Copy from this unit and have students read “Tezcatlipoca and the King of Tula”.
Discuss how this myth differs from a creation myth. Point out that it is a story about the god Tezcatlipoca and even though he is a sorcerer, it falls under the category of hero myths.
Ask students if there is other information about Aztec life that we can learn from this myth. What similarities or differences between life in Aztec time and life now can students discover. Some examples of appropriate responses might be:
Today most fathers do not “give” their daughters to a man to be married.
Today there are still wars, just as there were then.
Today we get most of our food from supermarkets.
Divide students into groups of three or four and, using the books listed in the student bibliography, have students research information about the Aztec marketplace.
Have students use the information from their research to make dioramas or models of an Aztec market.
Additional stories about Tezcatlipoca can be found in The Hungry Woman. “The Flight of Quetzalcoatl” is a myth in which Tezcatlipoca uses his sorcery again his rival Quetzalcoatl to drive him away from Tula. It is appropriate for fourth and fifth grade students.