Year 8 History : Societies and Civilisations of the Past -Group A- Rome

Unit Outline / Unit duration
Students will learn about the society and culture of the Roman Civilization. They will learn about the origins, daily life of citizens, government of the society. They will also discover the legacies left behind by the Civilization. / 10 weeks (15 lessons)
Big ideas/key concepts / Why does this learning matter?
This section addresses the Deep knowledge element of the quality teaching model.
The key concepts I want students to learn are that:
· The Roman Empire left behind several legacies.
· The Roman Empire was influential culture for many years.
· The Roman Empire had contact with other cultures.
· / This section addresses the Significance dimension of the Quality Teaching model – in particular focusing on connectedness, knowledge integration and cultural knowledge elements.
The learning matters because:
·  It will give the students the History skills they will require to undertake further Historical study.
·  The Roman Civilization left us with a lot of important legacies and it is important for the students to have an understanding of how our culture has been influenced by Ancient cultures.
Place in scope & sequence/Building the field / Target outcomes
4.1 describes and explains the nature of history, the main features
of past societies and periods and their legacy
4.5 identifies the meaning, purpose and context of historical
sources
4.8 locates, selects and organises relevant information from a
number of sources, including ICT, to conduct basic historical
research
4.10 selects and uses appropriate oral, written and other forms,
including ICT, to communicate effectively about the past
ELLA Improvement target areas / SNAP Improvement target areas / ICT target areas / Assessment / Resources
Outline areas targeted from school ELLA data that will be explicitly integrated into this unit / Outline areas targeted from school SNAP data that will be explicitly integrated into this unit / Outline areas of ICT targeted from the syllabus content and the CSA10 competencies / Indicate key assessments and opportunities for assessment for learning and focusing on the Quality Teaching model element of Deep Understanding / List resources required for the unit
Outcomes: / Learning Experiences / Evidence of Learning / Resources / Quality Teaching / Reg/ date
4.8
4.10 / Lesson 1:
Teacher Talk: Explain that this term, students will be learning about the Empire that used to burn people to death, feed prisoners to wild animals and invented crucifixion, the way that Jesus Christ was killed.
Teacher asks class if anyone knows which Empire did those things. Explain that the Empire is the Ancient Roman Empire and that Gladiators are also an invention of the ancient Roman Empire.
As class complete the following chart on Butchers paper to display in the room. (students copy into books):
What I Know / What I Want to Know / What I’ve Learned.
Students to copy following notes:
Rome began as a small village built by a tribe called the Latins. In less than 500 years, the Romans had created an Empire that stretched as far as England and encompassed much of Europe and Northern Africa. The Roman Empire had as much power and influence in its time as the USA has today.
Map work: As class, locate Italy on a world map. Class discussion about its location in relation to other modern countries, such as Spain, France and the African continent so that the students understand the region that the Roman Empire began in.
Students then label a map of Italy with Rome, Etruria, Mediterranean sea, Sicily, the Tiber River and Latium, using the map on p68 of History Zone 1 as a reference. / Class participa-tion
Finished map / Butcher’s paper
Textas.
Large world map.
History Zone1 / Engagement
Background knowledge
Knowledge integration
Students’ self-regulation
4.8
4.10 / Lesson 2:
Teacher Talk: Explain that there were two legends about the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Teacher reads the legends from page 80-81 RETROactive 1. Ask the class which name appears in both legends and ask how the legends explain Rome’s name.
Students choose one of the legends and illustrate it.
Copying notes:
The Real Beginnings of the Roman Empire
By 700 BC, there were already two advanced civilisations in Italy.
·  The Greeks in Southern Italy and Sicily
·  The Etruscans in the north of Italy.
The Etruscans had come to Italy by sea and live north of the Tiber river. They were a clever people. They were advanced in architecture, and had created an alphabet, which has influenced our alphabet.
They invaded the village of Rome and made it into a large and important city. By 550 BC the Etruscans were the most powerful people in Italy.
