Lesson Plan - You Weren’t Supposed to See This Drawing

Build Background and Vocabulary

Choose an activity that fits your students:
• Have students view the video “Empires of the Americas” at junior.scholastic.com and prompt them to record two or more questions they have. After reading the article, students can research the answers as an extension activity.

• Use the skill builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms.
• Guide students in a discussion using these prompts: How might a person’s autobiography differ from biographies written about them? What influences how a story is told?

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any words whose meanings they are unsure of.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• Explain how the Mexica created a thriving capital, Tenochtitlan. (Key Details)
The Mexica transformed marshland into a thriving capital. They constructed aqueducts and canals as well as temples and marketplaces. Those enabled the city to support a population of around 200,000 people and last for hundreds of years.

• How do Spanish accounts about the Aztecs’ use of human sacrifice differ from Nahuatl records about the practice? (Compare and Contrast)
Spanish accounts indicate that the Aztecs used human sacrifice to kill hundreds or thousands of people at a time in front of cheering crowds. However, Nahuatl records show that human sacrifice was not done in such high numbers or as a celebration.

• What are one or two inferences you can draw from the section “Conquered, Not Destroyed”? (Making Inferences)
Sample response: I can infer that the strength of the Aztec Empire lives on in the Nahuas’s descendants. Centuries after the empire was conquered, the descendants who remained in the area reclaimed their independence. Also, I can infer that there is still much to learn about the Aztec culture. More information will be revealed as Nahuatl sources are translated. 

Analyze a Primary Source

Use the skill builder An Aztec Song to explore a Nahuatl source and consider what it reveals about Aztec culture.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use the Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and others from the issue.