Assignment Eighteen - Solutions
File name: 8ss18
Marks: /60 marks
Section A: Fill in the Blanks - ______/25 marks
Section B: Definitions - _______/10 marks
Section C: Short Answer - ______/15 marks
Section D: Paragraph Response - ____10 marks
ASSIGNMENT TOTAL: _______/60 marks
Section A - Fill in the Blanks (25 marks)
Complete each of the following statements with words or phrases
from the list. Each question is worth one mark.
Aztecs
allies
approach
captured
communicate
emperor
fear
gold sculptures
greedy
Hernan Cortes
house arrest
intermediary
jewellery
loved
Malinche
Moctezuma
peace
power
ruins
six months
smallpox epidemic
soldiers
strategies
welcomed
worldviews
1. The military strategies of the Aztecs and Spanish were influenced
by the worldviews of each group.
2. Despite their differences, the Aztecs and the Spanish were both
greedy and used to having power.
3. Tlacaelel, the brother of Moctezuma, tried to convince his brother
the emperor to choose a different approach when the Spanish
arrived in Tenochtitlan.
4. The Spanish leader, Hernan Cortes, made use of an intermediary
to help him communicate with the groups he conquered on his
march to overtake the Aztec capital.
5. When the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan, Moctezuma welcomed
them into the city. Shortly after, the Spanish captured Moctezuma
and put him under house arrest in his own palace.
6. The Tlaxcalan people were loyal allies of the Aztecs, but after the
Spanish held them off and made peace, they offered one thousand
soliders to join the Spanish forces.
7. When Moctezuma made his welcoming speech to Cortes, Malinche
translated it into Spanish. Cortes made a response to the Aztecs
telling them not to fear because the Spanish came in peace and
loved the Aztec people.
8. When the Spanish saw all of the gold sculptures and jewelry in the
city of Tenochtitlan, their greed for riches increased.
9. A smallpox epidemic killed off many of the Aztec people and this
weakened their defense against the Spanish when they returned
six months later.
10. After the second battle between the Spanish and the Aztecs in
Tenochtitlan, only 60,000 Aztecs survived and the city was left in
ruins.
Section B - Terms and Definitions (10 marks)
Using your own words, write definitions for the given terms and
phrases in the spaces provided. Each definition will be worth one
mark. An example has been given to help you get started.
Example:
Aztecs –the civilization created by the Mexica nomadic tribe during
the fifteenth century.
1. intermediary - <a mediator or middle person working between
two people or groups >
2. Nahuatl - <the language spoken by the Aztecs>
3. Tenochtitlan - <the capital city of the Aztecs, located in the centre
of the Aztec Empire >
4. culture - <the customs, civilization and achievements of a
particular time or people>
5. Mayan - < the language spoken by the the Mayan people >
6. Hernan Cortes - < the Spanish conquistador responsible for
conquering the Aztec empire on behalf of Spain>
7. smallpox - < the disease brought over by the Spanish that killed
off 25% of the Aztec population before the fall of Tenochtitlan >
8. conquistador - < the Spanish word for “any hero who led
expeditions to imperialize other lands”>
9. Moctezuma - < the emperor or ‘great speaker’ of the Aztec
people>
10. empire - < a union of dispersed states and unrelated people
under one rule>
Section C – Short Answer (15 marks)
Answer the questions below USING COMPLETE SENTENCES (½ mark
will be deducted for every question that uses incomplete sentences).
The value for each is in parentheses at the end of the question.
1. What was Cortes’ plan for conquering the Aztec empire
after establishing colonies on the coast? (2 marks)
< After establishing colonies on the coast, he planned to
march to the centre of the Aztec Empire and either conquer
or befriend the peoples they met along the way. With new
allies added to the Spanish forces, Cortes would enter the
capital city, Tenochtitlan, and overtake the citizens. When
they had control of the capital city, they would have control
over the entire empire and they could then establish a new
Spanish colony. >
2. How did Hernan Cortes gain allies to add to his forces as
he marched toward Tenochtitlan? Give one example. (2
marks)
< Cortes knew he would have to befriend or conquer each
group as he met them. He would approach each group and
find out what they needed and find a way to provide for that
need. That way, they would see him as a friend and join the
Spanish force by volunteering warriors or siding with the
Spanish in any conflict. For example, Cortes offered
protection from the Aztec tribute to the Totonacs.>
3. What kind of ruler was Moctezuma? What strategy did he
choose when the Spanish arrived at Tenochtitlan? (3
marks)
< Moctezuma was a gentle ruler who did not believe in
taking action or using force as a first method for dealing
with conflict. Some accused him of being a weak or
indecisive ruler because of this. The strategy he chose when
the Spanish arrived was to welcome them and offer them
hospitality. He gave them a tour of the city and its
treasures, hoping to be able to deal with them reasonably.
