MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
2/18/2016
UNIT 6 Chapter 24: The Aztecs
 Standards Used
7.7 Students compare and contrast the geographic, political,
economic, religious, and social structures of the Meso-American and
Andean civilizations.
1. Study the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and
South America and their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and
development of urban societies.
2. Study the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life,
war-fare, religious beliefs and practices, and slavery.
3. Explain how and where each empire arose and how the Aztec and Incan empires
were defeated by the Spanish.
4. Describe the artistic and oral traditions and architecture in the three civilizations.
5. Describe the Meso-American achievements in astronomy and mathematics,
including the development of the calendar and the Meso-American knowledge of
seasonal changes to the civilizations' agricultural systems.
CH 24 PREVIEW
The image on page 270 has clues about the beginnings of the
Aztec Empire.
1. What hypotheses can you make about this topic based
on details in this image?
 (Students might note the eagle and cactus; according to legend, the
Aztecs were to build their capital where they saw these symbols.)
2. The next image includes clues about the Aztec capital of
Tenochtitlan.
 (Students might note the blue border and blue X around where the
Aztecs are seated, indicating that their capital was surrounded by
water and had canals running through it.)
3. The image at the bottom includes clues about the nature
of the Aztecs’ relations with their neighbors.
 (The warriors fighting and temples falling over, this might indicate
that the Aztecs fought with their neighbors.)
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
2/18/2016
OVERVIEW OF CH 24
In this lesson, students complete a
Visual Discovery activity to learn about
the rise of the Aztecs, with a series of
images that represent key stages in the
development of the Aztec Empire
OBJECTIVES OF CH 24
Students will
 Describe the humble beginnings of
the Aztecs, how they arrived and
survived in the Valley of Mexico, and
the legend of their empire’s
beginnings.
 Explain how the Aztecs built their
capital of Tenochtitlan and what the
city was like.
 Describe Aztec warfare and other
methods the Aztecs used to create
and maintain their empire.
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
2/18/2016
1. Role Card 1: Aztec Priest
 You have been waiting for a sign from the gods
for where your people should build a great city.
You are relieved because you have finally
found the sign—an eagle perched on a cactus
and holding a Serpent—on this island in Lake
Texcoco, in the Valley of Mexico.
2. Role Card 2: Aztec Leader
 You have led your people as they have been
forced to move from one part of the Valley of
Mexico to another. You are hopeful that you
have finally found a place where your people
can build a home for themselves.
3. Role Card 3: Aztec Warrior
 You have fought as a mercenary (paid soldier) for
other groups who live in the Valley of Mexico. You
have noticed that many groups in the valley look
down on the Aztecs. You are tired of fighting for
others and want to start building a city of your own
that you can defend.
4. Role Card 4: Chief of the Colhua (pron ko-LOO-a)
 Your people have lived in the Valley of Mexico
since before the Aztecs arrived. You have used
the Aztec warriors as mercenaries (paid
soldiers), but later you fought against them
and drove them to this island in Lake Texcoco.
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
2/18/2016
5. Role Card 1: New Aztec Warrior
 You are participating in an attack against a
local city-state that is not part of the Aztec
Empire. You are a new warrior. You know you
have received excellent training, but secretly
you are nervous because this is your first
battle.
6. • Role Card 2: Aztec Jaguar Warrior
 You are participating in an attack against a
local city-state that is not part of the Aztec
Empire. You are a veteran of many battles like
this and feel confident because of your skills
and experience.
7. Role Card 3: Aztec Eagle Warrior
 You are leading an attack against a local citystate that is not part of the Aztec Empire. You
are confident that your warriors will be
victorious because of their experience in
battles like this.
8. Role Card 4: Tlaxcalan Warrior
 You are trying to defend your home against the
invading Aztecs. You are desperate because
the Aztecs seem too powerful to stop. You also
know what happens to warriors who are taken
captive.
