Worldviews in Conflict Social Studies 8: Unit 2

Introduction Turn to page 148 Examine each image carefully and read the captions for each one. How does each image depict the contact and mixing of different worldviews?

Social Studies 8: Chapter 7 The People of the Sun Social Studies 8: Chapter 7

The People of the Sun Turn to page 151 Read the story in the light blue box What effect do you think the hardship wandering might have had on the Aztec people? What other story do you know that is similar to this?

The People of the Sun Our Inquiry Question for this chapter is… In what ways do a group’s collective beliefs and experiences contribute to shaping a unique identity?

The Physical Landscape The inquiry question for section 1, “The Physical Landscape” is… How might a society’s worldview influence its ability to adapt to the physical geography?

The Physical Landscape What do you think of when you see the mountains? What feelings do you have? Your worldview, attitudes, and knowledge shape how you respond to the physical geography around you.

The Physical Landscape The Aztecs saw mountains as sacred or holy sites. The height of a mountain was believed to bring a person closer to the gods. So for the Aztecs the world consisted of both physical and sacred landscapes. Not surprisingly the Aztecs built their temples to resemble mountains.

The Physical Landscape The land the Aztecs settled in was a swampy island in a shallow, salty lake. But the Aztecs believed they were sent there by their god, so they were determined to survive.

The Physical Landscape Examine the map on page 152. Pay special attention to the elevation guide in the lower left corner. How is the location of the Aztec home connected to their religious beliefs?

The Physical Landscape The power of mountains Mountains provided security They also allowed flash floods And often prevented rainfall Solution: The Aztecs built a dam at one end of their lake to control the water level and an aqueduct to bring a constant flow of fresh water into the city.

The Physical Landscape An Island Home The Aztec built their city (Tenochtitlan) on Lake Texcoco. This provided excellent protection from enemies. Turn to page 154 and read the “Zoom In” section.

Chinampa http://www.western.edu/faculty/pcrossley/chinampasofmexico/index.htm

Chinampa – slide 2

The Physical Landscape Changing Geography Examine the map on page 155. Identify the changes to the physical landscape that were made by the Aztecs. Why would they do this? What advantages were there?