Timelines show change over time; to the left is the past and to the right is the future

900 CE200 BCE The year of a certain event in time is written below the line, centered on the dash

A short description of the historical event is written here, centered on the dash

Timeline DirectionsWhat to do

900 CE200 BCEMark the date of the details here

Discover information about the fall of the Maya and Rise of the Aztec and write details here

The founding of Tenochtitlan, 1345 CE

This map shows where Hernán Cortés and his group of Spanish conquistadors (conquerors) made camp in 1519

This illustration shows the Spanish conquistadors disposing of the Aztec emperor Montezuma in 1521.

Within 30 years of the first conquest of the Aztec, the New World would be a part of the Spanish Empire

NewWorld

Old World

But how did the arid (dry) climate of central Mexico support such a large amount of people?

At this point, find a partner to discover how the Aztec fed the massive population of Tenochtitlan

The Chinampa, or floating garden

Time warp

Both partners have been sent to the past to rediscover the glory of the Aztec Empire. You only have computers, and central command asks you both to plot Lake Texcoco. We can never truly understand the great Aztec people until we know their geography.

Mark the spot for the ideal location to start building Tenochtitlan on your map. Then,…

Time warp

Mark the areas that are ideal for building chinampas (floating gardens) on your map.

On the reverse side, discover how the chinampa worked. Construct a diagram for the process of building and maintaining these floating gardens.