Codex Mendoza DBQ Activity: The Aztec Capital, Tenochtitlan, 1542C.E.

This primary source document with guiding questions activity (DBQ) was created with 7th graders in mind and is appropriate while studying the Aztec Empire/Central American History and Culture/History of Mexico/Spanish Colonization/Art History/Explorers. The Codex Mendoza is a pictographic book that was created by indigenous scribes in 1542CE (AD) following the Spanish conquest of King Montezuma and the Aztec Empire. Students will observe, discuss, and analyze one exquisite page of the Codex Mendoza that depicts the mythological founding of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan. They share observations, make inferences and connect this document to their own lives. Also included is a one page heavily researched non-fiction historical context. ANSWER KEY INCLUDED!