Lesson 1 –
An Empire from the Remnants of
Others
Today’s Plan

Brainstorm “What We Know about Ancient Rome”

The Roman Empire video

What Do We Need to Learn?
What We Know…

What do you know or remember about Ancient Rome
 Think
about Movies
 Books
 Socials
7

Jot down the things you think of in your journal

Share with your partner

Rock Paper Scissors
The Roman Empire

By 117 C.E. the Roman Empire was
the biggest and strongest power in
the world

The Empire stretched through 3
continents

But how did it get so big? What was
so special about Roman society that
helped it become such a powerhouse?
How did they do it?

Watch the following video and jot down ideas that
support the following claim and any questions that are
left unanswered by the video.

Claim: Rome became a massive empire with advanced
technology because they were accepting of others,
learned from the past and worked collaboratively on
many of their projects

You should have at least 3 points for each column
Building an Empire

Share your Support points with your partner

Rock Paper Scissors

Share your Questions with your partner

What is it that we still don’t know?

Using your Questions as a base, write down some ideas on
what you think we need to know more about to be able to
support the claim
Lesson 2 –
Mapping An Empire
Today’s Plan

Create a map of Rome

Review Goals and Criteria for maps

It is due next class
Visualizing an Empire

To be able to understand how huge the Roman Empire
was, we need to create a visual to help us

By making a map, we can see how many countries from
today were part of the Empire at one point, and how
much of an influence Rome had on the world

What is the criteria for a map?
Mapping an Empire

You are going to create a map of the Roman Empire at
the height of their power

The map is based on 117 C.E.

Remember to follow the necessities of a map, like we
learned in our previous unit

Title, Legend, Compass Rose, Countries, Cities, Bodies
of Water

You will have access to an Atlas and a laptop
Lesson 3 –
The Great Wonders of Rome
Today’s Plan

Roman Wonders Jigsaw example

Watch Roman Wonder video clip with your group

Teach others about your Wonder

Class vote: Which Wonder was most significant?
The Wonders of Rome

You will be assigned to 1 of 5 groups

You will…

Be assigned a Wonder of Rome

Watch your video clip

Fill out your graphic organizer for your Wonder with your
group

You will then teach your Wonder’s significance to 4 others

You will fill out your entire G.O. by listening to other
teachers discuss their Wonders
Example: Circus Maximus
We will watch this first video clip together and fill out the
graphic organizer as a class
 Create a shoe size line
 You now have 15 minutes to complete your task with your
group using one laptop
 Remember to…


Go to my website – www.mrcassidygms.weebly.com

Watch your video clip

Fill out your graphic organizer for your Wonder with your
group
Teach Your Wonder

Now you will teach your Roman Wonder to another group
of students

You will fill out the other graphic organizer sections while
others teach you their Wonder

Pick the Wonder you think was the most significant

You will hand in your graphic organizer as your Exit Ticket
Lesson 4 –
Daily Life in the Roman Empire
Today’s Plan

Graffiti

Daily Life of a Teenager

Where would you live?

The Life of Women

The Life of a Soldier
Graffiti Notes

The paper that is sitting in front of you is meant to be
used to jot down your ideas, doodle, or graffiti (as long as
it connects with what we are talking about)

At the end of this unit, you will be creating Roman Era
Graffiti, using an idea or complaint that would come from
either a teenager, a woman, or a soldier.

Use this paper to create your ideas as you go through this
lesson
The Life of a Teenager

In your life, what are your biggest concerns? What do you
care about?


Think/Pair/Share
How different do you think life was almost 2000 years
ago?
The Life of Lucius

Create a T-chart in your journal with the headings
Similarities and Differences

Watch this video about Lucius, a 17 year old boy who
lived in Rome in 73 C.E.

As you watch, write down the similarities and differences
between a teenager’s life now and one back then
Where Would You Live?

What are some major similarities and differences
between ancient Roman culture and the culture of the
average teenager today?


Do you think you would have enjoyed life in ancient
Rome? Why or why not?


Think/Pair/Share
Vote with Your Feet (You Need a Reason)
3 Minute Write – Do you think you would have enjoyed life in
ancient Rome? Why or why not?
Imagine a Time…

Imagine a time when there was world peace.

