Ancient Civilizations – 6th grade Curriculum
Unit: Rome - Government
Day 68-72 - Pacing Guide 5/2003
VSC Standards: Political Science 1.A.1.a – Identify forms of government and various
distributions of power, PS 1.2.a: Identify the roots of democratic principles, such as
Roman Republicanism, PS 1.B.1.b: Examine the role of citizens in Roman Republic/Empire,
PS 1.C.1.a: Describe the importance of citizenship in ancient Rome, PS 1.C.2.a: Explain
how the Roman Republic and the rule of the Senate affected individuals and groups,
Peoples of the Nations and World 2.A.1.c: Compare the advantages and disadvantages of
direct democracy and representative governments in early world history.
Technology Connections:
https://www.windhamsd.org/projects/AncientGreeceWebQuest.htm
http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webunits/greecerome/index.html
Concept: The United States concept of government has its roots in the Roman
Republic.
Text: A Message of Ancient Days, p. 406-409, worksheets: Roman Republican
Government: Separation of Powers, Concept of Citizenship Chart
Student Outcomes:
 Students will understand the connection/influence of the United States
government to the government of ancient Rome – while exploring the concept
of rights, citizenship and the necessity and purpose of government.
 Students will participate in a problem-solving simulation to evaluate the
positions taken by the Roman Empire.
Purpose
Activity
Time
Anticipatory Set
Focus Question: How was the United States
5 min.
 Communicate
government influenced by the ancient Roman
Outcomes
Republic?
Teacher says: By the conclusion of this class – we
will be able to understand how the United States
government was influenced by the Roman Republic.
Analyze Pledge of Allegiance – allegiance (allies)
definition of republic, and liberty and justice for
all (for the common good, individual rights?)
Introduce new
concept(s), content or
Teacher introduces the new vocabulary
words by using the students to demonstrate
25 min.
K. de Barros/MRMS/Revised 6/2005
skills




Lecture
Reading
Simulation
Guided Practice
with teacher
input
Making Connections
 Activate Prior
Knowledge
the inequalities of early Rome.
Teacher demonstrates this inequality by having
the students move into separate groups as
follows:
1. The population of ancient Rome was
composed of two main groups: citizens and
slaves.
2. There were three groups of citizens:
Patricians, Plebeians and Women. All lefthanded students stand on one side of the
room. You are Patricians, since you had to
be born into this group. The rest of the
boys are Plebeians. All girls sit down. The
Patricians made the laws and were the
judges for many years until the Plebeians
rebelled. The Patrician group gets to
choose a treat for the class (a fun activity
or a snack for everyone else.) Have the
small group select.
3. Discuss how and why the Plebeians gained
power (protests), the addition of Tribunes
(Plebeians in the government) who had veto
power over the Patricians in the senate.
4. Students pair into groups in a ThinkPair-Share cooperative group strategy.
In pairs, they will use the Cornell NoteTaking form to gain information about the
Roman Republic on pages 406-409 in their
text, A Message of Ancient Days. They are
to note the important information in the
text and write down any questions they
have with the information. Teacher tells
the students to pay particular attention to
the words in bold making sure they know
the definitions.
5. Teacher answers any question on the left
side of the Cornell Notes.
1. Teacher hands out the “Separation of
Powers” worksheet and has students
highlight information that illustrates a
connection between the Roman government
15 min.
K. de Barros/MRMS/Revised 6/2005
Application of
Knowledge
 Simulation
 Problem
Solving
Assessment of
Proficiency and
Closure:
 Relevance to
outcome
 Relevance to
past and future
learning
system and ours today.
2. Teacher introduces the concept of
citizenship and together the class
completes the “Citizenship” chart
examining the concept of rights and
responsibilities inherent in citizenship from
all the types of governments we have
studied: from monarchies to democracy.
Teacher accesses prior knowledge as a class
discussion ensues on the necessity and
purpose of government – a common theme
throughout this study of ancient civilizations.
Simulation - Student Group Problem Solving:
Teacher says – Now that you have the background
knowledge, you will play the role of a Roman
senator and solve actual problems that ancient
Rome faced.
Students are placed in eight groups. They will
complete the problem solving form for their
problem and help the ancient Romans with actual
problems they struggled with.
Student groups will report their solution, and the
teacher shares what the Romans actually did to
solve the problem. Teacher writes eight problems
and distributes them to groups. Suggestions are:
government problems with who has the vote,
problem with two consuls vetoing each other,
problems with slaves doing the work and putting
Romans out of work, issues with conquered people
not being Roman citizens and having a vote, issues
with marriage between social classes, etc.
BCR: Students answer the focus question, “How
was the United States Government influenced by
the Roman Republic?” Students are reminded to
support their answers with details from the
information in this lesson, especially using their
charts.
20 min.
20 min.
K. de Barros/MRMS/Revised 6/2005
Rome: Democracy or Republic?
Athens was a city-state where all men who were citizens could
vote for their leaders, laws and act as jurors. This is called direct
democracy.
Rome was different because male citizens elected representatives
(Consuls, Senators, Tribunes, Citizen Assemblies) who ran the
government, made the laws and elected the Praetors who were judges.
These people “represented” the wishes of the people in a system called
a republic. So the people did not directly vote for what they wanted.
What is the difference between a democracy and a republic?
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Athens was a direct democracy which means ____________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
U.S. is a representative democracy which means ________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
U.S. is also a republic which means ___________________________
_______________________________________________________
U.S. Government was influenced by ___________________________
________________________________________________________
K. de Barros/MRMS/Revised 6/2005
Concept of Citizenship: Ancient Rome and Today
Type of rule
People
Power
Loyalty
Monarchy
subject
Unlimited for king
To king
Greek
Democracy
citizen
Direct voting –
control over laws
To citystate
Roman
Republic
United States
citizen
citizen
Representative
voting – indirect
control over laws
To Roman
Republic
Representative
voting – indirect
control over laws
To the
United
States
(country)
Voting
Rights
none
Male
citizens
only
Responsibilities


Loyalty to king
Provide soldiers

Loyalty to citystate
Paying taxes
Serve in
military for 2
years


Male
citizens
only

Male &
female
citizens





Loyalty to
Republic
Pay taxes
Exercising right
to vote
Loyalty to US
Pay taxes
Register for
draft
Benefits
protection




Protection
Able to vote
Able to make
laws
Hold office
Protection
Able to vote
for
representatives
who make the
laws
 Hold office
Same as above in
Roman Republic
Plus – Bill of Rights
including freedom of
speech, press


K. de Barros/MRMS/2004
The Roman Republican System of Government
Separation of Powers of the Three Branches of Government
Concepts:

Checks & Balances: Three branches of government check and balance each other
thereby making sure that no one branch becomes more powerful than the other
two

Republic – government where citizens elect leaders who run the country
Executive Branch – 2 Consuls
 Commander in Chief during war
 Preside over Senate
 Supreme Judges when needed
 Veto power over each other

Hold position for one year
Legislative Branch – Senate (300), Tribunes (10)
 Can make laws
 Can declare war
 Ratify peace treaties
 Senators chosen for life
 Tribunes – veto power over Senate
 Assembly of Tribes (elected Tribunes)
 Assembly of Centuries (elected Consuls and
Praetors)
Judicial Branch - Praetors
 Interprets the law
 Conducted trials
 Two years
K. de Barros/MRMS/2004