Ancient Rome - The Empire - Trajan

Life in the Roman Empire: The Patricians by Katherine Hinds (primary sources)
Life in the Roman Empire: The City by Katherine Hinds
Rome in Spectacular Cross-Section by Stephen Biesty

Discussion:
Domitian - Nerva - Trajan (line of succession and adoption)
Military achievements
Public works (market, forum, column)
Welfare and infrastructure projects

Activity:
Add Trajan to the Emperor Evaluation sheet
Draw your own Column, putting yourself on the top as a statue

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Gladiators

Gladiators Battling in the Arena by Katherine Frew
A Roman Gladiator by Don Nardo
The Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann

Discussion:
Participants: slaves, criminals, prisoners of war
Ludi - training programs
Types of gladiators and events

Activity:
Correctly outfit our Playmobil Colosseum gladiators with the right trappings for their type of event.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Colosseum and Circus Maximus

Roman Amphitheaters by Don Nardo
The Roman Colosseum by Elizabeth Mann
Rome in Spectacular Cross-Section by Stephen Biesty

Discussion:
Structure and purpose of the Colosseum/Circus Maximus
When/how the Colosseum was built
Naming the Colosseum (for the statue, not the amphitheater's size)
Events at Colosseum vs. Circus Maximus

Activity:
At last, our Playmobil Colosseum set is used for its intended purpose.  Let the games begin!

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Mt. Vesuvius

Investigating the Past: Pompeii and Herculaneum

Bodies from the Ash by James M. Deem

Discussion:
Pompeii - location, geography, proximity to Vesuvius
Archaeological excavations
Beliefs about volcanos
Herculaneum - difference in experiencing the volcano

Activity:
Make a model of Vesuvius, Pompeii, and Herculaneum.  Destroy!

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Claudius and Nero

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Contributions of Claudius
Why was Nero such a bad emperor?  Has he been misjudged, or was he really that bad?

Activity:
Add the two emperors studied to the Emperor Chart

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Tiberius and Caligula

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
What makes a good ruler?
Advantages of having an emperor vs. having a republic
Disadvantages of having an emperor

Activity:
Add the two emperors studied to the Emperor Chart

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Vergil, Horace, Ovid

The Ancient Romans by Allison Lassieur
Selections from Ovid, Vergil, and Horace
(Opening of the Metamorphoses, Opening of Aeneid, In Praise of My Father from Satires)

Discussion:
Purpose of poetry in Rome
Important topics poets discussed
Poets' relationship with government (Ovid's exile)

Activity:
Listen to the Aeneid in Latin; attempt to find the meter.

Ancient Rome - The Empire - Octavian

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Octavian - accomplishments
The Empire vs. The Republic (systems of government comparison)

Activity:
Make an Emperors comparison chart (Name, Year of Death and Cause, Contributions, Grade).  Add Octavian

Ancient Rome - The Republic - Review

The student should be able to identify the following:

• Adriatic Sea
• Tiber River
• Italy
• Rome
• Tyrrhenian Sea
• Sicily
• Sardinia
• Corsica
• Spain
• Gaul
• The Alps
• The Pyrenees
• Rubicon River
• Appian Mountains
• The Po River

The student should be familiar with the following figures and stories:

• The Aeneid
• Romulus and Remus
• The Sabine Women
• The Lares
• Hannibal
• Pyrrhus
• The Gracchi Brothers
• Crassus
• Pompey
• Julius Caesar
• Cleopatra
• Mark Anthony

The student should be able to answer the following questions:

• Why are Roman gods similar to Greek gods?
• Name two gods the Romans had that the Greeks did not.
• Who were the Vestal Virgins?  Why were they important?
• Explain the Roman system of government under the Republic.
• Who were patricians?  Who were plebians?  
• Explain the structure of the Roman army.  
• Name five people or groups who fought Rome and nearly won.
• What was the Conflict of Orders?
• Who was Spartacus? Why is he important? 
• What were some causes of the Social Wars?
• Why did Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus band together as the First Triumvirate?  Why did it break up?
• Why did Mark Anthony and Cleopatra fight Octavian?
• What were some things Octavian did as Emperor?

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Second Triumvirate

"The Man Who Looked Like Hercules" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Queen Cleopatra by Tom Stressguth
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Second Triumvirate - Octavian, Lepidus, Antony
Battle of Actium
Octavian as Emperor - why he won and Caesar didn't

Activity:
Re-enact the Battle of Actium
Crown Octavian Emperor

Ancient Rome - Late Repulic - Julius Caesar

"Caesar and His Fortune" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Julius Caesar and the Roman Republic by Miriam Greenblatt
The Library of Alexandria by Kelly Trumble and Robina MacIntyre Marshall

Discussion:
Life of Caesar
The first emperor
Assassination

Activity:
Playmobil reenactment of Caesar crossing the Rubicon, asking to be dictator, assassination

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - First Triumvirate

"The Conqueror of Pirates" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Pompey, Caesar, Crassus
Crossing the Rubicon

Activity:
Map study - where were the members of the First Triumvirate stationed?
Narration: Life of Pompey

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Cleopatra

Queen Cleopatra by Tom Streisguth

Discussion:
Review of Egypt - geography, monarchy, religion
Alexander the Great and the Ptolemies
Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII

Activity:
Mapping Egypt
Picture Study - Ptolemaic Egypt - compare to Old, Middle, New Kingdom art/imagery

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Slave Revolt

"The Man Who Loved Gold" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Spartacus
Crassus

Activity:
Narration - Spartacus vs. Crassus

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Social Wars

"The Red General" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans

Discussion:
Social Wars - expansion, wealth, land reform

Activity:
Rich kid, poor kid - distribute toys unevenly to children.  Give child with all the toys all the power.  See what happens.

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Gracchi Brothers, Cicero

"Two Noble Brothers" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
"Tully" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson
Julius Caesar and the Roman Republic by Miriam Greenblatt

Discussion:
The Gracchi vs. the Senate
Land reform - why does it matter?
Cicero and the Cataline conspiracy

Activity:
Make a map of a fake country.  Divide the land up among playmobil people.  Explain what the Gracchi wanted to do.

Ancient Rome - Late Republic - Geography

"The General Who Ate Dry Bread," from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Rome's expansion throughout the Hellenistic world
Review of places already studied

Activity:
Mapping the Late Republic
Narration: Life of Gaius Marius

Ancient Rome - The Republic - Military - Punic Wars

Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson
Review of the Aeneid, retold in Roman Myths by Geraldine McCaughrean and Emma Chichester Clark
"A Roman Undismayed" from The Children's Plutarch: Tales of the Romans by Frederick James Gould, William Dean Howells, and Walter Crane

Discussion:
Legend vs. Reality of Aeneas and Dido
Review of Hannibal

Activity:
Reenact the Punic Wars

Ancient Rome - The Republic - Pyrrhus and the Pyrrhic Wars

Plutarch's Lives, Volume II: "Life of Pyrrhus"

Discussion:
Review of cultures and geography - Greece, Macedonia, Sicily, etc
Understanding disparate power struggles - non-unified kingdoms
Meaning of "Pyrrhic victory"

Activity:
Trace Pyrrhus' route on a map; reenact Pyrrhic Wars

Ancient Rome - The Republic - Military - Roads and Forts

A Roman Fort by Fiona Macdonald and Gerald Wood
Tools of the Ancient Romans by Rachel Dickinson

Discussion:
Road-building - why?
Parts of a fort, people who work there

Activity:
Build a model Roman fort