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Click through to see the Aztec calendar stones turn and the order of the days through a complete rotation of the day signs and some more. Update May 2025: I have created a more detailed and interactive version of the calendar here.

Following Mind Kind principles, this is a brief introduction to Aztecs with notes on the ppt with things for pupils to do, that will give them an overview of the topic. The accompanying word document is the whole text that this introduction is based on.

Following Mind Kind principles, an big picture overview of Vikings in Britain to give pupils an taste of where the topic will be going during the term. There is a script to follow and opportunities for pupils to respond by drawing, talking, writing and acting as the activity progresses. I used this successfully with Year 4 pupils.

A lesson looking at the first Christmas card created in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole. Pupils then created their own versions of his original card, using the blank provided (pdf and publisher versions). This was used in conjunction with the whole school looking at Victorian Christmas traditions.

A short activity exploring Aztec day signs, part of the Aztec calendar. Each of the 20 signs had a significance to the Aztecs, influencing activities done on different days of the calendar. Pupils will discover what signs like crocodile, wind, dog and flint knife meant to Aztecs and are encouraged to reflect on images they would now associate with the same qualities. This Aztec calendar with an interactive model supports this activity in greater detail. Each slide shows examples of Aztec hieroglyphs and could be explored for iconography to encourage pupils to create their own modern glyphs.

An introductory activity to examine pictures of Aztec and a British house, considering the similarities and the differences.

Archaeology 101 is information about archaeology for pupils to read to be able to complete the Approved Archaeologist Assessment sheet, the word document is available for editing. Following successful completion they were awarded the certificate. We used this during a historical enquiry task, where pupils dug up objects from a sand box and had to complete the assessment to prove they understood how to be an archaeologist before digging around.

An interactive version of the Aztec day-count calendar. Click through the PowerPoint slides to see the wheel rotate and generate day names that Aztec peoples used. The day-count calendar gave significance to each day has a 260 day cycle - all included in the ppt. Two PPT versions are included. A basic version that shows the days changing for over 365 days. The second bigger version aligns the Aztec calendar with the academic year from May 2025 to August 2026. Pupils can find the Aztec name of their birthday or other significant events coming up. There is a shortcut link to each day of the year within this ppt. Activity sheet included to encourage pupils to consider their own meaningful signs and symbols and create their own individual Aztec calendar. Cut out wheels included to make it move and could be used for display or just to cut out and keep. This activity can be further extended by this detailed look at the 20 days signs and their significance to the Aztecs.