Aztec buried solidified rituals tongue eclipses sacrifices ceremonies Please practise these Year 5 spellings. These spellings are all linked to your theme learning. A little practise each day is best. Use the spelling strategies that you know, or be creative with how you practise them. Good luck! You must learn each spelling. You should find out the meaning of each spelling. Make sure that you understand each word. You could write each spelling into a sentence to show your understanding. Fancy a challenge? ‘Be the teacher’ and set yourself a spelling test at the end of the week for somebody at home to test you. Can you think of a sentence to put them in just like we do at school? Can you also include a think back challenge?
Transcript
Aztec buried
solidified rituals tongue eclipses sacrifices
ceremonies
Please practise these Year 5 spellings. These spellings are all linked to your theme learning. A little practise each day is best. Use the spelling strategies
that you know, or be creative with how you practise them. Good luck!
You must learn each spelling. You should find out the meaning of each spelling. Make sure that you
understand each word. You could write each spelling into a sentence to show your
understanding. Fancy a challenge? ‘Be the teacher’ and set yourself a spelling test at the end of the week for somebody at home to test you. Can you think of a sentence to put them in just like we do at school? Can you also include a think back challenge?
Monday 13th April 2020 Objective: To retrieve information from a text
Have a read of the text ‘Amazing Aztecs’ on the next page.
Now that you have read the text, have a go at the following questions to show your understanding. Remember to use your skimming and scanning skills to help.
1. Is there any vocabulary that you are unsure of? If so, look for the clues in the text to
see if you can work out the meaning. Still unsure? Use a dictionary (or an online dictionary) to find the meaning.
2. Where did the Aztecs settle? 3. What stands there now? 4. What did priests carry out within the city walls? 5. When did the Spanish arrive in Mesoamerica? 6. According to legend, what was believed to be at the spot where Tenochtitlán was
founded? 7. What was the city built on? 8. What was at the top of the steps at the Great Temple? 9. What was Tlaloc the god of? 10. What was Huitzilopochtli the god of? 11. Name three things that surrounded the Great Temple. 12. Where were humans sacrificed? 13. How many Aztecs lived in Tenochtitlán? 14. Approximately how large was Tenochtitlán? 15. What was held throughout the city for people to trade goods and food? Challenge: What could the missing subheading (the one with a ?) be? Read the paragraph below. Can you think of an appropriate subheading to go
alongside the paragraph? Most of the Tenochtitlán buildings were destroyed by the Spanish and Hernan Cortes. But archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of Tenochtitlán near the centre of Mexico City. The ruins are now protected by UNESCO’s World Heritage Site but the current capital of Mexico, Mexico City, makes it hard to find the remnants of Tenochtitlán as they have been consumed by the modern city. Can you think of any of your own retrieval questions? Remember, the answers to
these questions must be found in the text.
The Great Temple was the physical and symbolic centre of the Aztec world, where human sacrifices and offerings to gods took place.
The Aztecs were a fierce tribe of warriors who settled in the valley of Mexico in the
13th Century. They fought endless wars with neighbouring tribes until they dominated what is now Mexico. The Aztecs built their capital city Tenochtitlán (where Mexico City
now stands). It lay on an island in Lake Texcoco and became the centre of their powerful empire. Within the city wall there were places, pyramids, and temples in which priests carried out human sacrifices as part of a religious ritual to nourish the gods. For more
than a hundred years, the Aztecs ruled much of Mesoamerica (the region of Mexico and Central America once occupied by the Maya, Aztecs and related cultures), until the arrival
of the Spanish in 1519.
According to legend, the Aztecs founded Tenochtitlán at the spot where an eagle on a cactus was wrestling a snake in its beak. The city was built on a swamp in Lake Texcoco but was connected to the mainland by three wide causeways, or roads. At the heart of the city there was a ceremonial centre dominated by the Great Temple. At the top of a flight of steps there were two smaller temples. One was dedicated to the rain god Tlaloc, and the other to Huitzilopochtli, a sun god and god of war. The Great Temple was surrounded by palaces, warrior schools, and shrines.
Around 200,000 Aztecs lived in the city of Tenochtitlán which covered
around 5 square miles.
The Aztecs sacrificed humans on this stone in order to please their gods. Bodies of sacrificed victims were them thrown down the stairs after sacrifice.
