Toribio de Benavente Motolinia

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/toribio-de-benavente-motolinia

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Toribio de Benavente Motolinia born?Circa 1482
2. Where was Toribio de Benavente Motolinia born?Benavente, Kingdom of Castile (modern Spain)
3. Who was Toribio de Benavente Motolinia?He was a Spanish friar and explorer who traveled to New Spain in 1524. He wrote detailed stories about the people and places he saw.
4. Why did he learn Nahuatl and live with indigenous people?He wanted to understand their culture and help them. Living with them and learning their language helped him see their daily life.

Franciscan Order: A Catholic religious order founded by St. Francis of Assisi, characterized by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, often engaged in missionary work.
New Spain: The viceroyalty established by the Spanish Crown in the Americas, encompassing territories that include modern-day Mexico, Central America, and parts of the southwestern United States.
Ethnography: The scientific study of the customs, traditions, and social structures of human societies, often involving immersive fieldwork and detailed descriptive accounts.
Mesoamerica: A historical and cultural region that extends from central Mexico southward through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica, characterized by shared cultural traits among its indigenous peoples.