
time?

ITZCOATL
Read page 248
 What made itzcoatl a strong leader?
 How did itzcoatl become and remain powerful?
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HOW DID THE AZTEC EMPERORS BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL
RULERS IN THE VALLEY OF MEXICO?
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Read pages 249-253
DISCUSS: How did the
Aztec leaders become
powerful?
LINEAGE WITH THE TOLTECS
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Societies who could
claim direct lineage to
the Toltecs were the
most respected and
held the greatest power
in the Valley of Mexico.
Aztec emperors
increased their power
by creating alliances
with other powerful
rulers.
STRONG MILITARY
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Life in Aztec society
developed around a
culture of war.
They developed an
effective military
strategy.
The Aztec maintained
power with a strong
military and their
alliances with
conquered city-states.
POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF AZTEC EMPIRE
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The most important
individuals governing
the empire were the
Aztec nobility (Pipiltin)
Priests were important
advisors to the emperor.
HOW DID THE SPANISH MONARCHY BECOME SO
POWERFUL?
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2.
3.
4.
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Read page 254
What do you think made Ferdinand
and Isabella strong leaders?
Page 137- their lineage, and
combination of kingdoms
Page 238- capable
Page 239- sense of purpose, to
extend empire and;
Page 254- increase the power of
monarchy
Read pages 255-256
DISCUSS: how did the Spanish
monarchy become so powerful?
POWER OF THE MONARCHY
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In 1497, King Ferdinand
and Queen Isabella
married.
They increased the
powers of the throne
and decreased the
powers of the Spanish
parliament
POWER OF THE MONARCHY
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Ferdinand and Isabella
centralized the government
under their control, and to
have ultimate power they:
created a more efficient
government bureaucracy,
imposed new taxes,
controlled the Roman
Catholic Church in Spain,
began the Spanish
Inquisition,
forbade any faith but Roman
Catholicism.
REDUCED THE POWER OF GOVERNMENT
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The Cortes (Spanish
Parliament) was established in
the 8th century to keep the
power of the monarchs under
control.
Ferdinand and Isabella reduced
the power of the Cortes in order
to increase their own power.
To make up for the power they
were taking away from the
aristocrats they gave them land
previously belonging to the
moors
POWER OF THE CHURCH
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The Pope gave
Ferdinand and Isabella
the right to choose
Church officials.
This new right was given
because in return they
agreed to set up the
Spanish Inquisition.
DOMESTIC ISSUES (PAGE 256)
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Life for peasants was
still poor.
The merchant class was
given more power, but
were heavily taxed.
Aristocrats thought they
were too superior to
have to work, and
looked down upon
laborers.
BUILDING AN EMPIRE
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Although they still had
domestic problems,
Ferdinand and Isabella
had more authority and
better resources to begin
a policy of exploration
and discovery.
By the mid-1500s, Spain
was the most powerful
and wealthy country in
Europe, controlling large
areas of the Caribbean,
the Americas, and parts
of Asia and Africa.
SAME TIME, DIFFERENT PLACE
Read page 257
 Compare the empires in terms of time and
location
 List the attributes of good leaders
 Describe strategies that good leaders use to
control their followers
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USING CREATION STORIES TO UNDERSTAND
WORLDVIEW
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Read the “first nation creation stories”
What do they say about their worldview? What they
value and believe in
Read the handout “Aztec creation story” as well as page
258-259
Compare the Aztec stories with the one on page 233.
Why more than one story?
What values and beliefs do the stories represent about
Aztec worldview?
What creation story would the Spanish have followed?
WHAT ASPECTS OF AZTEC WORLDVIEW ARE
REFLECTED IN CREATION STORIES?
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The Aztec believed the gods
had created and destroyed the
world four times.
The Aztecs believed they were
living in the fifth created
world, known as the fifth sun.
They felt it was their duty to
keep the sun alive to prevent
the destruction of the Earth
and its people.
The traditional stories of the
Aztecs reveal their beliefs.
CONCLUSION
Please be sure to read page 260
 Review and Synthesize
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MIND MAP
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Create a mind map summarizing the Aztec or
Spanish way of life in terms of the social
system, political and economic system, and
culture