At the centre of the city there was a large area where many of the public activities took place. There were markets throughout the city where people would trade goods and food. There was one main marketplace where up to 40,000 people would visit during feast days to buy goods and food for celebrations.
Tuesday 14th April 2020 Objective: To retrieve information from a text
Have a read of the text ‘Aztec Beliefs’ on the next page.
Now that you have read the text, have a go at the following questions to show your understanding. Remember to use your skimming and scanning skills to help.
1. Is there any vocabulary that you are unsure of? If so, look for the clues in the text to
see if you can work out the meaning. Still unsure? Use a dictionary (or an online dictionary) to find the meaning.
2. What was very important to the Aztecs? 3. Who was worshipped above all others? 4. What era did the Aztecs believe that they lived in? 5. What did the Aztecs believe could happen any day? 6. What did they believe was their duty to the gods? 7. How many prisoners were sacrificed to the gods at Tenochtitlán? 8. It was believed to be a great honour to be a human sacrifice. Where did the Aztecs
believe human sacrifices would be guaranteed a place? 9. What happened to the people given as sacrifices at the ceremony? 10. How long did the Aztecs have in one cycle? 11. What was removed from the person and held up to the sun? 12. Name three other ways that people may have been sacrificed. 13. Find two ways in which the sacrificed body was disposed of. 14. What else did the Aztecs do to keep the gods happy? 15. Why were children sacrificed during a drought? Challenge: Fancy finding out more about Aztec sacrifice? Watch this clip from BBC Bitesize.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/clips/zyfygk7
Or this cartoon clip. Beware - it’s a little gruesome!
Religion was very important to the Aztecs. They believed in many gods, but Huitzilopochtli, the god of the sun and war, was worshipped above all others.
Around 600 people a year were killed in Aztec society in order to appease the gods. Children would be sacrificed if there was a drought because it was believed that
their tears would bring rain. They often used to bury their dead family members right under, or near to, their
houses. The Aztecs practised polygamy, which meant that they could have more than one
wife! The first wife a man married was his principle wife and any wives after that were less important.
The Aztecs believed that they lived in the era of the fifth sun and that any day the world could end violently. In order to postpone their destruction and
appease the gods, men performed human sacrifices. Their duty was to feed the gods with human blood, therefore
keeping the sun alive. They believed that the gods could be satisfied through the
sacrifice of animals, objects, and, in particular, people. Many of the victims of human sacrifice were prisoners of war. At
the dedication of the Great Pyramid Temple in Tenochtitlán, a terrifying 20,000
prisoners were sacrificed to the gods.
As well as making human sacrifices to keep the gods happy, the Aztecs would also sing, dance, pray and
offer gifts to the gods.
It was believed to be a great honour to be chosen as a human sacrifice as it
guaranteed you a place in paradise. Men, women and children were all sacrificed to
the gods in a ceremony, part of which involved throwing the person down a steep
flight of temple steps.
The Aztecs had 18 months in one cycle, and for each of the 18 months there was a ritual sacrifice. The victim would be painted as part of the ritual, they would be placed on a slab where their heart would be removed and held up to the sun. There were also other ways that humans would be sacrificed - people may have been shot with arrows, drowned, burned or otherwise mutilated - lovely! Killing in a fight (like the Roman gladiators) also took place. After being thrown down the stairs of the
temple/pyramid, the body would have been disposed of in various ways, such as by being fed to animals at the zoo or being put on display.
Wednesday 15th April 2020 Objective: To retrieve information from a text
Have a read of the text ‘Fierce Fighters’ on the next page.
Now that you have read the text, have a go at the following questions to show your understanding. Remember to use your skimming and scanning skills to help.
1. Is there any vocabulary that you are unsure of? If so, look for the clues in the text to
see if you can work out the meaning. Still unsure? Use a dictionary (or an online dictionary) to find the meaning.
2. Where did the empire stretch to and from? 3. What was each Aztec male given? 4. Who was the supreme commander of the armed forces? 5. When commoners were not fighting, what did they offer? 6. What was a normal part of life for Aztecs? 7. Where did the Aztec ruler have to start his reign? 8. Name two things an Aztec ruler had to do. 9. What did the best warriors wear? 10. What was used to hurl spears at great speed? 11. To join the prestigious higher order, what did the best warriors have to prove? 12. Name a projectile weapon used by warriors. 13. What did the lowest rank of warrior use for fighting and protection? 14. Why was obsidian used for crafting weapons? 15. What could the missing subheading (the one with the ?) be? Challenge: Can you design, draw or create your own Aztec headdress to prove that you are a worthy warrior? See some more information, examples and inspiration below. Be as creative as you like! The most important people in Aztec society would show their status by wearing decorated clothes and headdresses. Craftsmen would also create magnificent feather crowns, taking inspiration from tropical birds. Feathered headdress details could be intricate with lots of layering and geometric patterns.
