Lesson Plan
The Huexotzinco Codex
Lesson Overview | Preparation | Procedure | Evaluation
Overview
Students will analyze a set of pictograph documents created by native peoples of Puebla, Mexico in 1531. Students will take on the role of historians, study the documents, and create a scenario to explain what these documents were for, who created them, and why. The codex was an accounting of excess taxation and students will decode the images and tabulate the quantities of goods paid to the local government.
Objectives
After completing this unit students will be able to:
- Analyze primary sources.
- Practice the process of historical inquiry.
- Apply math skills to calculate pictographs.
Time Required
Three class periods
Recommended Grade Level
Grades 6-8
Topic
Early America
Era
Three Worlds Meet, Beginnings to 1620
Standards
McREL 4th Edition Standards & Benchmarks
Math
- Uses a variety of strategies in the problem solving process
Thinking and Reasoning
- Effectively uses mental process that are based on identifying similarities and differences
- Understands and applies basic principles of hypothesis testing and scientific inquiry
Viewing
- Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
Historical Understanding
- Understands the historical perspective