Year Seven History Module: The Roman Empire. Duration September- December
Created by D Moorhouse
Roman Empire.
Aims and Objectives of this Module: To provide all pupils with knowledge and Understanding of life in Roman Times and of the influence of the Roman Empire on the Modern World. In particular the module makes reference to issues which WILL be related to the concept of citizenship. The module aims also to increase the pupils interest in and awareness of history.
Policy Statements.
Homework: Teachers following this program of study are reminded that homework is expected to be set each week. All pupils are to receive and complete this homework. The completion of the tasks should be recorded by the teacher on a class record sheet. The nature of the homework task is not always specified within this module. Where tasks are not stated the pupils can be provided with worksheets, a task related to the work completed within class of the teachers own design or research based. Finishing off tasks are not suitable unless the lesson was taught specifically with this in mind.
ICT: The module makes specific references to the use of ICT facilities should they be available to the teacher. Early booking of the schools ICT facilities are highly recommended. (At least one month in advance is advised).
Literacy/ Numeracy: History can clearly make use of Literacy strategies and teachers are expected to make use of Guided reading and writing techniques where possible. Pupils are also expected through this module to develop their vocabulary and teachers should concentrate specifically on developing the pupils understanding of key Historical terms where they are introduced and/ or revised. Any use of numerical data should be dealt with through Mathematical terms and indicators of change over time ought to be done taking this into account.
Citizenship: Teachers are asked to make specific comparisons between Roman political systems and our own form of democracy. They should develop an awareness amongst pupils of the benefits of being a ‘citizen’ in ancient Rome over being a gentile.
Teaching Guide
Becoming an empire.
Independent Learning Outcomes.
Pupils should understand the meaning of the word empire.
Pupils should be taught how the empire grew over a long period of time.
Pupils should understand some of the reasons why Rome expanded into an empire.
The story of Romulus and Remus.
All Groups. Read through the story of Romulus and Remus. Discuss the story in terms of its historical content and evaluate whether or not the story can be trusted in terms of historical accuracy. Revise the concept of a legend and ask how this story might have come about.
Extension/ Upper Core groups. Use the story sheet to design a cartoon of the story using their own labels and illustrations to recount the story. This work could be completed on A4 plain for display work. (spend two lessons on this). Homework sheet on the story to be completed by all extension/ core groups.
Lower core/ foundation.
Sequence pictures illustrating the story and stick them onto A4 in this sequence. The pupils then need to write a brief caption underneath each one to demonstrate their understanding.
Homework sheet available.
The Growth of Rome.
Use text book to establish a series of reasons why Rome grew from being a small town into a city. Ask pupils to suggest reasons for this growth as you work through this. Create a spider diagram of the reasons on the board.
Extension Pupils. Use the text book and reference materials to investigate the reasons for Rome’s initial growth. They are to create a series of informative paragraphs explaining each of the main points on the spider diagram. Pupils should be guided in terms of the detail they include and with relation to the method in which they explain things. Demand substantiation of points.
Core Pupils. Follow the prompt sheet to arrive at conclusions as to the reasons for the growth of Rome. Pupils should be encouraged to expand on their answers. One group within the class should work with the teacher to investigate the reasons in depth (using Guided Reading/ Writing techniques). This group should be given access to extension group texts which will be dissected as a group and used to substantiate their reasons.
Foundation Pupils. If at all possible the foundation group should be stretched onto the core task here.
From Kings to Emperors.
There is some cross over here with the content of lessons on power in the Roman Empire.
Study Augustus using the Text Book (The Roman Empire) and the differentiated worksheets. Discuss what a king and an Emperor are. Pupils to write the definitions of these words into their books. Then complete tasks on what an empire is and the change to Empire.
Provide all classes with a map of Europe. They are then to identify areas of Europe that were within the roman Empire at certain stages of its existence (i.e. Stage 1 Rome itself, stage 2 Italy, Stage 3 the Balkans and Greece, Stage 4 France (Gaul) Stage 5 the near east, Stage 6 Britain). Pupils identify these stages using the text book and information sheets to work out what the sequence of conquests was.
These stages can be found through searches on the Grolier Encyclopedia or the Internet.
Expansion.
This section is essentially a look at the Roman Army. Pupils
need to be familiar with the structure of the army and the success of it.
Use The text books and structured questions to provide a background to
research completed using Grolier, the Internet and Video. (There are a
variety of different resources available here. Also make use of the
artefacts where applicable swords etc.…).
Assessment: The success of the Roman Army. Knowledge/ Understanding.
People and life in the Roman empire.
Independent Learning Outcome
Pupils should have knowledge of the different types of people in the
Empire. Pupils should be able to ask and answer questions about people
in the Empire. Pupils should understand where the information comes
from.
Who held power?
Create a timeline with class of the change from Kingdom to republic to principate. Add the names of major personalities and events to the timeline to demonstrate the significance of these events. Look at Rome as a Kingdom and discuss the role that different people had.
Extension pupils are to make notes on the pro’s and cons of this system. Who gained from it who lost out because of it? At the end of the lesson have a 5 minute debate on the issue of the Kingdom, splitting the class into two groups (i.e. the people who benefited and those who did not). Homework. Pupils to use the notes to write an explanation of the reasons why the Monarchy would not last in Rome.
