Rome Lesson Plan 3 Religion in Politics and Daily Life

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					                 Rome Lesson Plan 3: Religion in Politics and Daily Life


In this lesson, students will examine various aspects of religion in ancient Rome
including the role of mythology, polytheism versus. monotheism, the treatment of Jews
and Christians, and the spread of Christianity. To guide their learning, students will
complete a Reading Guide based on the content from the companion Web site and
work in small groups to create projects that teach others about various aspects of
religious life in ancient Rome. A final discussion about the separation of church and
state in today’s modern governments will tie what has been learned to present day

Subject Areas:

World History, Social Studies, Religion, Mythology, and Communication Arts

Grade Level: 6-12

Lesson Objectives:

Students will:

1. View three video clips and analyze what they have seen and learned about religion
   in ancient Rome as they participate in class discussion activities.
2. Complete a Reading Guide, part of this lesson plan, using primary source material
   available from The Roman Empire in the First Century Web site.
3. Check their Reading Guide for accuracy as questions are reviewed as part of a class
4. Work in small groups to research a specific topic related to religion in ancient Rome
   and create a project that can be used to inform others about what they have learned.
5. Make a ten-minute presentation with their group about their assigned topic and
   answer questions from classmates regarding this topic.
6. Participate in a closing discussion or written response activity where they make
   comparisons between ancient Rome and today’s modern governments and the role
   of religion in these governments.

Relevant National Standards:

McRel Compendium of K-12 Standards Addressed:

World History

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Standard 9: Understands how major religious and large-scale empires arose in the
Mediterranean Basin, China, and Indian from 500 BCE to 300 CE.
Standard 11: Understands major global trends from 1000 BCE to 300 CE.

Historical Understanding
Standard 2: Understands the historical perspective.

Language Arts
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes.

informational texts.

Listening and Speaking
Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.


Thinking and Reasoning
Standard 1: Understands the basic principles of presenting an argument.
and differences.

Working with Others
Standard 1: Contributes to the overall effort of a group.
Standard 4: Displays effective interpersonal communication skills.

Estimated Time:
This should take three 90-minute class periods or five to six 50-minute class periods,
plus additional time for extension activities.

Materials Needed:

•   Video clips necessary to complete the lesson plan are available on The Roman
    Empire in the First Century Web site
    []. If you wish to purchase a copy of
    the program, visit the PBS Shop for Teachers [Purchase DVD or Video].
•   Reading Guide [Download PDF here (148k)], part of this lesson plan.

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•   Internet access for completing the Reading Guide and conducting required project
•   Assorted art and craft supplies (optional).
•   Access to word processing and multimedia presentation software such as Power
    Point (optional).

1. To spark student interest, begin class by playing the following video clips and
   discussing each one using questions like these listed:

    •   Episode 1: Disasters Strike
         In what ways was it helpful for a Roman emperor to proclaim himself a god or
            an heir to a god?
         How was religion used to explain the natural disasters that affected the
    •   Episode 2: Jesus’ Message
         Why were people such as Jews and Christians persecuted by the Romans?
         Why were religious leaders like Jesus considered politically subversive by
            Roman leaders?
    •   Episode 3: Rome Burns
         How were people with unpopular religious beliefs shunned and persecuted?
         Even though they risked persecution, why were so many people willing to
            accept the teachings of Christianity?

2. After discussing each of the clips, spend time talking about each of the following
   topics as it related to the religion of the Roman Empire:

    •   How was religion used by emperors/the state to control the majority of the
    •   Why were the people of that time so easily influenced by religion?
    •   What is the difference between monotheism (one god) and polytheism (many
    •   The ancient Romans practiced cult worship in that they accurately observed and
        followed religious rituals to please the gods rather than having good moral
        conduct. How is this different from the beliefs of many modern day religions?
    •   In the U.S. and in many countries around the world, we separate church and
        state issues so that political and lawmaking decisions are not based on religious
        beliefs, but on the rights guaranteed by the constitution. Why do you think the
        leaders of the Roman Empire and many other ancient civilizations chose to keep

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       a strong connection between the church and the government, often placing
       priests and church leaders in positions of great power?

