Trace Postclassic Mesoamerica c. 900-1521 CE — the Toltec c. 900-1150 CE (Tula), the Aztec/Mexica founding of Tenochtitlán 1325 CE through the imperial peak 1500 CE under Moctezuma II, applying the Camilla Townsend 'Fifth Sun' refusal of the conquest-myth + Matthew Restall 'Seven Myths' framing
Exercise
Difficulty 4
~15 min
hist.g7.f.ex_44
Claim Evidence Warrant
Prompt
Refute the conquest-myth in 100-150 words. Cite Townsend 'Fifth Sun' 2019 + Restall 'Seven Myths' 2003. Name the 200,000+ Indigenous allied troops + smallpox 1520 as the decisive factors.
How it's presented
mode
text
Answer criteria
type
claim evidence warrant rubric
rubric
200,000+ Indigenous allied troops named (Tlaxcaltec + Cholultec + Texcocan + Huejotzincan + Otomi + Chinantec) (20 pts); smallpox 1520 + Cuitláhuac death named (15 pts); Townsend + Restall cited (10 pts); 'mistaken-for-god' framing rejected as later Spanish-colonial mythmaking (10 pts). Total 55 pts.
Hints
- Townsend 'Fifth Sun' 2019 + Restall 'Seven Myths' 2003 are anchors.
- Smallpox 1520 killed Cuitláhuac + ~40% of Tenochtitlán population in 80 days.
Misconceptions to watch
- Missing one of the named Indigenous allied groups
- Missing smallpox decisive factor
Used in lessons