How do you think this came about?
During the 1st and 2nd Century, there was something called
the Pax Romana, or Roman Peace
 Rome’s military was so powerful that all the groups
around it stopped fighting, even each other.
 Rome’s civilization advanced quickly and was able to
establish a strong government with a law system to
support their citizens.
 The problem was that if you were a slave, a non-Roman,
or a woman, you weren’t covered by the law

Imagine a Time…

Imagine a time when women couldn’t vote.

How do you think the lack of female voters would impact
how a country was governed?

Women would have fewer rights.

Women would be excluded from discussions, jobs, etc.

Women would feel like their opinions didn’t matter, or
maybe even that they didn’t matter.
Comparing Cultures

Create a T-Chart in your journal and label the columns
Similarities and Differences

Read this short page about the rights of women in the
Roman Empire

Fill out your T-Chart with ideas comparing the similarities
and differences of Roman Culture and Today’s Culture.

How would these ideas be different if women could vote
in Roman Society?
What is going on in this picture?
 Who?
 What?
 When?
 Where?
 Why?
 How?
The First Suffragists?!

The Suffrage Movement was the push for
women to be able to vote

Even though women were considered equal
to men in the Canadian constitution, they
were not allowed to vote

Suffragists were people who protested to
help women get the vote

Read this story about Hortensia of Rome and
answer the following question

Was Hortensia of Rome the first Suffragist?
Suffragist?

Was Hortensia of Rome a
Suffragist?

Why or why not?

Two direct quotes supporting
your point!
The Life of a Soldier

The Roman Empire was built on the strength of the
Roman Legions

But what was life like for the average soldier in the
Roman Army?

Watch this video and come up with a list of skills and
characteristics a soldier would have needed in the Roman
Empire
The Impact of Battle
Why were Roman soldiers such good warriors?
 Why did the barbarians of the Scottish Isles burn
their villages and kill their families as they
retreated?
 What kind of impact do you think it would have on
a person to see people kill their own families rather
than be put in the hands of that person?
 What is PTSD?

 Do
you think any of these soldiers dealt with it?
Daily Life

Watch this video and write down the biggest concerns a
Roman soldier had while living in a garrison

What are the problems a young soldier faces while living
on the edge of the Roman Empire?

How different are these concerns to the ones soldiers
face today?
Vices & Punishments

What do you think these soldiers did with their free time
when they were very far from their homes?

Roman Commanders had to keep their men occupied or
they would find the men occupying themselves with
alcohol, gambling, and “actresses”

But, there were repurcussions for disobeying your
commander, even on the edge of the empire

Watch this short video
Could You Survive?

The life of a Roman soldier was not an easy one.

5 Minute Write – In a paragraph, answer the following
question

Do you think you would have made a good Roman soldier?
Why or why not? (minimum 3 reasons)
Lesson 5 –
Ancient Graffiti
Roman Graffiti

Graffiti has been around for thousands of years.
Since people could draw or write, they have been
doing it on walls.

The Roman Empire was no different, and, because
the population was so literate, there was a fair
amount of it

Graffiti was found perfectly preserved under ashes
in the city of Pompeii
Graffiti in Pompeii
Graffiti in Pompeii

In the vestibule of the House of Cuspius Pansa - The finances officer of the
emperor Nero says this food is poison

Wood-Working Shop of Potitus - What a lot of tricks you use to deceive,
innkeeper. You sell water but drink unmixed wine.

In the basilica - Let everyone one in love come and see. I want to break
Venus’ ribs with clubs and cripple the goddess’ loins. If she can strike
through my soft chest, then why can’t I smash her head with a club?

Atrium of a House of the Large Brothel - Blondie has taught me to hate
dark-haired girls. I shall hat (hate) them, if I can, but I wouldn’t mind
loving them. Pompeian Venus Fisica wrote this.

House of the Vibii, Merchants - Atimetus got me pregnant

House of Pascius Hermes - To the one defecating here. Beware of the
curse. If you look down on this curse, may you have an angry Jupiter for
an enemy.
People Have Been Complaining for
Millennia

Graffiti has often been created to vent anger,
about love, work, friendship, money.

Your job is to create a piece of graffiti that would
have been created by one of the citizens of Ancient
Rome

You can either embody a Roman teenager, woman,
or soldier
Your Assignment

You will create a creative, but school appropriate,
piece of graffiti from Ancient Rome on a single
piece of paper

You will then write a lengthy paragraph (minimum
6 sentences) defending your graffiti
 Tell
the reader why your graffiti is a strong
representation of the way that person was treated
during the Roman Empire

Due next class.