Social Studies 8: Worldviews in Conflict: Spanish and Aztecs

Who exactly were the Aztecs? Where did they come from? How did they rise to control such a wide expanse of land?

One of the mysteries of the Inca did not have a system of writing but had a functional empire. Learn how they recorded their information.

An encyclopedia article that introduces readers to the structures and roles of Aztec society.

In the 1400s, suddenly Europeans developed a bunch of tools to help them to travel around the world. This wasn't good news for the rest of the world.

Learn how Spain went from being a middling European power to one of the most powerful empires on Earth, thanks to their plunder of the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Examine the empty land theory, which was created by European colonizers in South Africa to support their claims to the region.

During the reign of Moctezuma, the empire continued its growth, but it was during this period that the fight between the Aztecs and the Conquistadors began.

This PBS site is a great resource for studies of how the Aztec civilization fell. It includes an interactive timeline

Although the first meeting between the Spanish conquistadors of Hernan Cortes and the Aztec civilization led by Moctezuma was cordial, soon their relationship turned hostile.

The Spanish gained an early foothold in the colonies during the Renaissance, quickly becoming the most powerful European power in the New World.

Yet within 100 years of its rise in the fifteenth century, the Inca Empire would be no more. What happened?

Resources to use with students to examine the conflict between the Aztec and the Spanish after contact. You can bypass the login by clicking the image.

In this interactive resource, you can explore a fictitious society, conducting interviews with its citizens in an attempt to understand their worldview.