Common Good in Aztec Culture
What can we learn from diverse people today and in history about private action for the common good?
Photo Credit: Aztec Book by Jonathan Cohen is licensed under CC by 2.0
Students learn about the Aztec culture and specifically about their religious practices and sacrifices to the gods. Discussions on the nature of sacrifice bring up the concepts of benefits and opportunity costs of specific personal or group sacrifices.
Students conduct research and present a brief report about the Aztec culture in Mexico.
In this lesson, the students read about some of the religious practices of the Aztec Empire and discuss the practice of human sacrifice to appease the gods. Students discuss the concept of sacrifice for the common good and debate how far we go in sacrificing for the common good.
Students explore different forms of sacrifice for the common good and answer the question: When is a sacrifice justified and necessary, and when is it a violation of individual rights? Students write a personal goal to make a small sacrifice for the common good.