LESSON PLAN

Subject: Social Studies

Grade:
8
Date: April 14, 2015
Critical Inquiry Question: To what extent was Cortez a hero or a villain?
Lesson:
Time: 55 minutes
SLOs: From the Program of Studies
8.3.1 appreciate how a societys worldview influences the societys choices, decisions and
interactions with other societies.
8.3.2 appreciate how Aztec and Spanish identities and worldviews were affected by intercultural
contact
8.3.3 appreciate and recognize how rapid adaptation can radically change a societys beliefs,
values and knowledge
8.3.4 assess, critically, how the Aztecs were affected by the Spanish worldview by exploring and
reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
-What were the key elements of the worldview of the Aztec civilization prior to contact with the
Spanish
-How did the Aztec civilizations worldview influence the Aztecs choices, decisions and customs?
-What key elements of Spains worldview led to the desire to expand the Spanish empire?
-In what ways did factors such as technology and disease contribute to the dominance of the
Spanish over the Aztec civilization?
-To what extent were the divergent worldviews of the Spanish and Aztecs factors in the
dominance of one nation over the other?
8.S.1 develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking:
8.S.8 oral, written and visual literacy

Instructional Objectives: (Not outcomes, but lesson objectives. Not a description of

lesson procedure, but an indication of what students will know or be able to do by the
end of the lesson).
Knowledge:
Elements from the Aztecs worldview
Elements from the Spanish worldview
Elements from a societies worldview that would lead them to a desire to create a new
empire
What led to the fall of an empire?
How were the Aztecs impacted by Spanish conquest?
Skill:
Students will be able to apply their knowledge about the Aztecs and the Spanish
worldview in a creative format
Students will be able to see multiple perspectives
Key Questions:
What is the focus question for this lesson? What are some related questions?
How might differences in worldviews contribute to the dominance of one culture over another?

Materials:
11 by 17 paper (32), markers, crayons

Preparation:
Write on white board WALT: What are we learning today? Unit review and how the
Aztecs were affected by the Spanish conquest
Adaptations:
Students who struggle with reading and writing will be able to copy my writing on the
board and use pictures to support their text.
Lesson Procedure:
(Use numbered or bulleted steps. Indicate lesson introduction, development and
conclusion if that helps clarify the flow of the lesson. Write it with enough detail that a
substitute teacher could teach the lesson.)
1. Write on the white board: Current Events Bonus Marks, April 14 2015
a. What happened in London over the Easter weekend? Jewelry Heist
b. Why did the Alaskan Airlines have to make an emergency landing? Ramp
agent fell asleep in cargo hold
2. After every student has handed in their paper, read out the answers
3. Have two students hand out the timeline templates
4. Review what has happened prior to, during and after the Spanish conquest
a. On the first page, the top has Spanish details, the bottom has Aztec details
5. While you review, write important points on the white board and have students
record it on their own personal timeline.
a. With this, students must complete a 1-2 paragraph response to how the
Aztecs were impacted by the Spanish conquest. Due Thursday
b. On the homework section of the white board, write that this is due
Wednesday April 15 2015
6. Exit Slip: At the 5 minute mark, students will complete a three stars and a wish on
the back of their fill in the blank timeline.
Assessment:
How will you know if students met your lesson objectives? What are you looking for in
this formative assessment?
Timeline: This will allow students to have a class discussion and remember key factors
that resulted in intercultural contact and change in worldviews
Three stars and a wish: Students will write down three things they enjoyed learning
about during this unit, and one thing they wish they had learned more about. (This will
allow me to see how students grasped specific material and if their was a trend in
something that I overlooked when teaching this unit. I will also help students reflect on
the unit and what they can recall.)
Lesson Reflection: