Name: _____________________________________________ Date: _______________ Block
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Engineering an Empire: Aztecs Video Questions
1. Why was the girl at the beginning of the video killed by the Aztecs?________________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. The Aztecs were banished to an island on Lake __________________. Today this is the city of
________________________.
3. What sign did the Aztecs see that led them to build Tenochtitlan? (hint: it involved a snake) ___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Why were the ruins of Teotihaucan important to the Aztecs? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Explain how the Aztecs were able to build Tenochtitlan even though the land was very swampy.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. What was the purpose of the causeways? ________________________________________________
7. Why didn’t the Aztecs use animals or the wheel to move heavy things?
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. The Aztecs built ________________________ to get freshwater to Tenochtitlan.
9. By 1449 AD, the Aztec Empire contained ____________________ people.
10. _________________ was a major threat to Tenochtitlan because of its location.
11. What was the purpose of the chinampas? ________________________________________________
12. How were messages sent along Aztec roads? _____________________________________________
13. Why was the Temple Mayor built? ______________________________________________________
14. How was the building of the temple celebrated? ____________________________________________
15. Why were the Aztec spies along the Gulf of Mexico confused by what they saw? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
16. Who joined Cortes along the way as he moved closer to the Aztecs? ___________________________
17. Describe the first meeting of Cortes and Montezuma. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
18. In the spring of 1520, the Spanish interrupted a __________________________ which caused the Aztecs to revolt. _______________________ was killed.
19. What happened to the Spanish when they tried to escape Tenochtitlan? _________________________
20. How did the Spanish finally defeat the Aztecs? _____________________________________________
21. ____________________ people died of disease brought by Europeans.
22. Your own opinion- Which of the achievements of the Aztecs described in the video do you find most impressive?
Why? Answer in a complete sentence. ___________________________________________________
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