-8th grade cotillion

Team Members

Anthropologist- someone who scientifically studies human beings, their customs, beliefs and relationships
Archeologist- someone who studies the buildings, graves, tools and other objects of people who lived in the past
Economist- a person who studies or has a special knowledge of economics
Historian- someone who writes about or studies history
Linguist- someone who studies foreign languages or can speak them very well, or someone who teaches or studies linguistics
Theologian- a student of religion and religious belief, or a set of beliefs about a particular religion

Notes and Guiding Questions

Step 1:
Where did the Aztecs originally live? What prompted them to relocate? Where did they end up and why? Chose an artifact, which you feel best, represents this event. Support your choice. Aztec peoples for some reason or other left their homes in Atzlan (somewhere in North West Mexico). They had been told by the gods to build their city in the spot where an eagle eats snake which was Tenochtitlan. chose this because this is the map of the place where they ended up by god’s advice. Their first and most developed city.

Step 2:
The Aztecs ended up in the middle of a lake and built their new capital Tenochtitlan. What were the pros and cons of settling in the middle of a lake? Describe the lay of the land and chose an image for your exhibit. Tenochtitlan was surrounded by Lake Texcoco, one of the five lakes in the Valley of Mexico. Three great earth bridges, or causeways, led into the city. It was sounded by water so easy to get water. Also could get fish easily, so Aztecs’ one of the main food was fish. They also had governments who controlled and were responsible to deal with taxes, punishment, trading and more. This is why the city grew and developed fast. However it was very hard to build the city at the first time because the land was too small and also because the land is too small, it does not have enough land for farming.
Tenochtitlan was surrounded by Lake Texcoco, one of the five lakes in the Valley of Mexico.

Step 3:
Which gods were worshiped? They worshipped hundreds of gods and goddesses. The people had many agricultural gods because their culture was based heavily on farming. Aztecs built the Sacrificial Temple. One example would be the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. They always wanted to build the best temples, so they build new temples over the old temples. The Aztecs worshipped them with festivals and ceremonies. Most important god was their sun god, Huitzilopochtli. The Aztecs also used him as their god of war.

Chalchiuhtlicue the goddess of lakes and streams
Centeotl God of corn
Chantico the goddess of fires
Chicomecoatl goddess of food and produce
Coatlicue goddess who gave birth to the moon,
Ehecatl God of wind.
Huitailopochtli God of war
Mextli God of moon
mictecacihuatl God of underworld

Step 4:
Who are the different members of Aztec society? What are their roles? Choose an artifact that represents the social order of Aztec society. Slaves: The children of poor parents could be sold, usually for only a certain time period. Slaves could buy back their freedom. Commoners: The most social group was known as the macehualtin; these people were related to agriculture and the common trades. They worked the land in family units and were allowed to kept produce. Commoners were given lifetime ownership of an area of land. The lowest groups of commoners were not allowed to own property. They were farmers; they just got to use the land and never be owners. Nobility: The nobilities were the people who were nobles by birth, priests and those who earned their rank. The very highest was by a family known as the pipiltin. These people were members of the nobility and were in the top position in the government. The nobles chose a leader and this leader ruled until his death. They ere respected in the Aztecan social. During the warfare, their classes were highly valued.

Step 5:
The Aztecs have a spoken language. What was it called? Did they use any other forms of communication? Include an example of either written or visual language of the Aztecs. The Aztecs have a language called nahuatl (NAH wahtl). The Aztec used pictographs to communicate through writing too. Some of the pictures symbolized ideas and other represented the sounds of the syllables.

Step 6:
How did the Aztecs grow food and what was their main crop? They hunted for most of the meat in their diet and the chief fame animals were deer, rabbits, ducks and geese The only animals they raised for meat were turkeys and dogs. Aztecs were farmers. They lived in mud-brick houses near the Chinampas- floating gardens built on swamps. They also hunted and fished for food. Aztec farmers grew all sorts of vegetables and fruit on their swampy land.Did they trade and with whom? Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. These merchants traded rare items such as jewelry rubber, cotton, and products made from animals (like feathers of tropical birds and jaguar skins). Did they have a currency (money)? The Aztec had no system of money as we know it. They usually traded goods and services for other goods and services. But the Aztec used cacao beans and other widely acceptable goods somewhat as we use moneyFind an image for your exhibit about making a living Aztec style.

