The Maya, Aztec, and Inca Civilizations are often taught in conjunction with each other, though each has their own unique culture and contributions to the world. Engage and educate students with Storyboard That premade activities!
Create a spider map to define and illustrate key terms relating to the Aztec empire!
Storyboard Text
AMANTECA
CHINAMPA
CONQUISTADORS
Aztec word for a craftsperson who worked with feathers. Feathers were only worn by the nobility as a sign of power and privilege. Amanteca made clothing and elaborate headdresses using feathers from birds like the quetzal, cotinga, parrot, hummingbird, duck, and turkey.
Also known as "Floating Gardens", these were manmade islands used for growing crops that the Aztecs built around the capital city of Tenochtitlan so that they would have more space to grow food.
Spanish soldiers and sailors who traveled to the Americas to conquer inhabitants, exploit resources, and colonize the land in the name of Spain in order to expand the Spanish Empire and gain more wealth and power for Spain.
QUETZALCOATL
AZTEC VOCABULARY
MESOAMERICA
TLATOANI / HUEY TLATOANI
An Aztec god in the form of a feathered serpent, Quetzalcoatl was called Kukulcan by the Mayans. He is the god of winds, rain, creator of the world and mankind. Also the god of priests, merchants, science, agriculture, and the arts.
The region that includes Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. For thousands of years it was populated by groups like the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Toltec, and Aztec.
In the Aztec language Nahuatl, the word for king of a city-state is Tlatoani. It means "speaker". The Emperor of the Aztec Empire was called Huey Tlatoani or "great speaker".