To become familiar with political and social progress during the years of the Roman Republic.
1 class period
You can begin this lesson by reading with the class three introductory paragraphs about how the Roman Republic came to be.
Students will next see a chart illustrating how the government in the early years of the Roman Republic had three branches –– the consuls, the Senate, and the Assembly. Each branch and its various powers is shown. After reading through this information, class members will answer a series of Chart Questions, as well as several Thought Questions, which help develop critical thinking skills.
Thought Question Example:
Before 509 B.C., Rome was ruled by a king. Then, the city established the Roman Republic with power divided among three branches of government. Why do you think the Romans preferred having a republic instead of a government ruled by a king?
The lesson concludes with the playing of THE GLADIATORS GAME! After reading a few paragraphs of background information about gladiators, volunteers from class will take part in make-believe duels.
Play begins with one gladiator matched against another. The teacher will ask a question about the Roman Republic (provided in the Teacher Instructions). The two combatants will look for answers on their lesson sheets. The first one to answer correctly wins the duel. The other person is “dead” on the Colosseum floor, and is out of the game. The winners of the round one duels will then be matched against each other in a second round. There will be more rounds until only one gladiator remains alive.
Easy-to-follow Teacher Instructions and answer key included.