Ancient Rome Unit Plan Name: Laura Johnson Unit Overview This unit will focus on Ancient Rome, the rise of the Roman Republic, the transition of that republic to an empire, and the fall of that empire. This will be taught in a World History I class to mostly 9 th grade students. Some of the major themes found in this unit will include the change in governments to fit the culture and major players of that country. Another major theme will be the large cultural impact left by the Ancient Romans on Western Europe. This unit will consist of a lot of group work and map work to help students interact with the material instead of being lectured at. There will be some short lectures to provide basic knowledge and to summarize what they gathered in their group work. Rationale The main rationale for the selected content was based on my personal objectives as well as the Standards of Learning (SOL) objectives. They were structured by category such as geography, culture, wars, change in government, fall of the empire, etc. By separating the topics this way, the students are able to delve into a topic over more time and be able to understand its relationship to other topics under that same category. Geography is the first topic in every unit so that students will know where in the world there are studying as well as this unit s relation to the previous units and future units. I like students to have a wide range of activities during a class not only to keep them from getting bored, but also to give them a chance to show off their strengths. The students have shown that they understand the content a lot more when they have to use it to make a map or some other form of presentation instead of simply writing the material. There is a lot of group work and mini-presentations in this unit to help draw out the quieter students as well as getting the students to engage with the material in a more authentic way. Goals and Essential questions How do people recover from dramatic societal changes? What is the role of religion in society and politics? When is an empire too large? Why do empires fall? When are expansionist policies effective? Objectives 1.The students be able to describe the impact of Ancient Rome on Western Civilization. 2. Students will be able to compare and contrast the different societal levels. 3. Compare and contrast the Roman mythology and religion with Greek mythology 4. Students will be able to explain the cultural impacts on later generations 5. Students will be able to explain the impact of Roman Expansion, military domination, and why it occurred. 6. Students will be able to describe the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the causes of it 7.Students will be able to read and interpret maps for geographical features and events
Standards SOL Objectives: WHI.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient Rome from about 700 b.c. to 500 a.d. in terms of its impact on Western civilization by a) assessing the influence of geography on Roman economic, social, and political development; b) describing Roman mythology and religion; c) explaining the social structure and role of slavery, significance of citizenship, and the development of democratic features in the government of the Roman Republic; d) sequencing events leading to Roman military domination of the Mediterranean basin and Western Europe and the spread of Roman culture in these areas; e) assessing the impact of military conquests on the army, economy, and social structure of Rome; f) assessing the roles of Julius and Augustus Caesar in the collapse of the Republic and the rise of imperial monarchs; g) explaining the economic, social, and political impact of the Pax Romana; h) describing the origin, beliefs, traditions, customs, and spread of Christianity; i) explaining the development and significance of the Church in the late Roman Empire; j) listing contributions in art and architecture, technology and science, medicine, literature and history, language, religious institutions, and law; k) citing the reasons for the decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire. NCSS Standards: I. Culture: This unit will focus on the start and development of Roman culture through the interactions of different groups IV. Individual Development and Identity: This unit will show the development of a Roman identity and the forces that shaped its people. VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: This unit will study the change of a country from a republic to an empire and the development of the authority figures such as emperors and the triumvirate. Outline of Content (Items underlined represent my personal objectives; highlighted items represent the Standards of Learning objectives) I. Rise of the Republic A. Italian Peninsula: Geography- Why is this a good location? How does it affect Roman culture? (personal objective 7 SOL 1.6 A) B. Early Peoples (personal objectives 2) a. Indo Europeans b. Etruscans C. Rise of Rome a. Etruscan Rule b. Social Groups i. Patricians ii. Republic iii. Plebeians (Personal objective 2, SOL 1. 6 C) c. Roman Republic i. Consuls
