COMPOSITION ABOUT A MEXICAN PRE-COLUMBIAN
CIVILIZATION
TAREA PARA EL 7 DE OCTUBRE
I.Due date: October 7, 2021
II.Subject: You write a composition about the general contributions and three specific works of art (obras de arte) of a Mexican pre-Columbian civilization. The term pre-Columbian refers to the period in the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. For this composition, I am referring to the time before the Spanish Conquest (1519-1521). You cannot write about the Maya or the Aztecs. Some suggested Mexican pre-Columbian civilizations are the following four:
los olmecas
los zapotecas
los toltecas
los mixtecas
III.Research is required to write this composition.
IV.Length of composition: Write a minimum of 300 words. The title and bibliography do not count as part of the 300 words. Write this composition in your own words. Do not include quotes or plagiarize.
V.Verb tense for the composition: the present tense
VI.Required content and organization of the composition, which will consist of five paragraphs:
A.First paragraph: introduction
1.Identify the Mexican pre-Columbian civilization.
2.Indicate in parenthesis when this civilization existed.
3.Indicate its location in Mexico.
4.Give a general comment about the civilization.
5.Indicate some of the aspects and contributions of this civilization.
6.Identify three works of art (e.g., sculpture, pottery, ceramics, stelae, statues, frescoes, relief art, jewelry, temples/pyramids or other architectural works)
of this civilization about which you are going to write in the composition.
B.Second paragraph: information about the first work of art
1.Identify the work of art.
2.Describe it.
3.Indicate use, symbolism, and/or other significant information.
C.Third paragraph: information about the second work of art
1.Identify the work of art.
2.Describe it.
3.Indicate use, symbolism, and/or any other significant information.
(The explanation of this assignment is continued on page 2.)
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D.Fourth paragraph: information about the third work of art
1.Identify the work of art.
2.Describe it.
3.Indicate use, symbolism, and/or any other significant information.
E.Fifth paragraph: a short conclusion
Indicate what these four works of art reveal about this pre-Columbian civilization.
VII.A bibliography is required. You need a minimum of three sources; e.g., books, articles, websites, etc. You cannot use any of my handouts or the ¡Arriba! textbook as sources.
You can use any accepted college format for the bibliography; e.g., MLA, Chicago, etc.
VIII.See model for this composition, pp. 3-4 and “Some Helpful Grammar and Vocabulary”,
pp. 10-11 for some help with your writing.
IX.Grading: This composition is worth 30 pts.
30/30 = Despite errors, the composition has comprehensible Spanish, excellent research, accurate
content, all of the required content, and no organizational problems.
20/30 = Because of a lot of errors, the composition has Spanish that is sometimes incomprehensible,
needs more research, has some content errors, some missing content, or some organizational
problems.
15/30 = Because of too many errors, the composition has extremely incomprehensible Spanish,
needs much more research, has many content errors, a lot of missing content, or too many
organizational problems.
0/30 = The composition is plagiarized, has less than half the content, or is not handed in.
(See the model for this composition on page 3.)
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Modelo: La civilización azteca
La civilización azteca (1300 d.C.-1521 d.C.) está (is) en el centro de México con su
imperio en Tenochtitlán. Es (it is) la última (last) gran civilización precolombina. Unos (some) aspectos
violentos de los aztecas son los sacrificios humanos y la guerra (war). Unas contribuciones
artísticas son (are) los templos, la escultura, la cerámica, la alfarería (pottery), las máscaras, las joyas
(jewelry), los códices, la poesía y la mitología. Tres obras de arte (works of art) de la civilización
azteca son la estatua de Coatlicue, la estatua de Xochipilli y la calavera (skull) de Tezcatlipoca.
La estatua de Coatlicue, la gran madre diosa, es una escultura que (that) mide ocho pies con seis
pulgadas (inches). La estatua tiene (has) dos serpientes en lugar de (in place of) la cabeza (head) y
lleva (wears) una falda (skirt) y un cinturón (belt) de cascabeles (rattlesnakes) con dos cabezas. Las
manos (hands) de Coatlicue también (also) son cascabeles. La diosa lleva un collar (necklace) de
cabezas y manos humanas. Los pies (feet) de Coatlicue tienen garras (claws). Según la mitología azteca,
Coatlicue es la madre de Huitzilopochtli, el dios azteca de la guerra (war).
La estatua de Xochipilli muestra (shows) a Xochipilli, el príncipe azteca de las flores,
sentado (seated) con las piernas cruzadas (cross-legged) en un trono (throne) decorado de flores y
mariposas (butterflies). Los cuatro puntos (dots) en el trono simbolizan el calor (heat) del sol. Xochipilli
lleva máscara. Xochipilli es también el dios de la danza, el arte, los juegos (games), el amor (love) y la
belleza (beauty).
La calavera (skull) de Tezcatlipoca, el dios azteca de la noche, es de turquesa, obsidiana y
pirita (pyrite). ¡Una calavera humana está debajo de (under) la máscara! El otro (other) nombre de
Tezcatilpoca es Espejo Humeante (Smoking Mirror) porque (because) tiene un espejo que humea (smokes).
Tezcatlipoca es un dios muy violento.
(This composition is continued on page 4.)
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Estas tres obras de arte revelan (reveal) la importancia de los dioses y la mitología para (for)
los aztecas. La estatua de Coatlicue demuestra (demonstrates) el poder (power) de la mujer (woman) y la
serpiente en su (their) sociedad. Los aspectos grotescos de Coatlicue y la calavera de Tezcatlipoca revelan
la violencia de los aztecas, pero (but) la estatua de Xochipilli demuestra un aspecto juguetón (playful).
Bibliografía
Cawthorne, Nigel. The Art of the Aztecs. San Diego: Laurel Glen Publishing, 1999.
Coe, Michael D. and Koontz, Rex. Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs. New York: Thames & Hudson, 2008.
Davies, Nigel. The Ancient Kingdoms of Mexico. London: Penguin Books, 1990.
Miller, Mary Ellen. The Art of Mesoamerica. New York: Thames and Hudson, 1996.
Solís, Felipe. The Aztec Empire. New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications, 2004.
Woolf, Greg. Ancient Civilizations. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2007.