Aztecs

1. Aztecs Hajra Patel, Brenda Armas, Ashley G.,Rosalia A., Alondra Tellez, Abdullah S., Koraima Teofilo

2. The Valley of Mexico The Aztecs arrived in the Valley of mexico around 1200. They were poor , nomadic people from the harsh deserts of northern Mexico .According to one of the Aztecs legends, the god of the sun (Huitzilopochtli) told them to find a city were an eagle perched on a cactus, holding a snake in its mouth. In 1428 they joined with two other city-states Texcoco and Tlacopan to form the Triple Alliance. People between 5 to 15 million. Military leaders held great power in Aztec society that made up the noble class.There were only two classes in Aztec society it was the commoners, and enslaved persons.The empire lived in a palace, surrounded by servants and his wife. Visitors even entered his presence in bare feet and cast their eyes down so as not to look at him.

3. Tenochtitlan:A Planned City Its population was between 200,000-400,000 people aztec engineers they build thee raised roads called causeways to connect the island to the mainland. Canoes brought goods to the heart of the city, the huge market of tlatelolco. Most of the fruits and vegetables sold there were grown on chinampas. At the center on the city there was a complex structure the great temple. It contained twin temple at the top one to represent the sun god and the other the rain god, which served as the center of aztec religious life.

4. Religion Rules Aztec Life Religion played a major role in the Aztec society. The Aztecs adopted many of these gods, and religious practices related to them, from other Mesoamerican peoples.Aztec religious practices centered on elaborate public ceremonies design to communicate with the gods and win their favor. The Aztec ceremonial calendar was full of religious festivals, which varied according to the god being honored. The sun would not rise, the world would not rise, the world would be plunged into darkness, and all life would perish. Sacrificial victims included enslaved persons, criminals, and people offered as tribute by conquered provinces. Prisoners of war, however, were the preferred victims. The priests required a steady supply of war captives. The Aztecs often went to war not to conquer new lands, but simply to capture prisoners for sacrifice. This is the god name Quetzalcoatl

5. Problems in the Aztec Empire In 1502, a new ruler, Montezuma II, was crowned emperor. Under Montezuma, the Aztec Empire began to weaken. With the population of Tenochtitlan growing ever greater, Montezuma called for even more tribute and sacrifice. This began a period of unrest and rebellion, which the military struggled to put down. For example, he reduce the demand for tribute payment by cutting the number of officials in the Aztec government. They saw bad omens in every unusual occurrence for example lightning striking a temple in Tenochtitlan. The most worrying event, however, was the arrival or the Spanish. Further south in the high mountain valleys of the Andes, another empire was developing, one that would transcend the Aztec Empire in land area, power, and wealth. This is a picture of Montezuma II.

7. some facts you might wanna know!! * merchants lived in their own area of city. * if one commits a crime they were been sent to slavery and some poor people sold themselves to slavery. * aztecs were polytheists, meaning, that they worshipped many gods. * the aztecs ate rabbits, turkeys, and armadillos. and sometimes they also ate dogs. * only upper class could wear cotton. if commoners wore anything made out of cotton, they could be put to death.=o

8. Assignment-quiz(game) • Who was the god of the sun? What did he tell the legends of the aztecs to do? • What is obsidian and what is it used for? • What were the two classes in the aztecs society? • how many gods did the aztecs worship and hat do you call to those people? • What played the major role in the aztecs society? • 20 pts question: what was the common dish called? • 20 pts question: how were the children treated in the aztecs society?

9. Reflection • In what way can my group improve in teaching? Rate each person out of 10: Hajra: Ashly: Korima: Rosalia: Alondra: Brenda: Abdullah: *What did you understand in today's lesson?(2-3 sentences)