Is it a calendar? A religious symbol? A political statement? One thing for certain is that Aztec sun stone designs remain an important symbol in Mexican cultural art. Young artists craft their own Aztec Sun design incorporating ideas...

Pupils observe the shapes and lines that make up Aztec sculpture, study Pre-Columbian art as they discover the Aztecs, Mayans and Incas. They create a small-scale Aztec tile using pasta. Creative, clever and engaging.

Students study the Aztecs and Incas. For this Aztecs and Incas lesson, students discover their similiarities and differences and how the Spainards defeated both. Students create a picture book about one of these empires.

Young scholars create their own Sun God Sculptures. In this Aztec art lesson, students create their own Sun God Sculpture. After finishing the project sudents compare and contrast their sculpture to the pictures of the Aztec's sculpture.

Celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday El Dia de los Muertos! Explore the intricate history behind the traditions, compare other cultural rituals honoring the dead, and create sugar skulls. Learners read informational text on Aztec...

First graders explore Aztec culture to gain understanding of relationship between music, recreation, and culture. Seven lessons on one page.

Students, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "First Encounters Between Spain and the Americas: Two Worlds Meet," design and create a map of the Aztec Empire at the time of the first contract with the Spanish. They create the map from...

Students create animation symbols on the computer based on The Aztec Empire work of Keith Haring. In this animation lesson plan, students use drawings and put them into the computer over a series of 8 weeks.

After looking at some examples of Aztec art and design, learners create some of their own. They use the images in the slideshow as inspiration for the geometric patterns and textures they'll use in their art. 

An open discussion starts this lesson plan off. The class takes a critical look at five works of art that demonstrate the impact and purpose of identity through collections or archives. They then write a list or draw 10-15 items found in...

Seventh graders study Aztec dance to learn about their culture and civilization. For this Aztec study lesson, 7th graders watch a video of Aztec dancers and describe the dance on an index card. Students visit a website to learn the...

Students study South American Indian Empires. In this South American Indian Empires instructional activity, students access an interactive web site to determine the answers to a drag and drop activity. They locate the Mayas, Inca, and...

Young artists of many ages apply yarn painting techniques in combining their ideas and their art. After viewing actual examples of yarn paintings created by the Huichol people, learners choose an important scene from their own lives...

Middle schoolers engineer a way to provide drinking water using Aztec technology.  In this engineering a way to provide drinking water using Aztec technology instructional activity, students find a way to deliver fresh water to a...

Fifth graders listen to lectures on the ancient civilizations of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans. They construct a mask base and then decorate it in thirds with symbols meaningful to each of the three cultures being studied.

Students create skeletons to celebrate the Day of the Dead. In this visual arts activity, students explore the importance of the Day of the Dead celebrations in the Mexican culture. They create skeletons and decorate them with paint,...

“Humanscape No.65” by Melesia Casas and Ester Hernandez’s “Sun Maid Raisins” launch a study of how works of art can advocate for social change. After examining these two works and discussing the human rights issues raised, class members...

Discover the origins and traditions of Halloween with a crafty lesson plan! Second graders create bats, monsters, witches, and ghosts with masks and puppets. Next, they share their work with their classmates in a fun...

Students create a time line and map about how chocolate traveled the world. In this chocolate lesson plan, students also create and taste chocolate.

Learners investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. For this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Learners research the web...

Fourth graders create self-portraits using artistic elements found in Hispanic culture and, specifically, the art of Frida Kahlo. The lesson can be adapted for any culture/country and requires an outside person with cultural knowledge.

Students conduct research on a famous country music singer. In small groups, they conduct research, and construct and decorate a paper cutout of their selected country music singer.

Learners create a dance that tells a story then they use the dance for inspiration and write their own. For this drama and dance lesson, students discover how the May and Aztec would dance to covey a concept or story. Learners work in...