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Aztec

The Aztec Empire was centered in Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. [1] Tenochtitlan had an intricate system of canals that the Aztecs built between small islands to transport goods and people through the city. [2] Over 200,000 people lived in Tenochtitlan, which was one of the largest cities in the world when the Spanish first encountered it in 1519. [3] The Aztecs' religion centered around nature and natural forces, and they practiced human sacrifice of captives to appease the gods.

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Sara Deppenbrook
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52 views

Aztec

The Aztec Empire was centered in Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. [1] Tenochtitlan had an intricate system of canals that the Aztecs built between small islands to transport goods and people through the city. [2] Over 200,000 people lived in Tenochtitlan, which was one of the largest cities in the world when the Spanish first encountered it in 1519. [3] The Aztecs' religion centered around nature and natural forces, and they practiced human sacrifice of captives to appease the gods.

Uploaded by

Sara Deppenbrook
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Non-fiction: Aztecs, Incas & Mayans – The Aztec Empire

Aztecs, Incas, and Mayans


The Aztec Empire
Mexico City, the capital city of Mexico, has a rich history. Before the
President's Palace was built, there was the Palace of Montezuma. Montezuma was
a great emperor1 of warrior Indians called the Aztecs. Before a Catholic cathedral
was built for Spaniards to use for worship, a huge Aztec temple stood in its place.
Before it was the capital of Mexico, Mexico City was Tenochtitlan, the center of the
Aztec Empire.
To picture Tenochtitlan at its greatest, imagine an intricate2 system of
canals that served as roads for boats. The Aztecs' land was partly underwater, so
the people built little islands. They could channel water in between these islands.
These channels of water, or canals, made the land dry enough to be the foundation
of the city. Sidewalks made of stone lined the canals to give pedestrians a way to
travel. There were neighborhoods throughout the city. Each had its own temple,
school, land, and council for government.
More than 200,000 people walked about Tenochtitlan every day. Some lived
in the city's neighborhoods. Others came from the countryside to the bustling3
marketplace to trade their goods. When the Spanish first saw Tenochtitlan in 1519,
it may have been one of the biggest cities in the world. Though most Mexicans
speak Spanish today, more than one million still speak the native Aztec language,
Nahuatl, as their primary4 language. In fact, even the word "Mexico" comes from
the Aztec word "Mexica." The Aztecs called themselves "Mexica" people.
At the heart of the Aztec civilization were nature and natural forces. This
was the Aztecs' religion. Gods were very important to the Aztecs because they
represented things like the sun and rain, which is what made the crops grow. As
part of their religion, Aztecs were fierce warriors. During battle they would capture
natives from other tribes. Often, these captives would be sacrificed5 at temples.
The Aztecs thought that the gods needed human sacrifices to remain happy.

1
emperor – a king or ruler
2
intricate – having many parts, complicated
3
bustling – busy
4
primary – main or first
5
sacrificed – killed as part of a religious ceremony
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®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Aztecs, Incas & Mayans – The Aztec Empire

Name: ____________________________ Date:______________________

1. Which was built first: the Palace of Montezuma or the President's Palace?

a. the Palace of Montezuma


b. the President's Palace
c. They were both built at the same time.
d. There was no Palace of Montezuma.

2. According to the passage, how was transportation made possible in


Tenochtitlan?

a. Most of the Aztecs traveled on horseback.


b. Sidewalks were built, and boats passed through the canals.
c. An intricate road system was created along the canals.
d. People swam between the little islands that were built.

3. Which conclusion is correct based on the information in the passage?

a. The city now known as Mexico City has changed over time.
b. Tenochtitlan has endured intact over hundreds of years.
c. Nahuatl is a language spoken throughout the world.
d. The Spanish came to Tenochtitlan to help the Aztecs.

4. What was important to the Aztec civilization?

a. the President's Palace


b. Spain
c. a Catholic cathedral
d. nature and natural forces

5. What is the purpose of this passage?

a. to explain how the Spanish invaded the Aztec Empire


b. to describe the religious practices of the Aztecs
c. to provide a glimpse into the Aztec Empire
d. to show the historical transformation of Tenochtitlan

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®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Aztecs, Incas & Mayans – The Aztec Empire

6. Describe the religious practices of the Aztecs.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

7. Reread the first paragraph and explain what may have been the author's
purpose in writing that paragraph.

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best
completes the sentence.

_____________ the canal construction, the land was dry enough to create
sidewalks of stone so that pedestrians could travel.

a. Unlike
b. Likewise
c. As a result of
d. Therefore

3
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.
Questions: Aztecs, Incas & Mayans – The Aztec Empire

9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.

Tenochtitlan may have been the biggest city in the world when the Spanish first
visited it in 1519.

What? Tenochtitlan

(may have been) What? _____________________________________________

When? __________________________________________________________

10. Vocabulary Word: intricate: having many parts, complicated.

Use the vocabulary word in a sentence: ________________________________

________________________________________________________________

4
®
© 2012 ReadWorks , Inc. All rights reserved.

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