“The Fall of the Aztecs”
Directions: Watch the film, “The Mayans” and answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible. Answer in complete sentences. Your responses will be handed in and graded. The worksheet is worth 20 points.
1) What was Hernan Cortes’s backstory?
2) How many men went with Cortes?
3) When did Cortes land in Mexico? Where did he land?
4) Who was Malinche? How is she remembered in Mexico today? Do you agree?
5) What was the first encounter between the Spanish and the Aztecs like?
6) What was the prophecy that worried Montezuma? What signs did the Aztecs find that Cortes fit the prophecy?
7) Why did Cortes destroy his own ships?
8) Why did some natives ally with the Spanish?
9) What resources did the Spanish find in Mexico?
10) What hardships did the Spanish face?
11) What happened at Cholula?
12) When did Cortes reach Tenochtitlan? What were the Spanish impressions? What were Montezuma’s reactions?
13) Why did the Spanish arrest Montezuma? How did he die?
14) What happened when the Spanish tried to escape from Tenochtitlan?
15) How did Cortes conquer Tenochtitlan? What was the impact of disease?
16) In your opinion, was Cortes a hero or a villain?
Identifications
Directions: Explain each of the following terms. Include the date and historical significance of the term. You can look terms up online to add additional information.
Hernan Cortes
Bernadino de Sahagun
Malinche
Nahautl
Veracruz
Montezuma
Quetzalcoatl
Tenochtitlan
Tlaxcala
Cholula
The Night of Tears
Cuahtemoc
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“The Aztecs’ Decline”
Directions: After watching “The Mayans,” answer as many of the following questions as you can. Complete sentences are required. Your responses will be graded and returned to you. The worksheet has a point value of 20.
1) What was the backstory of Hernan Cortes?
2) How many men did Cortes take with him?
3) When did Cortes first set foot in Mexico? What happened to him once he landed?
4) Who was Malinche, and where did he come from? What is her legacy in Mexico today? Do you agree with me?
5) What was the first encounter between the Spanish and the Aztecs like?
6) What was the prophecy that worried Montezuma? What signs did the Aztecs find that Cortes fit the prophecy?
7) Why did Cortes destroy his own ships?
8) Why did some natives ally with the Spanish
