Name: ________________ Class: _____ Date: ___________

The Aztecs
Instructions:
1) Use the following books to identify the key elements of the Aztec Civilization prior to contact with
the Spanish. Through this assignment you will see how the Aztec civilization’s worldview
influenced its choices, decisions and customs.
2) A book will passed to your table for a designation period of time. You must locate the books title
in this booklet and answer the questions and complete the activities to accompany the book.
This will be done with your table group.

Book: How to be an Aztec Warrior

1) What are the 4 main duties of an Aztec Warrior?

2) Using the picture at the top of page 7 and the explanation underneath create a diagram of
the Aztec Society. Create it like a pyramid with the person with the most power at the top.

3) Which school did you go to if you were a warrior and which school did you go to if you were a
priest? Who decided which school you went to?

4) What kinds of uniforms did the soldiers, warriors, and commanders wear? Draw a quick
sketch of each with an explanation.

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Book: The Sun Kingdom of the Aztecs

1) How is a basic Aztec house described on page 35? Describe with a labeled diagram in the
space provided.

2) Read page 36 and explain how corn is ground into flour to make tortillas.

3) Aside from religion what was the most important thing in the life of an Aztec? What is the
name they called a cornfield by?

4) What was a typical lunch for Speaking Eagle when he went to work?

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Book: Aztecs & Incas- A Guide to the Pre-Colonized Americas in 1504

1) Why is the image of the eagle sitting on the prickly pear cactus so important?

2) What are the 4 districts that Tenochtitlan is divided into?

3) What is the best way to travel around Tenochtitlan?

4) What kinds of bathrooms did the Aztecs have? What did they do with the human waste?

5) What is the clothing like for men, women and children? Draw pictures to illustrate.

6) What are the 4 different hairstyles that people wear to distinguish themselves in society, draw
a picture and explain what they mean.

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Book: Understanding People in the Past- The Aztecs
1) Fill in the Crossword below using the book

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 Across
2. Brought fresh water to city
4. Measurement of price in cloaks
6. These linked city to mainland
7. People were killed for the Sun God
8. Early Aztec History
10. Where a person went after death
11. Books about Aztec History
12. Game where you must get beans in row
13. Game played by Aztec Nobles
Down
1. Aztecs used pictures instead of words
2. The kind of paper used to create books
3. Buying and selling goods
5. The Sun God was important
6. Done to the body after death
9. Painted glyphs on paper

2) What is the most interesting fact that you found out from this book?

National Geographic Investigates: Ancient Aztec

1) Use the outline map of Mexico to make notes about the following groups of People

The Olmec Teotihuacan

The Toltec The Aztec Empire

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2) What did the Aztec take from Tula to decorate their buildings?

3) What was found in 1994 and 2006 at the massive Olmec site?

4) What was the most interesting thing you uncovered while looking at this book?

Book: Sutton Pocket Mysteries- The Aztecs

Read about the Gods on Page 67 and 68 and record their name and draw a picture and color it
with what you think they would have looked like to the Aztecs.

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God: God: God: God:
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

God: God: God: God:

_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

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Book: Aztec Art
The Aztecs loved bright colors. Their craftpeople worked with brilliant colored stone such as
jade, turquoise and quartz. Look at the mosaics on page 261-268. Using small cut up pieces of
construction paper and glue try to copy what an Aztec craftsperson would have created on the
mask below, fill in the missing areas. You should be using the colors blue, green, black, white,
red, and pink.

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Book: Technology in the Time of the Aztecs
1) Read the section of the book on Metalworking and write the process that the Aztecs would
have gone through to create a pendant made out of silver or gold.

Steps the Aztecs completed to create a metal pendant:

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2) Read how to make the pendant on page 21 and create your own simple pendant. Staple
your finished foil in the space below. Try drawing the eagle on the cactus.

3) What was the most interesting thing you uncovered while looking at this book?

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Book: Discovery Series- Aztecs-the fall of the Aztec Capital
Answer the following questions on the section on Religion and Sacrifice.

1) Why did the Aztecs sacrifice humans?

2) Describe how a person was sacrificed.

3) What is the Day of the Dead and why is it important today?

4) Explain the duties of the Aztec Priests.

5) Why was the Temple-Pyramid important?

6) What is an interesting fact or point you learned while reading this book?

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Book: Life Among the Aztecs
1) Read pages 45-48 and describe the 3 types of Architecture, draw a simple plan of each

Aztec Temples

Aztec Palaces

Homes of the Common People

2) What is an interesting fact or point you learned while reading this book?

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Book: Encyclopedia of World History

Construct a time-line of the Aztecs from the beginning to the end of the Aztec Empire using page
108. Include a small drawing beside each section.

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Book: How to Be an Aztec Warrior
Answer the following questions using the book

1) What was the common food in the Aztec Diet? What food did warriors have to eat if they
were away from home?

2) What were Aztecs Law and Order like?

3) How did Messengers, merchants and spies travel around the area?

4) What are four ways the Aztecs used to deal with injuries?

5) What and who are Jaguar Knights and Eagle Knights?

6) Take the quiz on page 30, record your answers below:

1) 2)
3) 4)
5) 6)
7) 8)
9) 10)

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Book: The Ancient World- The Aztecs
List 10 points that you have found interesting in this book and didn’t know before you started
reading it.

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Book: Discovery Series- Aztecs-the fall of the Aztec Capital
In 10 steps explain what happened when the Spanish and Aztecs first came into contact with
one another, begin with their first meeting and end with the Spanish conquering the Aztecs .

1. 6.

2. 7.

3. 8.

4. 9.

5. 10.

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Glyphs Aztecs used pictures instead of words
Scribes Painted glyphs on paper
Amatl The kind of paper used to create books
Codex Books about Aztec History
Cremated Done to the body after death
Underworld Where a person went after death
Huitzilopochtli The Sun God was important
Sacrifice People were killed for the Sun God
Causeways These linked city to mainland
Aquaducts Brough fresh water to city
Tlacktli Game played by Aztec Nobles
Patolli Game where you must get beans in row
Barter Buying and selling goods
Quachtli Measurment of price in cloaks
Legends Early Aztec History

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