Explore this fascinating civilisation with a ready-to-teach Aztecs KS2 History scheme of work for Year 5/6! These Aztecs lesson packs will teach your KS2 class all they need to know about the history of the Aztecs–they will find out who the Aztecs were, where and when they lived, discover what Aztec society was like, explore the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, investigate Aztec religious beliefs, and lots more!

Each of these Aztecs History lessons comes with an easy-to-follow lesson plan that includes three-way differentiated plus an alternative activity, an engaging and informative slideshow for the whole-class teaching input, and a range of handy printable resources, such as worksheets, picture cards and information sheets, to help them complete their History learning tasks.

You might be interested in our Aztecs Topic Bundle, which is perfect for cross-curricular teaching!

Who were the Aztecs?

Who were the Aztecs? When and where did they live? What do we know about them? During this ready-to-teach lesson, your KS2 class will explore the answers to these questions as they are introduced to the Aztecs and their empire.

The included slideshow presentation goes over the basic facts of who the Aztecs were, including how they ended up at Lake Texcoco, before looking at a timeline of world history periods that the children will be familiar with and placing the Aztecs on that timeline.

During their independent learning time, your class can then work do some further work with timelines to help them put the Aztec civilisation into context.

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Tenochtitlan

This fascinating lesson looks at the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan and explores how the Aztecs turned a swampy island surrounded by grumbling volcanoes into one of the biggest cities in the world at the time through the use of aqueducts, canals, causeways, chinampas, and more...and all without the wheel!

This Tenochtitlan lesson planning pack contains an easy-to-follow lesson plan, an informative slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources to support children in their independent learning.

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Aztec Society

This KS2 History lesson explores how Aztec society was organised and looks at the roles and positions of various groups of people, from the emperor, nobles and priests down to farmers and enslaved people. It also explores how families were organised into groups called 'calpullis' and how people of different positions had different expectations within society.

This Aztec Society planning pack contains a detailed lesson plan, an informative slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources to support your Year 5 or Year 6 class as they carry out their independent learning tasks.

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Religion and Beliefs

Religion was central to the Aztecs and their way of life, and this lesson takes a look at Aztec religion and beliefs, and how this impacted on their life, including the practice of one of the most controversial customs in history - human sacrifice.

Your class will find out about the gods the Aztecs believed in, how they were worshipped and why it was felt that they had to be fed with human hearts.

This fascinating Aztec religion lesson comes fully planned and ready to deliver to your class. There's an easy-to-follow lesson plan, a slideshow for the teaching input, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources. Just download, teach and enjoy learning about all the gruesome religious practices of the Aztecs with your class!

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Daily Life

Give your Year 5 or Year 6 class the chance to research Aztec daily life in this KS2 History lesson as they explore what life was like for the average Aztec. Your children will use their research skills to investigate areas such as food, clothes, homes, markets and more.

This lesson starts by challenging your class to think about how their daily routine might be different to that of an Aztec. The included slideshow presentation provides some brief information about Aztec daily life before challenging your children to carry out some further research of their own.

This Aztec Daily Life planning pack comes with a lesson plan, slideshow, differentiated activity ideas and a range of printable teaching resources.

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Fall of the Aztec Empire

The final lesson in this KS2 History series teaches your Year 5 or Year 6 class about the fall of the Aztec Empire.

Your class will be introduced to Cortés and the Spanish conquistadors, and find out about the chain of events that led to the death of the Aztec king, Moctezuma, and the fall of the empire. It also looks at why the two different sides represent the events in two different ways.

This Fall of the Aztec Empire lesson pack is completely planned and ready for you to deliver to your class. All the teaching resources you need are included so all you need to do is download, teach and enjoy!

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