The people of Rome and the Latin tribes around Rome combined to fight against the Etruscans. In 509 BC, the Romans won the battle for freedom. The also were able to conquer some Etruscan land and began to expand their rule.
Timeline: As a class, a timeline is created on butchers paper showing the events discussed in previous notes. / Response to question.
Participa-tion in timeline creation / RETROactive 1
Chalk/whiteboard markers
Butchers paper textas / Engagement
Narrative
Higher order thinking
Social support
4.1, 4.8
4.10 / Lesson 3: Note taking
A Roman Town
Towns were made up of networks of streets and blocks. These blocks, called insulae, contained houses, shops, workshops and bars. Some - often in the middle of the town – were reserved for splendid public buildings.
At the centre of the town there was usually a forum, or market place, where people assembled to conduct business and gossip. Next to the forum was the basilica or town hall, dedicated to the old Roman Gods. Other temples around the town were dedicated to a variety of gods. Bath-houses were another type of building important in the lives of the town-dwellers.
Most Roman towns were smaller than modern cities, with populations ranging from just a few thousand people to perhaps 20-30 000. Only the great trading cities and capitals of the Empire were bigger than this: Rome itself was home to a million or more.
Group work Town plan drawing: Students draw an aerial view of a typical Roman town including all the features discussed in the notes previous.
Class discussion: students view picture of Roman Villa and explain that is how rich Roman’s lived. Ask students what they can see in the picture. Show the students the picture of the Roman street and read “Houses of the Poor.”
Compare and contrast table: As a class do a compare and contrast table about the two types of housing.
Ext: students write a diary entry from the perspective of a Roman house keeper. / Student’s drawings
Student participa-tion
Diary entry / Chalk/whiteboard markers
Paper, markers / Social support
Engagement
Higher order thinking
4.1, 4.8 / Lesson 4:
Flow chart: Teacher draws the following flow chart on the board, students to copy it into their books:
The Roman family
Father
The head of the family, the boss of everyone, including slaves.
Mother
Looked after the children and the house. Considered a “Matron” if obedient to her husband and could influence her husband and sons in important decisions.
Children
Boys: were educated and taught to be loyal, proud and brave.
Girls: Taught household duties by their mothers.
The children of slaves had to work as soon as they were old enough children from most free Roman families also had to do chores to help their families.
Cloze Exercise: Students work in pairs or individually to complete “The Life of Roman Women” cloze passage.
Class discussion: What is school like now?
Make a table that looks like this:
School now / Roman school
Ask students to volunteer what subjects they do now, put in the “Now” column, as they volunteer those, explain what children did in Roman times, and list those in the Roman column. Repeat process with the following: Number of children in class, where school is held, who has to go to school, what time school starts and what punishment is given to students who do the wrong thing.
Diary writing: Students write a day in the life of a Roman student. Must include the following: Subjects, what the teacher is like, getting punished, hours,
favourite part of the day, worse part of the day. / Completed cloze passage
Student participa-tion
Diary entries / Whiteboard marker/chalk
Cloze exercise attached / Engagement
Student self direction
Back-
ground knowledge
Explicit Quality Criteria
4.5
4.8 / 5 Venn diagram:
What and how the
Romans ate.
What and how
we eat now
The diagram is completed as a class with students supplying the “now” content and the teacher supplying the Roman content (see p 90 Retroactive 1)
Source observation:
Students look at the statue on page 90 Retroactive 1. ]
Ask what kind of source it is? Primary or secondary?
Ask the class what we can learn about Roman dress from the statue?
Independent writing: Students write a description of the clothing worn by Roman men based on the statue.
As a class, read Roman Fashions on page 90 Retroactive 1. Make sure that students understand that
The clothing depicted on the statue is formal attire and would only be worn on special occasions.
Reading: Class reads “The Daily Bath” p 91 Retroactive 1.
Students either:
Write a letter telling their friend about going to the bathhouse and what they saw there, what they did and who they saw.
OR
Draw a floor-plan of a bathhouse according to the description
Ext: Students create a menu of food for a day in the life of a typical Roman. / Completed venn diagram.
