Secondary Lesson Plan Template

Topic: Spanish Conquest of

the Aztecs

Grade Level:
10th

Length of
class:
50 minutes

LEARNING GOAL/PURPOSE (What is the overall goal/purpose of this

lesson)?
Students understand the advantages the Spanish had over the
Aztecs and how those advantages influenced the conquest
LEARNING OBJECTIVES (What will students know or be expected to do
in this lesson? Use verbs from Blooms Taxonomy):
Students can create and defend a position on the most influential
advantage the Spanish held over the Aztecs, in an essay format.
Students can work in groups to create a small presentation on
the advantage they believe is the most influential advantage
Students will be able to explain the cause and effect relationship
between the specific advantages the Spanish held and the effects
on the Aztecs
STANDARDS (What national or state standards will you address?):
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand cause and effect relationships and other
historical thinking skills in order to interpret events and issues. (SS.9-12.H.8)
16.A.4a Apply the skills of historical analysis and interpretation: Analyze and report
historical events to determine cause-and-effect relationships. (Illinois Standard)
RESOURCES/MATERIALS NEEDED (What materials and resources will I
need in this lesson?):
Large paper for posters
Markers for illustrating posters
PLAN for LEARNING (How will you organize student learning in this
lesson?

LESSON SEQUENCE & PACING (How will I

organize this lesson? How much time will
each component of the lesson take?)
*This lesson assumes past lessons on
the Spanish Conquest of the Aztec
Empire. This lesson serves as a
continuation of that unit.
1. Begin with an individual brainstorm
activity: Students will use the bubble
map graphic organizer to list the
advantages the Spanish held over the
Aztecs, as well as the effect of each
advantage. Students may use notes
from past lectures if they want. They
should do this activity within their
notes, on their own paper (~5 minutes
or less)
2. Split the class into small,
heterogeneous groups (3-4 students
per group, with a range of grade levels
within each group). Each group should
decide amongst itself which advantage
they believe to the most influential to
the Spanish victory.
3. Groups will then work to create a
small presentation along with a poster,
showing the advantage they think was
most important and how that
advantage contributed to the victory
(Combined time for 2 & 3 - 15-20
minutes)
4. Groups will then present their
posters and explain their ideas to the
class (3-5 minutes for each
presentation, depending on number of
groups)
5. Class wide discussion on
hypothetical: Knowing all the Spanish
advantages, could the Aztecs have
defeated the Spanish? What advantage
did the Aztecs possess? What events

ACTIVATE/ENGAGE
(How will I engage students
in learning or prepare
students to learn by
activating/building up their
prior knowledge?)
Ask a question, think-pairshare activity, Anticipatory
set activity, checklists, quick
write, cooperative learning
activity, inquiry-based task,
carousel activity, KWL, circle
map, show a video clip, do a
demonstration, tell a story,
quiz, thumbs up, fist-to-five,
etc.
ACQUIRE/EXPLORE/APPLY
(How will I help students
acquire and apply new
knowledge and skills?)
Lecture, demonstration,
guest speaker, inquiry-based
activity, text analysis,
discussion, debate,
simulations, skits, projectbased learning, jigsaw
activity, cooperative learning
activity, flexible grouping,
learning center rotation,
research activity, etc.
ASSESS/CLOSURE/BRIDGE
(How will I assess my
students understanding or
provide closure in the
lesson?)
Selected Response (Test,
quiz, exit slip)
Products from
Performance assessment
(Skit, role play,
dramatization, debate,
cooperative learning, project,
student-inquiry)
Written Communication
(Short-answer, journal entry,
bulleted response, essay,
exit slip)
Personal Communication
(Questions, Discussion

could have occurred to change the

entire conquest? Was the Aztec defeat
predetermined, because of the Spanish
technological superiority? Students
should take notes during the
discussion, as they will be writing a
paper on this as their
homework/assessment (Remainder of
class, at least 10 minutes, potentially
as much as 20, contingent on number
of groups to present)

Interview)

6. Assignment:
Students will write a 2-3 page paper,
stating and defending their personal
choice of most influential advantage
and how it affected the Spanish
conquest. Additionally, student will
respond to whether the Aztec would
have been able to defeat the Spanish
and defend their reasoning on their
answer. Due the following week.
DIFFERENTIATING YOUR INSTRUCTION:
This lesson addresses multiple forms of differentiation, by utilizing several
types of learning. More visual learners can use graphic organizers to
help guide their thoughts and understanding, as well as images during
the group presentation to help with comprehension. The group work
targets collaborative learning and helps weaker students progress by
pairing them with the more experienced learners with the class.
Discussion allows for the sharing of ideas and generates common
understanding, while the short essay assignment allows the more
individualistic learner to demonstrative their knowledge in the manner
more comfortable to them.
WHAT COULD YOU DIFFERENTIATE?
___
X
X
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CONTENT (WHAT STUDENTS LEARN)

PROCESS (HOW STUDENTS LEARN)
PRODUCT (HOW STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEARNING
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

BASED ON

___ READINESS
___ INTEREST
X LEARNING STYLE (VISUAL, AUDITORY, KINESTHETIC)
DIFFERNTIATED INSTRUCITONAL STRATEGIES
___ FLEXIBLE GROUPS
ASSIGNMENTS
X COOPERATIVE LEARNING GROUPS
BOARDS
___ LEARNING CENTERS
PROJECTS
___ RAFTS
QUESTIONING
X GRAPHIC organizers
___ SCAFFOLDED READING/WRITING

___ TIERED
___ MENUS/CHOICE
___ INDEPENDENT
___ LEVELS OF