CyberHunt: Amazing Aztecs

Bring the ancient civilization of the Aztecs to life with these Internet-based classroom activities for middle and upper graders. Before you begin, distribute the CyberHunt Reproducible page, found at www.scholastic.com/cyberhuntkids

By Lisa Trumbauer

CYBERHUNT REPRODUCIBLE ANSWER GUIDE
1. A swampy island in Mexico's Lake Texcoco. Tenochtitlan.
2. Any of these: built on a series of islands, causeways, aqueducts for pure water, canals, a city center, a sacred area of temples and palaces, a Main Temple to the rain and sun gods, neighborhoods or calpulli, floating crops.
3. Any of these: tomatoes, avocados, atole, tortillas, tamales, meat, chocolate, spices, flowers, dog.
4. To make sure that the sun would rise every day.
5. Brightly colored pictures and symbols. Only scribes and priests.
6. Three of these: basalt sculpture, jade masks, fancy clothing, beads, gold decorations.
7. Cuetzapallin (Ripeness or Lizard) and Ocelotl (Jaguar).

CYBERHUNT ACTIVITIES
Aztec Picture Books
What was Aztec language like? Visit http://library.thinkquest.org/27981/glossary.html, http://pages.prodigy.com/GBonline/awaztec.html, and the Web sites below to find out. Discuss how the symbols for many nouns were drawings of what the word meant. These were bound into accordion books, or codices. Ask students, working in pairs, to devise their own picture definitions, speculating about how some Aztec words may have looked. Distribute strips of parchment-like paper so they may create their own brilliantly-colored codices. Bind strips at either end with sandpaper, in lieu of the tree bark the Aztecs used. Have students share and compare their creations.

Aztec Archaeologists
Invite students to become virtual archaeologists by creating 3-D Aztec artifacts! Challenge students to name artifacts they might find in the ruins of the empire, such as jewelry, tools, art, building fragments, and weapons. What would each look like? What would it reveal about Aztec life? Using http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/everyday2.htm, http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~dhixson, and the Web sites below as reference, ask students to fashion objects from clay, craft supplies, or "found" materials. For example, an old broom handle could become a digging tool, or a broken brick could serve as an Aztec calendar fragment. Students can present their findings as if they've made amazing discoveries. Have each group explain the artifacts it chose, and how the Aztecs might have used each one.

Modern Sunstones
How would our modern-day calendar look if it were a different shape, and created entirely with pictures? Visit http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/overview.htm, www.anthroarcheart.org/ancient.htm and the Web sites below to view the Aztecs' huge circular calendars, or sunstones. Then challenge your class to design its own using a regular calendar as a guide. What images could represent days, months, and holidays? What other pictures are important? Our flag? The president? Symbols that represent laws or beliefs? After brainstorming, let students create the different sections of the calendar using photographs, magazine and news clippings, cut paper, or drawings. Have the class work together to assemble its calendar. Once it is complete, invite other classes in to try reading your "sunstone."

Great ALL-AROUND Aztec Sites
www.ancientmexico.com
http://library.thinkquest.org/27981
http://library.thinkquest.org/16325
http://library.thinkquest.org/10098
http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13
www.rose-hulman.edu/~delacova/aztecs.htm
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects97/aztec/
www.indians.org/welker/aztec.htm
www.elbalero.gob.mx/kids/history/html/conquista/aztecas.html

Go to Kids' page

CYBERHUNT SAFETY: All of the Web sites contained in the CyberHunt and these extension activities have been reviewed by Instructor staff. At press time, all links are safe and consist of educational material. However, we are unable to control transfers or purchases of URLs after publication. We strongly urge teachers to review all Web sites before sharing them with students.

These activities will work best with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0, Netscape 4.0, or newer versions. Older browsers may experience difficulties with some links.