The Aztecs were strong and mighty and, because of this, they created a large empire.
Between the early 1400s and 1521, the Aztecs conquered an empire stretching from the Pacific coast to the Gulf of Mexico. The Aztecs did not directly rule the people of their empire. The Aztec Empire was built and maintained by force, and every single Aztec male was given military training. The emperor was the supreme commander of the armed forces. Below him, the nobles provided most of the army’s professional soldiers. The commoners offered military assistance when not farming the fields.
They had a reputation of being aggressive warriors and learning to fight was very much part of being an Aztec. Warfare was a normal part of life among the Aztecs. The best and most common way to climb the social ladder was by showing courage in battle and showing bravery was of the upmost importance.
The best warriors wore animal skins and feathers and headdresses to show their rank. The most prestigious military order were those of the eagle and jaguar, each of which had its own special warrior costume. Aztec warriors fought as jaguars and eagles. They used a type of sling to hurl their spears at great speed. Only the very best warriors, who had proved their skill and bravery in warfare, could join these orders.
The ideal Aztec warrior was noble, skilled, and had to serve and respect the gods. Warriors were so important in Aztec Mexico that the Aztec ruler had to start his reign on the battlefield. He had to add cities and provinces to the empire, and capture prisoners for ritual sacrifice, which was an essential part of the Aztec religion.
Aztecs warriors carried projectile weapons such as bow and arrows to attack the enemy from afar. The lowest ranks of warriors carried a club and shield. Higher ranks were awarded finer weapons. Aztecs were great craftsmen and were very skilled people made their own weapons. Often these weapons were made from obsidian which produces a sharper edge than metal.
Thursday 16th April 2020 Objective: To distinguish between fact and opinion
Can you identify whether each statement is a fact or an opinion? Tick the correct box.
Statement Fact Opinion
The Aztecs were the best warriors of all time.
Aztec art was both beautiful and inspirational.
Aztec children had to go to school.
The Aztecs developed their own language which was made up of pictures.
Egyptian hieroglyphics were better than the Aztec language.
The Aztecs were fantastic musicians.
The Aztecs played the pipes, trumpets and drums.
Maize (corn) was the central food in their diet, along with meat and vegetables such as beans and squashes.
Avocados, which are delicious, were also enjoyed by the Aztecs.
Most Aztecs lived on chinampas - floating islands that were weighed down.
The Aztecs were far superior to the Mayans.
The Aztecs played a ball game called ulama which was played on a court shaped like a capital I.
Challenge: In your books, can you think of your own facts and opinions linked you and your life? Can you also create an answer sheet?
Fact v Opinion
What is a fact? What is an opinion? A fact : Is definitely true Can be backed up with evidence Cannot be argued against
E.g. The Queen gave a speech.
An opinion: Is how somebody feels about something Can be agreed or disagreed with Can, at times, also be backed up with
evidence Can be argued against Could begin with ‘I think…’ E.g.The Queen’s speech was fantastic.
Friday 17th April 2020 Objective: To distinguish between fact and opinion
Today, we would like you to write your own fact and opinion statements just like the ones you had a go at yesterday. You might want to draw out a table or present your statements in your own way. Your theme or topic is completely up to you. When writing your statements, think carefully about the vocabulary that you use. Facts must be true. When writing these, you may need to do some research to help you
to identify the facts. Opinions are how somebody feels about something. They often contain adjectives or
vocabulary such as best/worst. Feel free to look back at yesterday’s learning to help. Below are some suggestions for topics that you may wish to write your facts and opinions about but you are more than welcome to be creative and think of your own. Use books and the internet to research your topic first to help you with your fact and opinion questions..
Fact v Opinion
What is a fact? What is an opinion? A fact : Is definitely true Can be backed up with evidence Cannot be argued against
E.g. The Queen gave a speech.
An opinion: Is how somebody feels about something Can be agreed or disagreed with Can, at times, also be backed up with
evidence Can be argued against Could begin with ‘I think…’ E.g.The Queen’s speech was fantastic.
