CHICAGO, (November 16, 2006) -- On Monday, November 20, at 11 am, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn will join officials of the Newberry Library in unveiling a new attraction - a stunning model of Tenochtitlan, capital city of the Aztec Empire, built by students, teachers, and parents at McKinley Park Elementary School in Chicago.
The model city will be on display from Nov. 20 through Jan. 13 as a companion piece to the Newberry Library's fall exhibit, "The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico."
To celebrate the opening, costumed students from McKinley Park School will perform authentic Aztec ceremonial dances,
"Thanks to the Newberry Library, students throughout the Chicago area will be able to see this extraordinary project and appreciate the Aztecs and their ancient civilization," Quinn said. "I hope these students' creativity and hard work will inspire children throughout the Land of Lincoln to learn more about the people, history and culture of Central America."
The model city of Tenochtitlan was one of 100 service learning projects completed last year in the Lt. Governor's Cesar Chavez Serve and Learn Program. This innovative program, administered in conjunction with the Illinois State Board of Education, combines academic instruction and community service projects to teach children the importance of service to others.
The Tenochtitlan project was led by Alejandro Ferrer, McKinley Park Elementary School's cultural awareness teacher, with the support of school principal, Frances García.. As part of their intensive study of the Aztec empire, students worked with teachers, parents and other adults to create the 20-by-30 foot historically accurate model of the city as it stood in the year 1519, when Spaniard Hernan Cortes first arrived in Mexico.
The model, crafted from wood, plaster and clay, shows Tenochtitlan's elaborate system of canals and chinampas, the artificial islands of arable land that supplied the capital city's central market - the largest in the world. The model also depicts Emperor Moctezuma's zoo, believed to be the world's first.
While the scope of the project allowed the students to present a wealth of historic detail, the massive size of the finished model made it difficult to display. The model city was first unveiled in a lively ceremony at McKinley Park School's gymnasium, where it stood for a week. The miniature Tenochtitlan was also on display for a week in March in the rotunda of the James R. Thompson Center.
Since then, the model city has been stored in the school's unused third floor while Quinn has sought a suitable venue to bring the students' painstaking recreation to a wider audience.
"It was very sad that such a huge and beautiful project ended up on the third floor of our building," Ferrer said. "We wanted to share it with others."
The students' wish to share their work with others came true this fall, when the Newberry Library graciously agreed to present the model city in conjunction with its extensive exhibit of maps, books, and other historic documents of the Aztec civilization.
"We are delighted to host this remarkable reconstruction of Tenochtitlan," said James Grossman, vice president for research and education at the Newberry. "This partnership with the students, parents, and teachers at McKinley Elementary School enriches our current exhibit on colonial Mexico, and we hope visitors will return to the Library to continue to read and reflect on this rich history and culture."
The Newberry Library's exhibit has won widespread praise for the beauty and historic value of the 60-plus items on display, which include some of the most spectacular illustrated sources from Colonial Mexico.
One highlight of the exhibit is the first map of Tenochtitlan to be printed in Europe, showing the city as it stood in 1524. The exhibit also includes early colonial accounts of Mexican history, culture and language.
The exhibit, "The Aztecs and the Making of Colonial Mexico," will be on display through Jan. 13 at the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., Chicago. Admission to the Newberry Library's first-floor exhibits is free and open to all ages. The Library's reading rooms are open to visitors who are at least 16 years old or high school juniors.
For more information on the Cesar Chavez Serve and Learn Program, please visit the program website at www.serveandlearn.org. For further information on the Newberry Library and its collections, please visit www.newberry.org.