Step 7: Arrival of the Spanish
Discuss the Impact of Spanish Contact 1519 from both the Aztec point of view and the Spanish point of view. Find an image depicting this event. Cortes arrived in Mexico with 700 soldiers and they went to Tenonchtitlan. Moctezuma made them welcome. He gave Cortes many gifts hoping he will go back but Cortes left Tenonctitlan to fight the Governor of Cuba. Moctezuma attacked and surrounded the Spaniard. Cortes and his men escaped across the causeway. Cortes went back to the Tlaxcaltecas. And Meanwhile a smallpox epidemic struck Temonchtitlan. Thousands of Aztecs died including Emperor. Cortes and the Tlaxcaltecas attacked, the battle lasted for six weeks. Cortes captured the Emperor.
Spanish had guns so they had more chance of winning over Aztecs. They only came to collect gold from Aztecs and their wealth. Spanish did not care about Aztecs’ cultures such as human sacrifice and they thought it was ridiculous. Besides, Spanish thought Aztecs were barbarians. However, when Spanish arrived Aztecs offered lots of valuable things so they might go back but they did not. Spanish became greedy and forced Aztecs to give them everything.

Step 8: Fall of the Empire
Discuss La Malinche or Dona Marina. Debate her positive/negative impact on Mexico past and present. What does the term Mestizo refer to? What influences remain today from Aztec culture of the past? Her name has come to be used to describe a person who turns his back on his own culture: malinchista. She was born to a noble family, was enslaved, became an interpreter of the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés, and bore him a son. Nowadays some view her as the betrayer of the Aztecs, while others consider her to be a failure to defend his kingdom successfully. Although some have considered her a traitor, many Chicana women consider La Malinche an outstanding historical figure. She was outcast from her own people. The ability of Marina to help Cortes to communicate with the Indians shaped the entire campaign. An effort was made to establish friendly relations with the Aztec Emperor. She was totally loyal to Cortes, a one-man woman, who loved her master. Cortes also had feelings like her. Time after time he was offered other women but always refused them. mestizo is a american indian.

websites i used(:
http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/history1.htm
http://www.crystalinks.com/aztecgods.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/azteculture.html
http://library.thinkquest.org/16325/y-farm.html
http://www.crystalinks.com/pyramidmesoamerica.html
http://houck.salkeiz.k12.or.us/student.assignments/WB.Aztecs/aztec.htm
http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/Cortes/cortes.html
http://www.tihof.org/honors/malinche.htm
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/malinche.html
http://www.famsi.org/research/pohl/pohl_aztec5.html
http://home.freeuk.net/elloughton13/cortesc.htm

if i made any mistakes or if you have questions you would like to ask please let me know by commenting on this post.(: thankyou.<3

As you noticed, in Anne Frank’s diary from page 100 she started changing a lot both emotionally and physically. Her thoughts, feelings and how she expressed them into words grew incredibly strong and mature. While I was reading her diary, there was one typical part I really felt the same as Anne Frank yet I have a bit different opinions from what Anne Frank had. She said, “I wonder whether you can tell me why it is important that people always try so hard to hide their real feelings? How is it that I always behave quite differently from what I should on other people’s company? Why do we trust on another so little?”

Do you have secrets you do not share with anyone? Why not? I have to agree with Anne Frank that it is true that people try so hard to hide truthful feelings and that people have lack of trusts on others. I myself do hide my real feelings, just like Anne Frank. However, she had Kitty, a diary she could let everything out into words but I don’t frequently express or let out my feelings to anyone. In my opinion it’s neither bad nor good. Sometimes, truth hurts people’s feelings or cause conflict between people. There is always reason why people hide their real feelings. I usually pretend like I am happy when I am not. I do that because I don’t want others to concern about my own personal difficulties. Besides, as I mentioned in my other writing I don’t think others can possibly understand me. On the other hand, if I see the other side, there are a lot of people who are willing to help me out which is extremely pleasure to me. Then again, especially for people like me it’s exceedingly tough to open widely to others and allow them in. It’s your choice if you want to give them opportunity to get to know the real you, but I chose not to.

What does it mean to trust someone? Do you honestly believe everyone who is close to you? The world is not perfect, full of lies, no trust yet also full of pleasant things. No one is perfect, we all have lied. Some people don’t trust each other when others do. People always say we can trust them but they let us down sometimes including myself. I am not saying everyone is distrustful, but I believe that even in the closest friends’ relationship there is doubt. Trust is what builds close relationships between people. It takes long time to build trust. If there is no trust, relationships won’t exist. There is no reason why people trust each other so little, because it’s natural. People naturally change both emotionally and physically, at the same time their relationships change because their feelings for others change. As we meet all kinds of different people, we begin to find the person who can be trusted and we feel comfortable to talk with, may not be the perfect one but the best one we can find

If you would like to see an actual article please click here.