Core and Foundation groups. Read through the section on the Republic. Discuss who held power, how the system worked and make a note of who didn’t hold power in the Roman republic. Complete tasksheet.
Second lesson. Read through the section on the Republic. Discuss the differences between the Kingdom and the Republic and then the differences between the republic and the Principate. Pupils in extension groups to complete tasks that seek to establish how things changed and why they changed in detail using source material from the text books to support their answers.
Core. Use guide to make notes on the changes. Pupils should be able to find evidence of change to insert into the different columns on the sheet. To extend ask the class to write a paragraph explaining each of these changes. This should then be completed at home.
Foundation. Provide a selection of statements about Rome. The pupils are then to put these into the correct column (i.e. was this a feature of the roman Kingdom, republic or Principate?)
The lives of the poor.
Discuss with the class what the lifestyle of the poor might have been like in Roman times. Identify any areas where the pupils have misconceptions and dismiss these.
Use the picture pack to illustrate what the homes of the poor would have been like in Roman times. Ask the pupils to use the pictures to form an opinion of life was like (written down). Then present them with further source material. Discuss this and see if the pupils have changed their opinions at all. Debate the quality of the evidence that the pupils have been given, attempting to draw the class into evaluating the source material offered. Pupils to answer a series of questions on the evidence, with Enquiry being the focus rather than the content.
Lesson 2. Pupils to complete task sheet on the Lives of the poor in Roman times. This should be completed at home.
Differentiated for extension, Core and Foundation.
The lifestyle of the wealthy.
Again discuss the pre-conceptions of the pupils prior to looking at the facts. Investigate with the pupils what the rich and powerful in Ancient Rome would have lived like. Start by identifying the roles that they would have had within the community. (i.e. they would have been senators, merchants or farmers). Search the evidence for information on the types of housing and household that they would have had, what they would have done for entertainment etc.
Use of Grolier is possible here as a research tool.
Pupils to make notes on the lifestyles of the rich.
In the second lesson the pupils (extension). Then debate the differences between the lifestyles of the rich and the poor. Pupils are to then write about the differences between the rich and the poor.
Extension groups to be encouraged to write independently. They should be looking to not only compare the rich and the poor but to also make the assertion that there were major differences between the different professions (i.e. the Emperor was rich, but then so was a merchant… they had totally different lifestyles….)
Core groups. Should use a prompt sheet to answer the same question. Again the teacher could make use of guided Reading and Writing strategies here to develop the pupils writing techniques.
Foundation group. Provide pupils with a series of statements about life in the past. Pupils then place the statements alongside the
How did people entertain themselves in Roman Times?
Where available use the Grolier Encyclopedia’s and the Internet to research Roman entertainment. Focus on Gladiators. This would involve revision of searching techniques on the Internet and CD ROM’s.
Extension groups. Are to use the class text books and other available texts to research different forms of entertainment in Roman Times. The focus should be on Gladiators and the construction of large Amphitheaters throughout the empire. (Provide pictures of the Coliseum.). To extend then ask them to compare this with modern forms of stadia and entertainment’s. Can the class find any other forms of entertainment from Roman times? Pupils write a report on Roman Entertainment based upon this research.
Core. As extension but the teacher ought to provide more prompts as to the location and quality of evidence.
Foundation. Provide pupils with information on Entertainment in Roman times. Discuss the notion of Gladiators. Are they familiar with the term? (refer to the TV program as a modern day equivalent). Pupils are to create an information sheet on Gladiators using the information provided. It should include details of the venue, who the gladiators were, how they trained and how they fought. For the more able within this group extend by providing information on the ‘Lions’ den… this needs to be done carefully to make clear the link with the moral issue of persecution.
The Roman Invasion.
Independent Learning Outcome
Meaning of the word province. Pupils should understand how the
Romans effected the lives of the people whose countries they invaded.
They should know and understand the term Romanisation. Pupils should
be taught reasons why there was rebellion by the Iceni.
Why did the Romans Invade?
Look at a map of Europe at the time of the first Roman invasion. Mark on the map the provinces of the Roman Empire. Identify reasons why the Romans might be interested in the British Isles. Make a note of these as a class.
Extension groups. Read through the transparency on the reasons for the Roman Invasion as a class. Establish the meaning of the key points and ask what particular words and phrases mean.
Split into small groups and look closely at supporting evidence relating to the invasion of the British Isles. Pupils are to make notes on the reasons for the invasion of England.
Second lesson: Create a writing frame as a class on the reasons for the Invasion of Britain by the Romans. Use source material to extend the pupils and encourage developed reasoning.
Homework: Write the essay.
Core Groups: Essentially the same tasks. Provide pupils with examples on the writing frame and where appropriate provide definitions of phrases for the pupils. Instead of working in groups the task could be more specific using a structured series of questions designed to push pupils into evaluating the source.
Foundation: Look at the map and identify main countries and provinces on it. Again ask for reasons why the Romans might have wanted to invade England. Read through a shortened version (and simplified) of the source material. Discuss this in depth.
Pupils then place information into the correct places on the writing frame. These should be double checked as a class. Pupils are to attempt the writing of a short piece of work using the writing frame to support them.