Student responses
Letters by students
Floor plan
Menu / Chalk/whiteboard markers
Retroactive 1. / Connectedness
Metalanguage
4.1
4.8 / 6 Notes for the board:
Students copy from the board the first paragraph of page 84, Retroactive 1.
Students then read p 72 (History Zone 1): Government in Rome. To define the following terms:
-Patricians
-Plebians
-Tribunes
As a class, “Poor citizens of Rome” is read
Memory recall:
Students in groups remember and list as many points as possible form the text
and “Patricians and other Wealthy Romans” (p73, History Zone 1) is read, the same process in followed.
Whole class then shares their points to fill in the following.
Compare and contrast table:
The life and rights of Rich Romans / The life and rights of the poor.
/ Definitions
Student participation and lists
The complete table / Chalk/whiteboard markers
Retroactive 1.
History Zone 1 / Deep knowledge
Social support
4.8
4.10 / 7 Reading as class: “The Plight of the Slaves (P74, History Zone 1)
Students then write a diary entry form the perspective of a Roman slave.
Teacher explanation: Explain that Gladiators were slaves.
Gladiators: Class reads though the handout “Types of Gladiators” attached. Uses the information to decide which type of Gladiator is depicted at the top of the handout.
Class reads Case study on pp 74-75 of History Zone 1
As a class, create a timeline of the events leading up to the revolt on butchers paper, complete with illustrations depicting the action discussed in the text. / Diary entries
Student responses
Completed time line / History Zone 1
Types of Gladiators handout
Butcher’s paper, textas. / Engagement H.O.T
H.O.T
Social support
4.8
4.10 / 8 The Roman Army DVD viewing and accompanying activity. / Student response to questions / Roman Army DVD / Engagement
4.1
4.8
4.10 / 9 As a class, read p108 Retroactive 1.
Students then choose the God/Goddess of their choice and create a poster depicting their chosen goddess.
Pair work: Students work in pairs and view source 4.7.1 (p108 Retro active) and answer the following questions:
Is this sculpture a primary or secondary source?
What does the sculpture depict?
How many things can you learn about ancient Rome by
looking at this sculpture. Make a list.
In groups, read source 4.7.2 and list all the things that Roman thought the god Mars could do for them.
As a class, read Religious influences on the Romans.
As it is being read, the teacher lists on the board the various Religions and their origins.
Map work: Students work in pairs to locate the origins of the Religions and record the religions on the world map.
Teacher explanation: this shows the variety of different cultures that the Romans came into contact with, and that Christianity became the religion of Rome, and that for a thousand years, the head of the Christian Church was the Pope who still resides in Rome today. / Picture of God/ goddess
Answers
Construct ed lists
Completed maps / Retroactive 1
Paper
Colour pencils
Textas
Atlases
A world map for each student. / H.O.T
Student self direction
Social support
Knowledge integration.
4.8
4.10 / 10 Internet work: Julius Caesar
Students work in pairs to locate information on the internet and create a PowerPoint presentation about Julius Caesar.
They must create slides showing:
A timeline showing major events of his life
A picture of Caesar
A speech by Caesar
A list of the changes he made in Rome
A picture of his lover, (the woman who bore his son, Caesarion.) and an explanation of where she came from. / Completed PowerPoint presentation / Computer room / Engagement
4.8
4.10 / 11 Notes for the board:
Rome after Caesar
After Caesar was assassinated, there was almost twenty years of civil war between two sides that each hoped to have control of Rome. These sides were led by: Octavian, who was Caesar’s adopted son, supported by Rome and the Western provinces, and – Mark Antony, who was supported by the east and who had spoken out against Caesar’s assassins.
Marc Antony fell in love with Cleopatra (the Queen of Egypt and Caesar’s ex), had three kids with her and the two hatched a plot to divide Rome’s Eastern provinces between Caesar’s children and Marc Antony’s children.
However, Octavian declared war on Marc Antony and won in 31 BC. Marc Antony committed suicide when he heard rumours that Cleopatra was dead. Later, Cleopatra committed suicide to avoid being caught by the Romans.