The Lost Temple of the Aztecs
Unit 4/Week 1
Title: Lost Temple of the Aztecs1
Suggested Time: 5 days (45 minutes a day)
Common Core ELA Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4; W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.9; SL.6.1; L.6.1, L.6.2, L.6.5
Teacher Instructions
Refer to the Introduction for further details.
Before Teaching
1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers, about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.
Big Ideas and Key Understandings
Sometimes a superstition or belief can shield you from reality and even cause serious danger.
Synopsis
The Lost City of the Aztecs is about the demise of the Aztec Empire and how Montezuma, the last Aztec emperor, reacted to the arrival of the Spaniards at Tenochtitlan in 1519.
2. Read entire main selection text, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
3. Re-read the main selection text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Vocabulary.
During Teaching
1. Students read the entire main selection text independently.
2. Teacher reads the main selection text aloud with students following along. (Students who may have difficulty reading the text can be strategically paired, or may read in small group with teacher guidance).
3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions and returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e.: whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)
Text Dependent Questions
Text Dependent Questions
Evidence Based Answers
Why does the professor call his find the “discovery of a lifetime”?
They found the great temple of the Aztecs, the cornerstone of what was once the most powerful empire in North America.
(inference after reading) The Aztecs had a great and powerful empire. He
Title: Lost Temple of the Aztecs1
Suggested Time: 5 days (45 minutes a day)
Common Core ELA Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.4; W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.9; SL.6.1; L.6.1, L.6.2, L.6.5
Teacher Instructions
Refer to the Introduction for further details.
Before Teaching
1. Read the Big Ideas and Key Understandings and the Synopsis. Please do not read this to the students. This is a description for teachers, about the big ideas and key understanding that students should take away after completing this task.
Big Ideas and Key Understandings
Sometimes a superstition or belief can shield you from reality and even cause serious danger.
Synopsis
The Lost City of the Aztecs is about the demise of the Aztec Empire and how Montezuma, the last Aztec emperor, reacted to the arrival of the Spaniards at Tenochtitlan in 1519.
2. Read entire main selection text, keeping in mind the Big Ideas and Key Understandings.
3. Re-read the main selection text while noting the stopping points for the Text Dependent Questions and teaching Vocabulary.
During Teaching
1. Students read the entire main selection text independently.
2. Teacher reads the main selection text aloud with students following along. (Students who may have difficulty reading the text can be strategically paired, or may read in small group with teacher guidance).
3. Students and teacher re-read the text while stopping to respond to and discuss the questions and returning to the text. A variety of methods can be used to structure the reading and discussion (i.e.: whole class discussion, think-pair-share, independent written response, group work, etc.)
Text Dependent Questions
Text Dependent Questions
Evidence Based Answers
Why does the professor call his find the “discovery of a lifetime”?
They found the great temple of the Aztecs, the cornerstone of what was once the most powerful empire in North America.
(inference after reading) The Aztecs had a great and powerful empire. He