<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>On the morning of September 11, 2001, nineteen terrorists hijacked four jet airliners. Each team of hijackers included a trained pilot. The hijackers crashed two of the airliners which were United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 11 into the World Trade Center in New York City, one plane into each tower. A third airliner which was American Airlines Flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon. Passengers and members of the flight crew on the fourth aircraft which was United Airlines Flight 93 to retake control of their plane from the hijackers; that plane crashed into a field near the town of Shanksville. In addition to the 19 hijackers, 2,973 people died; another 24 are missing and presumed dead.

-Food In 8th Grade School Trip

if you would like to read the acticle please click here.

-Free Time in 8th Grade School Trip

if you would like to read the acticle please click here.

-American Mathematics Competition

if you would like to read this article please click here.

As I was reading the book, Anne Frank I realized several things I have in common with her. Have a look at page 43 in the book, she argues about how her parents treat her and her sister differently and also let us know about her deep thoughts and feelings by going through these tribulations everyday.  I have a sister like Anna Frank; she is always the perfect one who gets all love from parents or at least I think so. I have been compared and treated differently. People who do not have sisters or brothers probably do not understand the feelings that grow inside me when my parents do that. The feelings might not be the same for everyone but I believe they are similar. In my opinion, I feel really left out, hurt and sometimes I even ask if I actually belong here or if I really meant to be here.  

check out these pictures (: 

 Adolf Hitler

 The nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet

 Thousands of Holocaust victims arriving at the Nazi extermination camp at Birkenau in 1944

 Allied bombing of the German city of Dresden

 Japan’s Emperor Hirohito
 The Big Three: The Allied Leaders: Prime Minster Winston Churchill (UK), President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (US), and First Secretary Joseph Stalin (USSR)

Imagine you are in Anne Frank’s situation, your parents tell you that they are going somewhere and you have no idea where you will be going, or how long you will be there. You have to choose only few things to bring with you that will fit in your small bag. 

          First I ask myself questions. Do people only care about how I look? Will I ever get the same memories that I shared with so many people I loved? Will my memories last forever? Why do people care so much about what I wear, how I look but not what I am and how I am? Why can’t people see other precious things that mean more to me? Does it really matter how pretty and ugly I look? What is definition of me? A girl who only cares about how she looks? Yes, just like other girls, I do care about how I look. However, appearence is not everything, I have chosen other things to bring with me that mean more to me.

          First thing I would bring is my album. I love collecting photos so I organized them every year. Some pictures are in my computer but because my computer won’t fit in my bag, I would print out some of pictures and bring them with me. All the pictures I have remind me all the pleasant times I had with all the people I love, care and met.

          Secondly, I would bring my diaries that I wrote from first grade to forth grade. I really enjoy reading them because through reading them, I find out all the silly things I did when I was young. Besides, it’s really entertaining to see my writing skill.

          Third thing I would bring is my teddy bear. It might sound childish to many people but it is what makes me fall asleep every night.

          Forth thing is my necklace that I got from someone who means a lot to me. It will always remind me every second of time we shared together. 

          Fifth thing I would bring is my camera, because then I can take pictures of things I want to remember. Besides, I got the camera from my dad and I have really close relationship with him so I would keep with me wherever I go.

          Last thing I would bring is my algebra book. I love everything about math and I think with algebra book, I will never get bored. So these are the things that I would bring because I believe they are the most important things I need to have.

 teddy bear(:

 albums(:

  diaries(:

 camera

 necklace

The proper definition of courageous in the dictionary is to be able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching. In my own words courageous means willing to do things which are difficult, dangerous, or painful without being afraid in an impressive way. Mostly, courage brings positive changes, yet it also brings bad changes. It brings positive changes when someone tries to achieve something that is appropriate but brings negative changes when something that someone is trying to achieve is inappropriate. Relating the word, courageous to the ESLRs, a student who is able to achieve all the ESLRs: effective communicator, self-directed learner, academic achiever, involved citizen and critical thinker needs to be courageous. To be able to achieve every ESLR, students must take risks in other words; students must be courageous and overcome their weaknesses. Because of the courageous, people take risks, experience and try new things. This is how I overall describe the word, courageous in my own words.