He chose to sit back and wait to see what the Spanish would
do, rather than planning to defend the city from a possible
attack. >
4. Who was Malinche? How was she useful to the Spanish
during the conquest of the Aztec Empire? (2 marks)
< Malinche was a slave woman from among the Tabascan
people. She had been born to a noble family and then sold
into slavery when her father died. She was useful to the
Spanish because she could speak two languages, Mayan and
Nahuatl, and also learned to speak Spanish. She could act
as an intermediary and even a spy. She could communicate
with various groups and translate for the Spanish, even to
the point of reporting battle strategies she overheard to help
the Spanish conquer the Aztec allies. >
5. Define “strategy” and provide one example. (1 mark)
< A strategy is a military plan or technique designed to win a
battle or war. Examples will vary, but one example of a
strategy used by the Spanish was to allow the Aztec people to
hold a festival in the city, and then attack the dancers during
the ceremony when they were not on their guard. Another
example of a strategy was the use of an intermediary to listen
in to battle plans of other groups and report them to the
Spanish.>
6. Based on what you have learned about the eventual
defeat of the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan, how did the the
people feel when their city was left in ruins? (2 marks)
< The Aztec people felt desolate and defeated. All around
them, their city lay in ruins as proof that they were no
longer the dominating power in their empire. They had tried
to fight, but they were not prepared for the battle with the
Spanish. Their Emperor had let them down, and they may
have even felt abandoned by the gods they believed in; gods
they believed had led them to the site of their capital city as
part of their destiny.>
7. In your opinion, what makes a hero? Do you think Cortes
was a hero? Give reasons for your answer. (3 marks)
< Answers will vary, but students may say that a hero is
someone who shows great courage and determination. A hero
does great things to benefit his people and puts others ahead
of himself. A hero lives by a code of honor and is respected by
those he serves and those who serve him. Based on ideas such
as this, students will likely say that Cortes was seen as a hero
to his own people, who believed he was strong and brave and
won riches and power for his people. They may also say that, to
the people he conquered to obtain land, riches and power, he
would not have been seen as a hero because he was willing to
do whatever it took to overtake the Aztecs, including using
weapons they did not have, using spies and deceiving people to
get what he wanted. >
Section D - Opinion Paragraph (10 marks)
Write a well-constructed paragraph response to the following
question. Use information from what you have learned in your
workbook activities to form your opinion. Use examples to support
your opinion. You may consult the writing checklist below the space
provided for writing to assist you.
“Would the outcome of the battle for Tenochtitlan between the
Spanish and the Aztecs have been different if both groups had
access to equal weapons and military technology?”
< Your Title>
Student answers will vary. Students could argue that the outcome
would have been different with equal weapons and technology
because, despite their differences, the two groups shared traits in
common that made them equals in that way (both traders, both
greedy, both used to having power, both used to using their power
for their own gain, both believed they were meant to have power and
riches as part of their destiny or due reward.) They would have
made similar choices and, with similar weapons, been able to hold
each other off to the point that the Aztecs may have been able to
hold on to Tenochtitlan.
Other students may argue that even with similar weapons, the
Spanish would still have overcome the Aztecs because they were
willing to do whatever it took and were driven by their greed for
power and riches. As well, Moctezuma’s choice of welcoming them
rather than planning a defensive strategy set the Aztecs up for
failure no matter what weapons they may have had. In addition to
this, the smallpox epidemic had killed of 25% of the population,
weakening the Aztec forces.
Writing Checklist Items – Opinion Paragraph
The first sentence of the paragraph should be indented. (½
mark)
The topic sentence of your paragraph should introduce
what the rest of the paragraph is going to be about and this
includes your clear opinion. (1 ½ marks)
The paragraph should discuss three reasons that support
your opinion.
(3 marks)
You should also discuss three examples that support the
given opinion. (3 marks.)
Your paragraph will close with a strong clincher sentence.
Remember, a clincher sentence indicates that the
discussion is finished and the paragraph has come to a
close. (1 mark)
Proofread your paragraph for any spelling or grammatical
errors. Edit to make necessary changes. (1 marks)
Total
/10 marks