Curated OER
The Aztecs 1200-1521
Here is a cool way to use a slide show presentation. Each slide provides a document or excerpt and a critical-thinking question. Information is focused on the traditions and lifestyle of the Aztecs. A good way to review for a test.
Curated OER
Common Good in Aztec Culture Lesson 2: Aztec Religion
Students examine human sacrifice and read about Aztec gods and religious practices. They study Aztec sacrifice while looking at opportunity costs of doing things for the common good.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Aztec
An encyclopedia article from Wikipedia on the Aztecs discusses the legend of how they first appeared, their culture, human sacrifice, and the end of the empire.
C3 Teachers
C3 Teachers: Inquiries: Aztec
A learning module on the Aztec Empire that includes three supporting questions accompanied by formative tasks and source materials, followed by a summative performance task. Topics covered include the capital of Tenochtitlan, an...
The Newberry Library
The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico: Europeans Invade the Aztec Empire
Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes invaded the Aztec empire in the 16th century. This conquest led to the colonization of Mexico. The Newberry Library provides an in depth look into this period of Mexican history through photos,...
University of Groningen
American History: Essays: Spain's Territorial Conquest in the Americas
The history of Spanish territorial conquest in the New World is the history of the succession of conquistadors who often overwhelmed native empires, but were sometimes overwhelmed themselves. Read about the conquistadors who came to the...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Harcourt: Biographies: Hernando Cortes 1485 1547
Furnished is a brief summary of the life and explorations of Spanish explorer, Hernando Cortes. Take a look at the photos and maps of his journey of what today is called Mexico.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed
In this lesson plan, learners will consider "Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
PBS
Pbs: The Conquistadors: Aztec Empire
Read about the development of the Aztec Empire and its status just before the Spanish Conquest. Click on the hyperlinks or pictures for more information. From part of an extensive PBS website about the Conquistadors.
University of Calgary
University of Calgary: Hernando Cortes Exploration
This account of "The Conquest of the Aztec Empire" tells the story of Cortes' encounter with the Aztecs and the fall of the empire.
World History Encyclopedia
World History Encyclopedia: Aztec Civilization
Entry references the history of the Aztec Empire with a focus on Tenochtitlan, religion, architecture, art, and its eventual collapse.
Read Works
Read Works: Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans the Aztec Empire
[Free Registration/Login Required] This nonfiction passage provides information about the ancient Aztec Empire, including the significance of Montezuma and Tenochtitlan. This passage reinforces essential reading comprehension skills....
CommonLit
Common Lit: Clash of Cultures: Indigenous America and the Conquistadores
A learning module that begins with "Clash of Cultures: Indigenous America and the Conquistadores" by USHistory.org, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF...
The History Cat
The History Cat: Age of Exploration: The Spanish Conquest of Mexico
Lengthy description of the life of Hernan Cortes, the Spanish conquistador who brought down the Aztec Empire in Mexico. How this came to be is explained, with many details of the sophistication of Aztec civilization.
Internet History Sourcebooks Project
Fordham University: Modern History Sourcebook: Hernan Cortes
Fordham University gives the text of Cortes' second letter to King Charles V, describing the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, and the people who lived there.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza
The Codex Mendoza, commissioned by Viceroy Mendoza, contained information about the lords of Tenochtitlan, the tribute paid to the Aztecs, and an account of life "from year to year." Read descriptions and view pictures of the codex in...
Other
Aztec Centers in the Region of Lake Texcoco
A map of Lake Texcoco, showing the Aztec centers in the region at the time of the Spanish conquistadors. The entry route of Cortes into the city of Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, is designated along with causeways into the city. A few...
Other
Visulistan: Mapping the Empires of History #Infographic
This infographic maps the empires of history including the British Empire, the Mongol Empire, the Russian Empire, the Spanish Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate, the Portuguese Empire, the Achaemenid Empire (First Persian Empire), the Ottoman...
Siteseen
Siteseen: Land of the Brave: Hernando Cortes Facts
Interesting biographical facts on the life of Hernando Cortes, the man who conquered the Aztec empire.