How the Aztecs Influenced History
Study the Aztecs to help your learners discover the importance of understanding history.
By Cathy Neushul
However unfair it seems, certain people and people groups get all the attention. Napoleon Bonaparte, Montezuma, and Christopher Columbus are recognized by almost every student. Likewise, students are familiar with the contributions of the Mayans, Incas, and most notably, the Aztecs. In order to understand the reasons why the Aztecs are important to study, pupils should discuss what makes one civilization noteworthy and another just a footnote in history. Help them to discover why we know so much about the Aztecs, but so little about other people groups.
What Makes History
In order to engage in higher-level thinking, ask students why we study the accomplishments of certain groups or individuals and not others. Be aware that there is no definitive answer to this question, your class should come up with their own answers. A good example for consideration is Napoleon Bonaparte. He entered French politics at the right time. The French people were looking for someone to unite the country after the French Revolution, and he was there, ready to inspire national pride.
The Aztecs, like Napoleon, benefitted from being in the right place at the right time. By reading excepts from a National Geographic article titled Greatest Aztec, your class can get a better idea of the way this civilization adopted practices, belongings, and traditions of other people groups to become a powerhouse in their region.
Why the Aztecs Get All the Attention
There are many reasons the Aztecs are discussed more than other cultures. One reason might be that the Aztecs had colorful and fascinating religious traditions, one of which involved human sacrifice. According to an archaeologist digging up artifacts in Mexico City, the stones of Aztec ruins are literally stained with blood. Many movies and books have highlighted this aspect of the Aztec tradition.
The Aztecs were also an aggressively opportunistic people. When they found a people group that had something they wanted, such as gold, they would use their military prowess to overpower them and take what they wanted. This was a strength, but it also contributed to their downfall. When the Spaniards arrived in the area, the people under Aztec rule were hankering to get rid of the old regime. While the Aztecs might have been able to overcome the Spanish invasion if they had a united front, it was impossible due to civil discord. Have learners discuss and analyze Aztec strengths and weaknesses. Consider ways in which they could have prevented their demise.
The Amazing Art
The works of art found in Teotihuacan and the surrounding areas are amazing, which certainly contributes to peoples' fascination with the Aztecs. However, learners may be surprised to find out that the famous edifices at Teotihuacan just outside Mexico City weren’t built by the Aztecs. The Pyramid of the Sun was actually completed in 100 A.D., hundreds of years before the Aztecs came to power. Regardless of who gets the credit for building them, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon demonstrate the grandeur that made the Aztecs an influential nation.
While students often see history as a dead and static topic, it is actually one whose reality changes all the time. Archeologists are constantly uncovering new information that changes what we considered to be known history. As part of a study of the Aztecs, your class can research current archeological and scientific developments in order to see how history keeps unfolding. Who knows? Perhaps in time, a new civilization will begin getting all the attention.
Aztec Lessons:
Challenge your class with this thought-provoking activity. After analyzing the significance of three Aztec artifacts, learners write an essay.
Using a series of activities, pupils delve into the accomplishments of the Aztecs and the Spanish Conquistadors. There are hands-on projects that can make this topic more understandable.
Provide a comprehensive overview of the Aztec people. Using art as the means, this resource helps learners understand the historic importance of Aztec culture.
Use archeological research as the source for information. Learners explore the Aztec civilizations through learning about their ruins.