ii. Dictator D. Plebeians vs. Patricians (personal objective 2) a. Plebian Victories i. Tribunes b. Twelve Tables E. Family/ Home life II. Wars (personal objective 5, SOL 1.6 D, E) A. Roman Legions B. Rome vs. Carthage a. First Punic War i. Indemnity b. Second Punic War c. Third Punic War i. Why did Carthage fall? III. Republic to Empire A. Republic in Crisis a. Rich, Poor, Slavery, and Women b. Reformers and generals- Gracchus and Gracchus c. Crowding in the cities B. Julius Caesar a. Caesar s Military Campaigns (personal objective 5, SOL 1.6 D, E) b. Caesar as absolute ruler (SOL 1. 6 F) i. triumvirate c. Caesar s death C. End of the Republic D. The Roman Empire- The first Emperors a. Augustus Caesar (SOL. 1.6 F) b. Julio- Claudian Emperors c. The Good Emperors E. Roman Rule a. Imperial Government b. The Law (personal objective 1 and 4) c. Imperial Army IV. Roman Civilization (personal objective 4, SOL 1.6 J) a. The Empire s economy b. Life during Pax Romana (SOL 1.6 G) c. Public Amusements d. Architecture, Engineering, and Science (personal objective 1 and 4) i. Aqueduct e. Roman Education f. Language and Literature (personal objective 1 and 4) V. Religion a. Rise of Christianity i. Sect b. Judaism and the Empire i. Messiah c. Jesus of Nazareth i. Disciplines
d. Spread of Christianity (SOL 1.6 H) e. Persecution and Competition i. Martyrs f. Roman Gods and Goddesses/ Mythology (personal objective 3 and 4, SOL 1.6 B) g. Romans Adopt Christianity- Constantine (personal objective 1 and 4, SOL 1.6 I) h. The Early Church i. Teachings of Augustine ii. Church Structure 1. Bishop 2. Patriarchs 3. Pope VI. The Fall of the Roman Empire (personal goal 6, SOL 1.6 K) a. The Empire s Problems i. Political instability ii. Economic Decline 1. Inflation b. Unsuccessful Reform i. Diocletian ii. Constantine iii. Theodosius c. Barbarian Invasions i. Warrior groups ii. Visigoths iii. The Huns d. End of the Western Empire Assessments and Evaluations Students will be assessed in multiple ways. Formative assessment will be taken through chapter notes; exit tickets; quick writes (15-20 minute free writes on a topic); a quiz on Rome s geography, the rise of Rome, and the transition of a Roman Republic to a Roman Empire; a project on cultural aspects of Ancient Rome; a 1 page review of either Julius or Augustus Caesar; and the summative assessment will take place as a cumulative test -Chapter notes (must be done before class), exit tickets, and class notes will be assessed as part of the participation grade and will be graded based on completeness. -Quick writes and the one page review will be averaged and count as a quiz grade -The quiz and project on cultural aspects will each count as a quiz grade - The summative test will count as a test grade Materials and Resources -See Excel Table Titled Ancient Rome Calendar Unit calendar See Excel Table Titled Ancient Rome Calendar Daily Lesson Plans- See Excel Table Titled Ancient Rome Calendar
Differentiation There are many different teaching styles being used to emphasize the same topic. Any movie will have structured to help students focus on key points. Students will often have a choice in how they wish to present the material to show me their knowledge of a topic. I am a believer that there should be many assessments throughout a unit to track student learning as well as allow students who may not succeed at tests or quizzes show their knowledge through quick writes or hands on projects. There is a lot of groups would simply because it allows different people take positions that best fit their disposition. By changing the sizes of the groups it also forces quiet people to talk more when they are in partners rather than in larger groups. By keeping the students actively engaged by creating different ways of presenting the information, I hope that students with different skills and content knowledge will be able to succeed. Accommodations (same as above for students with IEP s). One student will need a copy of all notes and lectures. A few students will need more time on assignments and they will receive extra time on homework. One student s progress will need to be checked on a daily basis to make sure they have not missed an assignment; if it has, it must be reported to their mother.