Lesson Plans
Day One
The objective of this activity is to introduce the students to the history of Mesoamerica and the Aztec people. First the student will complete a K.W.L. chart (What I know, What I want to know, What I have learned). After discussing the K.W.L. an initial anticipation guide will be used as a pre-reading strategy. The anticipation guide is a brief set of questions that activates a student's prior knowledge and allows them to make predictions. Students will be asked several questions with agree or disagree answer. The following list of questions can be used to start the activity.
- It is okay to take property or belongings from other people. Agree/Disagree
- The Indian population that existed in Mexico when Columbus arrived was small. Agree/Disagree
- The Indian population that existed in Mexico when Columbus arrived was uncivilized and undeveloped. Agree/Disagree
- The Aztecs disappeared due to war and Spanish conquest. Agree/Disagree
- The Aztecs were affected by European diseases. Agree/Disagree
After completing the anticipation guide the student will begin reading sections of The Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla. While reading these passages the students will complete double-entry journals. Students will take notes on the reading in two columns with a line drawn down the middle of the page. In the left column they will summarize important ideas from the reading. In the right column they will right their own thoughts and responses. These may be questions, personal feelings or reactions, or reflection on what the information means.
First read aloud through the initial section of reading. On the overhead, model for the students how to distinguish between major and minor details and restating them in your own words in the left column. Then, while thinking aloud, discuss why you chose that particular item and write it down in the right column along with other responses and questions.
On the next passage, allow the students to practice this type of thinking and note taking on their own. Once they are finished, discuss their results and any questions they may have. The final reading will be done at home. The students will complete some double-entry note taking as they read on their own.
Day Two
Begin the lesson by reviewing the double-entry note taking assignment from the previous night. Answer any questions and discuss any comments the students may have. After the review direct the students to complete a sketching my way through the text activity.
In this activity the students will draw simple pictures or diagrams to conceptualize the ideas from the previous day and nights readings. Set the students in groups of three for cooperative learning. Each group should be given a large sheet of chart paper and colored pencils, crayons or markers. They will work together to sketch out their representations of the text. Allow the student's time to finish their sketches. Once they have finished, each group will present their drawings and discuss their thoughts and reasoning behind the pictures they drew and their comprehension of the readings.
Day Three
This lesson will begin to introduce the concepts of population dynamics and limiting factors. Two column notes will be used to furnish the students with new vocabulary and concepts.
Two column notes are set up similar to double entry notes. Students will take notes on the concepts and vocabulary in two columns with a line drawn down the middle of the page. In the left column they will write the major concept or vocabulary word. In the right column the students will write details about the concept or vocabulary word. A class discussion will be facilitated as the students are recording their information and questions and comments will be discussed. After the students finish with their note taking split them up into groups of three for cooperative learning.
The students will use the vocabulary words from their two-column notes to create a vocabulary tree. Give each group a large sheet of chart paper and colored pencils, crayons or markers. The vocabulary tree is a graphic tool that allows students to visually link words or ideas to illustrate their relationship. Ask each group to choose several words from their two column notes. They will them explore these words even deeper to pick up additional vocabulary and information. They will then draw a tree trunk on their chart paper for each word they chose. They will write their word near the bottom of the trunk. As they read through their text for additional information, they will add this information to their trunk by adding branches to the trunk. The branches they add may also have branches of their own. Once they have finished, each group will present their trees to the class. They will discuss their main words and the information they have added to their trunk along with the reasoning behind the addition.
Day Four
This activity will introduce the students to graphing exercises. Student will be shown different graphs of populations. They will illustrate various age structures of populations, carrying capacity and population decline.
After showing the students various graphs and explaining and discussing the concepts that they illustrate, model for the students how to set up and complete different graphs. Split the students up into groups of three for cooperative learning. Give each group a large sheet of chart paper and colored pencils, crayons or markers. Each group will be given two word problems that illustrate different concepts shown in the graphs. Each group will work out the problems and graph them on their chart paper. Once they have finished, each group will present their graphs to the class. They will explain their word problems and their problem solving methods.
Day Five
The students will work to solidify the information from the past four lessons in class during this activity. Split the students up into groups of three for cooperative learning. They will be participating in a review board game, 'Epidemic'.
Students will be provided with some initial background review information such as, in 1519 Hernan Cortez lands near Vera Cruz; in 1519 through 1521 there was an outbreak of smallpox with a 33-50% mortality rate; in 1531 through 1534 there was an outbreak of measles with a 25-30% mortality rate; in 1503 malaria was brought to Jamaica; non-native species were introduced to the new world and there was general ecological degradation of the environment.
After the background information is presented explain the setup and rules of the game. Students will be in groups of three and each group will represent a subset or outlying settlement of the Aztec empire. Each person in the group will start with a population of one hundred Aztecs. The student in the group who finishes the game with the most Aztec survivors is declared the winner.
Each group will be given certain materials for play. These include a game board, pawns to act as place holders on the playing board, and a coin to flip with heads directing the student to move one place and tails directing the student to move two places. They will also be given playing cards that instruct whether or not to add or subtract member of their populations. The following list of instruction can be used for the game.
- Measles outbreak in population — subtract 1 Indian for every 4
- Hernan Cortés arrives in Aztec Tenochtitlan, he kills and enslaves Indians - subtract 1 Indian for every 7
- Aztec uprising - subtract 1 Indian for every 10
- Noche Triste — subtract 1 Indian for every 10
- Cortés surrounded the Aztec capital and cut off supplies — subtract 2 Indians for every 10
- Water supply tainted by rotting corpses — subtract 1 Indian for every 10
- Measles outbreak in population - subtract 3 Indians for every 10
- Measles outbreak in population - subtract 3 Indians for every 10
- Wild Spanish dogs ravage village — subtract 2 Indians for every 10
- Maize crops have plentiful harvest — add 2 Indian for every 10
- Spanish cows eat your crops — subtract 2 Indians for every 10
- Cassava crops plentiful — add 2 Indians for every 10
- Spanish force you to grow wheat, no harvest of your own — subtract 2 Indians for every 10
- Develop dysentery — subtract 1 Indian for every 10
- Find Spanish pigs that wandered off — add 2 Indians for every 10
- Malaria outbreak in population — subtract 2 Indians for every 10
- Find deserted Spanish melon field — add 1 Indians for every 10
As the students play they will record their population numbers in a chart provided. This chart allows them to add and subtract their population and keep track of their numbers. These numbers will be graphed to illustrate the population decline that the Aztec people suffered. Each turn will be recorded as a one year interval starting with 1492. The population numbers will be placed on the chart to calculate survivors.
The students will graph population numbers versus year. The population will be represented on the 'Y' axis and the year will be represented on the 'X' axis. The graph will be titled "Population of the Aztec people versus year'.
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