LESSON PLAN

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 8 Date: March 21

Critical Inquiry Question: How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people
interacted with other cultures?
Lesson: Trade & War Time: 70 mins
SLO 8.3.4 assess, critically, how the Aztecs were affected by the Spanish worldview by
exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
● What were the key elements of the worldview of the Aztec civilization prior to
contact with the Spanish? (TCC, I, CC)
● How did the Aztec civilization’s worldview influence the Aztecs’ choices,
decisions and customs? (TCC, CC, PADM)

Instructional Objectives:
Knowledge:
-Students will be able to identify the impacts that Aztec worldview had on the way they
interact with other groups of people

Skill:
-Students will participate in group discussions by asking questions and contributing their
ideas
-Recording and referencing information

Key Questions: How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people interacted
with other cultures?
Focus Question:
-How did the Aztec worldview contribute to their motivations to expand their empire?

Related Questions:
-Who lead the Aztecs through expansion?
-What were the attitude of the people that supported expansion?
-Why was trade necessary for the Aztecs?
-What methods or strategies did the Aztecs use
-What were common trade routes or areas?
-What was the Aztec currency?
-What good did Aztecs trade with? For?
-What was the role of the Aztec merchants?

Materials:
-Powerpoint
-Video Rise and Fall of the Aztec Empire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBIWU6nyMPE
-

Preparation:
-Que video and apply settings to 0.25 speed

Adaptations:
-When assigning numbers, students may not be selected to be a 1(Recorder)

Lesson Procedure:
Introduction
Big Question: How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people interacted
with other cultures?
1. Have students consider this question in relation to the Aztecs
a. What have we already learned that would affect this?
b. What influences on our own worldview affect how we interact with others
i. Think about taking a field trip to other parts of the world
ii. Think about your interactions when the language, landscape, and
beliefs systems change in the place you are visiting
What is equality with others?
2. Compare and contrast Equality and Equity
a. Outline the two definitions
b. Provide a visual example and further explain the two
Body
How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people interacted with other
cultures?
3. Expanding an empire
a. Use the map and the video to review how rapidly the Aztecs
b. Have students make predictions as to how each leader was able to expand
so quickly
4. Read Pg. 165-166 in the textbook
a. Pause on the question about considering the foods they eat. Relate it to
their food guide Canada Food Guide assignment and ask
5. Continue through the slides to review aspects of trade
a. Why was trade necessary?
b. What are the two types of trade?
c. Who were the Pochteca?
d. What role did the Aztec markets play in their lives?

How does the Aztec worldview motivate their style warfare?

6. Read pg 167-168
7. Consider the “Think it through” question
a. Have students consider what they already know about Aztec beliefs
8. Continue through the slides
a. Discuss the two reasons Aztec went to war
i. What did the Aztec have to lose?
b. Discuss the weapons they made and how they were effective
9. Review Aztec Tribute

Table Talk activity

 10. Student lead table discussions
a. Students will begin working at their assigned tables. They will be given a
number from 1-3 to indicate how they will move
1. Records ideas discussed on a piece of paper to share at the
end. Does not move
2. Moves forward
3. Moves backward
b. In the first discussion students will consider the big question in relation to
trade. They will discuss how they think trading impacted the Aztec
worldview, if it was a successful strategy to expand, as well as questions
they may have
c. Students will rotate tables based on their number. They will repeat the
process with their new group, but considering warfare. How did their
beliefs affect what they did? was it successful
d. After the two discussions students will record their ideas on the two large
boards. As a class we can address the ideas that were shared
e. To conclude, have students now consider the perspective of the other
mesoamerican groups and what their thoughts are to the way the Aztec
interact with each other and if it demonstrates equality

Conclusion
How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people interacted with other
cultures?
11. After students have shared their thoughts they generated in the table discussions,
in the center board, record what students think about the other groups of people
who the Aztec are battling.
a. What are their feelings towards this way of life?
b. How may they be impacted by tributes?
c. How do they participate in trade? In war?
12. Record ideas on the board
13. Summarize key points:
a. Expansion happened rapidly due to the nature of the Aztec efforts
b. Trade was essential to maintain the people's way of living
c. War was necessary to gather victims for sacrifice

Assessment:
-What students contribute to discussions and the Table Talk share

Lesson Reflection:

http://www.legendsandchronicles.com/ancient-civilizations/the-ancient-aztecs/aztec-
economy-trade-and-currency/
https://www.historyonthenet.com/aztec-economy-regional-markets-and-long-distance-
trade/

How did the Aztec worldview influence the way the people interacted with other
cultures?

Related questions

- The local markets sold goods like food, cloth, tools, medicine, wood and leather.
How do the goods shape who will be at the market? How might they shape
interactions between people?
- The Pochteca had to travel vast distances to collect their good, however they
could become very wealthy doing so, and even move up in status. What does tell
us about the Aztec worldview, and how they valued trade?
- The Aztec traders, or Pochteca, serve multiple roles to the Aztec emperor
including spies and map creators. What skills or characteristics would a trader
need to do these jobs? How would they interact with others?
- The geography posed a challenge to the Aztecs and their ability to trade, as they
were surrounded by high mountains, but needed to travel great distances. How
would this affect the way the traders travelled?
- The Aztec traders, or Pochteca, travelled great distances to obtain luxurious goods
to bring back to Tenochtitlan. Why did the Aztecs want these goods? What would
they use the foreign goods for?
- The Aztec traders, or Pochteca, had a key role in the empire as communicators to
neighbouring city-states and helped maintain relationships. Why would the
pochteca
- The travelling traders, or Pochteca, were spies for the emperor to monitor enemies
far away from Tenochtitlan. Why would this be important to do during the
expansion of the empire?

- Aztec warriors were divided into various ranks or groupings of warriors based on
training and experience. What does this reveal about their value for skilled
warriors?
- Think about our military in Canada. How do people become a soldier? What does
it mean to be a part of an army instead of just a warrior? How do our soldiers
valued in society?
- The Aztec went to war in order to collect tributes for human sacrifice. What does
this reveal about their values?
- The Aztec had special roles like a Pochteca traders or great warriors were part of
the nobility
- In Aztec society, one can move upwards status through being a brave warrior.
What does this ability reveal about the Aztecs beliefs?
- Military training was important for all boys starting at a young age. How might
your interactions be different if you grew up to be a warrior that if you were a
merchant?
- The Aztecs began training as warriors at a young age. What does this reveal about
the importance of being a skilled warrior? What does it reveal about their
worldview?
- In order to become an elite warrior, you must commit several acts of bravery in
order to gain status. How would a great warrior be treated in Tenochtitlan
compared to a low-ranking warrior? Compared to a peasant?