Cultures Collide Project
Aztec, Mayan or Incan Experience
Overview:
The Aztec and Maya made colorful books that told stories of their history (each was called
a Codex). In the pages of the books would be illustrations of their culture and writings
about their ways of life.
Your goal is to create your own picture book (codex) to illustrate and narrate the Mayan,
Aztec, or Incan culture.
Pretend that you are a Maya, Aztec or Inca, living within their empire. Tell the story of
what you are going through by creating a codex (picture book).
Instructions:
Your codex must include:
- 5 illustrations showing scenes of the Aztec/Maya/Inca
- Of your 5 scenes, some should depict their culture, while others depict the fall of
their civilization.
- At least 2 complete sentences describing each scene
Questions to consider while creating your codex:
- How did you build your cities?
- What was life like in your civilization?
- What impact did the Spanish invasion have on your way of life?
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Ideas for scenes that you might include:
- The Maya building their pyramids
- The eagle eating a snake on a cactus in the lake (Aztec)
- The Inca building Machu Picchu
- The arrival of Cortes/Pizarro and the Spanish (Aztec/Inca)
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Grading
Rubric:
CATEGORY
Content and
Evidence
Written
Narratives
Organization
Creativity
10
Student uses at
least 1+ piece(s)
of historical
evidence from
readings or class
notes in each of
their scenes
Each scene
contains at least
2 complete
sentences with
proper grammar
describing the
events taking
place
8-9
Student uses 1
piece of historical
evidence from
readings or class
notes in most of
their scenes
6-7
Student uses
historical
evidence from
readings or class
notes in some of
their scenes
0-5
Student uses few
if any pieces of
historical
evidence from
readings or class
notes
Each scene
contains 1-2
complete,
descriptive
sentences with
proper grammar
Each scene
includes 1 or
fewer complete
sentence, but
could use more
details and
improved
grammar
Students’ codex
is well organized,
presented
chronologically,
and done with
care
Student
demonstrates
exceptional
creativity in their
illustrations and
narratives.
Students’ codex
is well organized
but some
scenes/events
are out of place
Students’ codex
was completed
without much
care or effort and
seems rushed
Some scenes are
missing complete
sentences
describing the
events taking
place and there
are many
grammatical
errors
Students’ codex
was done
carelessly, rushed
and incomplete
Student
demonstrates
sufficient
creativity in their
illustrations and
narratives.
Students’
illustrations and
narratives lack
sufficient thought
or reasoning
Students’
illustrations and
narratives were
done without
care and/or
effort