Laurents’ English Blog

Step 1:
Where did the Aztecs originally live?
The Aztecs used to live in Atzlan, which is located in the North West of Mexico. What prompted them to relocate? Their chieftain, (Tenoch) led them to the valley of Mexico, named Anahuac. At the time, the Aztecs were wild and poor and would occasionally eat snakes and rats. They were driven from one place to another due to Tenoch’s vision. Where did they end up and why? When Tenoch had a vision, he saw the god Huitzilopochtli. He told him to find an eagle devouring a snake on a cactus, which happened to be on the swampy island of Lake Texoco. Chose an artifact, which you feel best, represents this event. Support your choice

Step 2:
The Aztecs ended up in the middle of a lake and built their new capital Tenochtitlan. What were the pros and cons of settling in the middle of a lake? Cons were: snake infested lakes, Pros: they could crop all year using irrigation. The chinampas were substitutes for farms. The canals were even used y defense. Describe the lay of the land and chose an image for your exhibit.

Step 3:
Which gods were worshiped? The pyramids were built for what purpose? Aztecs used the powers of nature to represent their gods. The most important of their gods was of war and of the sun. Named Huitzilopochtli. The pyramids were built for sacrificial purpose to please the gods.
Step 4:
Who are the different members of Aztec society? Slaves, commoners, and nobility were the 3 classes of the Aztec society. What are their roles? Slaves could by their freedom, but parents sold them at a young age. Commoners, (macehualtin) were engaged in agriculture. They were the majority of Aztecs. They were given full ownership of their land for their lifetime. Finally, the nobility were the people born rich, such as priests and those who earned their rank. Pipiltin was the family occupying the very high social group. The tlatoani was the chosen supreme leader of the nobles. (Choose an artifact that represents the social order of Aztec society.

Step 5:
The Aztecs have a spoken language. What was it called? There are only about 30 phonetic sounds in the Maya language. They used Pictographs, small pictures, (glyphs) to communicate. It was called Nahuatl. Did they use any other forms of communication? Include an example of either written or visual language of the Aztecs.

Step 6:
How did the Aztecs grow food and what was their main crop? The Aztecs made terraces that went down a hall to control the water flow. (This stopped flooding of the farming). They also used “Slash and Burn” method. They could extend their crops using Chinampas. These anchored islands helped the Aztecs grow corn, chili peppers, squash, tomatoes, beans, and other kinds of foods. They mainly ate a tlaxcalli, a thin cornmeal pancake, (tortilla). Their meat included dear, rabbit, duck, and geese. Did they trade and with whom? They traded with other countries like Belize, Honduras …they used cotton, rubber, golden ornaments, woven clothing, salt, jaguar skin, for trade. Did they have a currency (money)? Their currency-included cacao beans. Find an image for your exhibit about making a living Aztec style.

Step 7:
Discuss the Impact of Spanish Contact 1519 from both the Aztec point of view and the Spanish point of view. Hernan Cortes went to South American country with the intention of steeling the gold and bringing it to Spain. With 500 soldiers and small boats, he arrived in the eastern coast of Mexico. It was unfair because the Spanish had guns and the Aztecs did not have any. Find an image depicting this event.

Step 8:
Discuss La Malinche or Dona Marina. She was the first “Mexican” mother. Debate her positive/negative impact on Mexico past and present. What does the term Mestizo refer to? A Mestizo is a person of mixed racial ancestry, especially of mixed European and Native American ancestry. What influences remain today from Aztec

I really like the fact that you wrote to her that she should be heard and her opinions are very meaningful. It’s very encouraging. It’s not very clear when you say, “rush over to them and scream in their faces.” Who are them? You stayed fixed to the main theme by saying that she will become depressed, (or even instantaneously combust) if she doesn’t keep up human interaction, meaning she must share opinions and ideas. It was clear and very relevant that you were trying to force her to share her ideas and opinions by almost scaring her with circumstances such as spontaneous combustion.  The organization was very created because you made two paragraphs, one like an explanation and the other, like a persuading paragraph. Well done. Your voice was exceptional like always, but perhaps you could try, somehow to include her family a little more, because remember, she is stuck with them for 3 years. Some words like mature and opinion. Try middle aged and view instead. This sentence was beautiful, “Opinions are an important thing in this world, and should be regarded in calm silence, not raw anger or jubilant happiness, and I intend to be heard.”

I strongly agree with your idea Mitch. Ann must understand that her parents are frightened and only have time for important questions and ideas in a time like this. I think you need supporting detail in this sentence, because why exactly do older more experienced people like grownups tend to have difficulties concentrating. Apart from that you seemed to have stayed glued to the main theme. (Maybe you could give an example and clarify the second paragraph, because feelings aren’t entirely about what you want so people can get along and not fight. Great job, I really see what you mean when you say; “Anne if you don’t share your thoughts, than what is the whole point in having thoughts?” You never went off topic. The intro could be a little more encouraging maybe, “Everyone feels like you at one stage, it’s just a natural process,” then give an example of yourself, to make her feel less lonely, so she can relate to you. The conclusion was mysterious, (it is the fear hidden within you), I feel it lets Ann realize that, yes; you should be scared, there’s a war going on! I felt your voice had a humorous side to it, and at the same time a very understanding side. Perhaps you could try to change this sentence, because it sounds s little bit like your putting her down. “it doesn’t sound like you get that idea 100%” It’s a lot nicer than saying, “You don’t get anything” but you should let her know, through your voice, that she is not the only one that thinks that parents never listen…For word choice, you could change the word thought, to opinion, view or maybe belief. Also, instead of saying, “One other thing is that a reason…” you should change the word “a reason” to an explanation or motivation. Other than that, your word choice is very precise and efficient.