The Aztec Empire by: Sunita Apte (Multicultural and International Literature)

The Aztecs were a group of hunters and gatherers who settled in Mexico around five lakes.  Their empire became powerful in time and they built roads over water called causeways.  Cacao seeds were so important to the Aztecs that they used them for making drinks and as money.  The Aztecs had many gods and a supreme ruler known as a tlatoani.  Aztecs farmed and used glyph symbols for writing and enjoyed playing board games.  The Spanish explorer, Cortes, invaded the Aztec empire in hopes of overthrowing the leader.  He took control of the empire and the empire became a Spanish colony ruled by Spanish government.  The Aztec culture was wiped out, but some of the ancient Aztec sites are still around.  

I would use this book in my class by including it in a book pass for the students.  I would bring in many different books that have information about the Aztec culture and have students quickly look through them long enough to write a few notes on their book pass.  The students would not have enough time to read the entire book during the book pass but would be able to determine which books they would like to research more in depth.  I would use the nonfiction books as a way to guide the students’ comprehension and help them learn how to navigate nonfiction text.  I would ask each of the students to gather three important facts about the Aztec Empire from their selected text and to share with the entire class.  I would also ask students to write down questions they think of while reading and help them navigate the internet.

AR Book Finder Book Level 5.7