Unit Plan
The Newberry Library

The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico: Europeans Invade the Aztec Empire

For Students 9th - 10th
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,...
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: Hernan Cortes and the Fall of the Aztec Empire

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the fall of the Aztec Empire. You can use the navigation tool at the left to click into more information on the Aztecs and the Spanish conquest of Cortes. Uses popups.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans the Aztec Empire

For Students 4th - 6th Standards
[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....
Handout
PBS

Pbs: The Conquistadors: Aztec Empire

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Unit Plan
C3 Teachers

C3 Teachers: Inquiries: Aztec

For Teachers 9th
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...
Website
Mex Connect

Mexico's Colonial Era Part Ii: Religion and Society in New Spain

For Students 9th - 10th
This article examines religion in Mexico beginning with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, and some of the changes since then.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Aztec

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Spanish Conquest

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids learn about the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec Empire including Hernan Cortes and Montezuma II on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Daily Life

For Students 9th - 10th
Study the daily life of people during the Aztec Empire including food, clothing, housing, and education on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Timeline

For Students 3rd - 8th
A site with a timeline of the history of the Aztec Empire. Major events and the order they occurred can be found on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Government and Empire

For Students 9th - 10th
Students can learn about the Government of the Aztec Empire including the emperor, officials, laws, and interesting facts on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Art

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids learn about arts and crafts during the Aztec Empire including poetry, music, sculpture, pottery, and feather-work on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Society

For Students 9th - 10th
Students can study the society of the Aztec Empire including their social structure and classes on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Writing and Technology

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids learn about the writing and technology of the Aztec Empire including their calendar, agriculture, and medicine on this site.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Glossary and Terms

For Students 9th - 10th
Sites contain a glossary and terms which includes important words to know for the Aztec Empire.
Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Aztec Empire for Kids: Religion, Gods, and Mythology

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids learn about the religion, Gods, and mythology of the Aztec Empire including the pyramids, temples, and priests on this site.
Handout
World History Encyclopedia

World History Encyclopedia: Aztec Civilization

For Students 9th - 10th
Entry references the history of the Aztec Empire with a focus on Tenochtitlan, religion, architecture, art, and its eventual collapse.
Handout
Other

Aztec History: Aztec Timeline

For Students 9th - 10th
Timeline of the Aztec Empire beginning in the 6th Century and ending at the time of conquest, 1525.
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Aztec (Mexica), an Introduction

For Students 9th - 10th
This article from The British Museum provides a short history of the Mexica (Aztec) peoples and their empire.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Aztecs Find a Home: The Eagle Has Landed

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson plan, students 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.
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Clash of Cultures: Indigenous America and the Conquistadores

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Graphic
Other

Visulistan: Mapping the Empires of History #Infographic

For Students 9th - 10th
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...
Website
University of Calgary

University of Calgary: Hernando Cortes Exploration

For Students 9th - 10th
This account of "The Conquest of the Aztec Empire" tells the story of Cortes' encounter with the Aztecs and the fall of the empire.
Online Course
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: World History: Unit: 600 1450 Regional & Interregional Interaction

For Students 9th - 10th
The World History unit is from Khan Academy. The years 600 to 1450 are included. The Byzantine Empire, European Middle Ages, origins of Islam, spread of Islam, Great Schism, Crusades, Mongols, Song China, Medieval Japan, Maya Empire,...