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
2/18/2016
GUIDE TO READING NOTES 24
Read Sections 24.2 to 24.4.
Complete these steps for each section:
A. Record your answers to the questions in the corresponding
section of the flag.
B. Lightly shade that section of the flag the appropriate color.
C.Complete the matching sentence below.
Possible answers:
 The color green could help you remember this part
of Aztec history because… the Aztecs were
looking for a place to settle and found
the fertile Valley of Mexico.
 The color white could help you remember this part
of Aztec history because… the Aztec capital,
considering the number of people who
were living there, was very clean.
 The color red could help you remember this part of
Aztec history because… the relations
between the Aztecs and their neighbors
were often marked by warfare and human
sacrifice.
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NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
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24.2 The Aztecs in the Valley of Mexico
A.
Name 2 important groups that lived in the Valley of Mexico before the
Aztecs. Give an example of how they influenced the Aztecs.
1. The Teotihuacáns and the Toltecs lived in the Valley of
Mexico before the Aztecs.
2. The Aztecs adopted the feathered serpent god,
Quetzalcoatl, from the Teotihuacáns, and married into
the Toltec royal line.
B.
How did other groups already living in the Valley of Mexico treat the
Aztecs? Why might the Aztecs have eliminated this part of their story for
their “official” histories later on?
1. Other groups generally either forced the Aztecs to
move away or hired them as mercenaries (paid soldiers).
2. The Aztecs were not very powerful during this period
and thus may have decided to eliminate it from their
later “official” histories.
C.
According to Aztec history, how did the Aztecs know where to build
their new city of Tenochtitlan? Why was this a good location?
1. According to Aztec history, their priests were told to
look for an eagle perched on a cactus and holding a
snake in its beak. This was where the Aztecs were to
build their new city.
2. This location, on an island in the middle of Lake
Texcoco, was a good site because there were plenty of
fish and water birds to eat and the island was easy to
defend.
Lightly shade this section of the flag green.
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
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24.3 Tenochtitlan: A City of Wonders
A. How did the Aztecs build their capital in the middle of a
lake?
They filled in areas of the lake and built
small islands called chinampas.
B. Name at least one important building in Tenochtitlan,
and describe what happened there.
The Great Temple was one of the most
important buildings in Tenochtitlan. It
was 150 feet tall. This is where important
religious ceremonies took place, including
human sacrifices.
C. Describe at least two aspects of Tenochtitlan that
allowed so many people to live there comfortably.
Tenochtitlan had four wide avenues,
which were swept and washed every day
and allowed people to move around easily.
The city also had an aqueduct that carried
fresh water into the city from miles away.
Lightly shade this section of the flag white
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MR. DUNN’S WORLD HISTORY CLASS
NOTES AND OUTLINE CH 24
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24.4 The Aztec Empire
A. What kinds of goods did the Aztecs receive in tribute from conquered
peoples? Why was tribute so important to the Aztecs?
1. Aztec tribute included food, cacao, gems, cotton,
animals, animal skins, building materials, + soldiers.
2. This tribute was important because it was used to help
feed the huge population of Tenochtitlan and to pay
warriors, priests, officials, and servants.
B. Typically, what happened before, during, and after an Aztec declaration
of war?
1. Before a declaration of war, the Aztecs would request
that the city to join their empire as an ally.
2. If they refused, the Aztecs would declare war and
attack the city.
3. After the battle, captives were brought to
Tenochtitlan. Some became slaves, and others were
sacrificed.
C. What did the Aztecs demand of cities they defeated? Name one
advantage and one disadvantage of this Aztec policy.
1. The Aztecs demanded that the city pay tribute to the
Aztecs, promise to obey the ruler, and honor the Aztec
god.
2. a These lenient conditions made it easy for the Aztecs
to rule.
2.b However, most conquered people never felt any
allegiance to the Aztecs, and this led to a lack of unity in
the empire.
Lightly shade this section of the flag red.
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