Ms. Diane Nicoll 7th Grade Social Studies Unit 5: Lesson 6 

Name: Asher Thomas

Date: March 6, 2018

Class: Medieval World History - JUST 7.1 Kids

 
Slides and Notes 
Slide Student Notes

Title  ☆ MesoAmerican ​Fall of Empires​ ☆

Describe the fall of the Maya empire and explain how
Goal of Lesson  the Aztec and Inca empires were defeated by the
Spanish.

Pre-Lesson Question:  What mistakes they could make, how long it lasted,
Critical Thinking  how far they got, the empires neighbors, and effects
Answer ->  it had on the conquering civilisation.
The Aztecs  
● Major earthquake in tenochtitlan
Earthquake Facts 
● Between 1517 and 1519

● Right after the earthquake the Spanish came

Conquest Facts  (1519) and took over
● The explorer that came was Hernando Cortes

● Hernan cortes wanted to explore the shore of

mexico
● The defeat was because of a woman that was a
translator, Hernan got allies (people destroyed
by the Aztecs), and there was a disease called
smallpox.
● The person who was a translators name was
Video​ Notes 
Dona Marina
● Entered in 1519 as guests
● In 1521 Hernan came back after being ran away
and destroyed the Aztecs.
● They fully were destroyed in 1525
● The last emperor was killed by having feet
burned

Critical Thinking  Sceptical at first because they had never seen

 
Page 1 
 
 
Ms. Diane Nicoll 7th Grade Social Studies Unit 5: Lesson 6 

Partner Answer  anything like them. They might surround them, try
to talk to them, then realize they can't communicate
then find a translator. They probably also got really
cocky.

 
No good spertation almost same 
Image Case Study  style. Body parts in random places.  
 
Write your answer 
beside the image. -> 

 
 
Image Case Studies  Left on is in 
Comparison  favor of Aztecs; 
  right is in favor 
Write your answer  of spanish. Left 
beside the images. ->  is a combat 
scene; right is a planning scene. Shows the spanish as 
barbarians; right shows them as professional nice men. 
The Incas  
● Destroy by spain in 1532 from Francisco Pizarro
Conquest Facts  ● First time there empire was seriously
threatened

● In 1521 hernan cortes conquered aztec and

made them instantly ritch.
● Inspired by cortes
● Inca already weak
○ Smallpox
Video​ Notes  ○ Civil war
● In 1532 Francisco tried to take Inca over.
● Francisco offered ruler to convert but in poor
translation.
● Killed guards and took the ruler
● Lots of change in power over 40 years

Critical Thinking 
There’s a mositary on top of the sun temple
Partner Answer 

● Kings at same level

Bonus Question 
● Easily flammable stuff below

 
Page 2 
 
 
Ms. Diane Nicoll 7th Grade Social Studies Unit 5: Lesson 6 

Image Case Study  ● Llama

 
Write your answer 
beside the image. -> 

The Mayas  
Does history change?  No but the perception and what is seen does.

Current evidence 
●
supports:  

● Maya’s population’s peak was at 13 mil people

● 950 ce the mayans empire collapsed but don't
know why
○ Drought (from farm)
○ Starvation (bad land and deforestation)
○ Seasonal desert (rainfall important)
○ Spanish after major collapse
○ Smallpox killed off the rest
Video​ Notes 
○ War and civil unrest
● No single reason
○ Drought
○ Starvation
○ Political unrest
○ War with other natives
○ After collapse spanish (100s of years
later)

● Drought (from farm)

● Starvation (bad land and deforestation)
Critical Thinking  ● Seasonal desert (rainfall important)
Partner Answer  ● Spanish after major collapse
● Smallpox killed off the rest
● War and civil unrest
Spanish Conquistadors: Extra Info 
● Conquistadors = Conqueror
○ Spanish soldiers and explorers
● Motives of Conquistadors
Define  ○ Wealth
○ Power
○ Prestige
○ Spreading christian religion

 
Page 3 
 
 
Ms. Diane Nicoll 7th Grade Social Studies Unit 5: Lesson 6 

○ Increasing spanish trade

Motives 

Two Major Spanish 

● Cortes = Toltec and Olmec
Leaders and their 
● Cortes = Inca
Areas of Conquest 

Challenge Opportunities = Choose ONE.  

Write a short summary using three sentences or more. 
Challenge Opportunity:
Maya and Aztec 
Religions ​Video 
Challenge Opportunity:
Cortes Army Facts  In 1521 Hernan Cortes was a
Video 
Challenge Opportunity:
Inca Army Facts 
Video 
 

 
Page 4