3. Explain to students that their next step is to learn more about the power of religion
   during the Roman Empire by reading about three main topics: Roman Mythology,
   Jews in Roman Times, and the Early Christians. Students will examine the role of
   these three very different religions in the daily lives of the Romans as well as how
   these religions affected the politics of Rome. Distribute the Reading Guide
   [Download PDF here (148k)] and assign students to work in pairs to complete the
   activities on the guide. Provide class time and Internet access for students to use the
   Web site links to find answers to their questions.

4. When all students have completed the Reading Guide, take time to discuss the
   questions on the reading guide as a class.

5. After reviewing the Reading Guide questions, have each group of students randomly
   select a topic to present more information about. The topics and related assignments
   are listed below. Please note that based on class size, you may have to assign the
   same topic and related assignment to more than one group. Most assignments are
   broad enough to allow for multiple groups to complete the same project.

   •   Roman Mythology: Create a listing of the major gods and goddesses in Roman
       mythology. Describe the similarities and differences between the mythological
       Roman Gods and Greek gods and mythology. Create a graphic organizer that
       illustrates these similarities and differences for your classmates.
   •   Roman Mythology: Using at least one of the major Roman gods or goddesses,
       write a myth that explains an unknown that still puzzles the scientists of today.
       Be sure the myth contains all of the key elements of a story (plot, setting,
       characterization, etc.) and follows a format similar to traditional Roman myths.
       Be prepared to share your story with the class.
   •   Religion in the Roman Home: Roman households believed in household and
       family spirits and often made dinnertime offerings to those spirits. Design a
       larium (shrine) similar to one that would have been present in a Roman home
       and make a model or high quality color drawing of what this shrine might look
       like. Be prepared to share your work with classmates and explain it to them.
   •   Religious Holidays and Observances: The ancient Romans had many
       religious festivals and celebrations. Learn about one, such as Festival of the
       Crossroads, and create a display or demonstration that illustrates some of the
       important aspects of the festival/celebration and explains its religious
   •   Jews in Roman Times: Jews were protected by law and allowed to worship
       freely in the Roman Empire, but many Romans disliked the Jews because of
       their religious beliefs. Learn about how the rebellion in Judea changed the

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       Jewish religion to change forever. Summarize the story of this rebellion and the
       changes that resulted from it by creating a multi-media presentation using
       software such as Power Point to tell the story of the rebellion, its key historical
       figures, and the changes that resulted from this historical event. The presentation
       should include pictures/photos along with a clear explanation of the story.
   •   Early Christians: Jesus brought a message of hope to the masses of poor
       people in the Roman Empire. Discuss what Jesus told those he preached to and
       why the Roman leaders/government felt he should be condemned to death. Use
       a flowchart or timeline of events to describe Jesus work, how the Romans made
       a martyr out of Jesus, and how these events caused the growth of Christianity.
       Be prepared to explain this chain of events to your classmates.
   •   Early Christians: Learn about Paul and his significant contributions to the
       spread of Christianity. Using a large map, chart the areas where Paul traveled
       and preached. Make note of major events in his life by marking them clearly on
       the map with specific signs or symbols. Give your classmates a brief explanation
       of each significant event.

6. Provide groups with time in class to organize and begin work on their projects.
   Encourage students to use The Roman Empire in the First Century Web site at
   [], particularly the Religion feature
   [] and its subtopics as they
   work on these projects.

7. When projects have been completed, provide each group with ten minutes to present
   the project they have created (according to the guidelines specified on the project
   list). Encourage students to ask questions about the projects and what the groups
   learned while conducting their research.

8. When all projects have been presented, display them in the classroom or another
   area of the school for others to see. To connect the learning, ask students to
   respond in writing or through a class discussion to questions such as the following:

   •   Why do you think most of the governments in today’s world rely less on religious
       influences than they have in the past?
   •   Think of governments in today’s world who still have close ties between
       government and religion. Discuss which countries these are, where they are
       located in the world, and why they continue to maintain close ties between
       religion and government.
   •   What are the advantages to separating church and state? The disadvantages?

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Assessment Suggestions:

1. Students could earn participation grades for class discussion activities.
2. An accuracy or completion grade could be given for the Reading Guide.
3. A scoring guide, peer evaluation, or self evaluation could be used to assess each
   group’s project and ten-minute presentation. Encourage students to work as a class
   to develop the scoring guide, peer evaluation form, or self evaluation form based on
   the project guidelines.
4. If procedure number eight is completed as a written response activity, a completion
   or accuracy grade could be assigned.

Extension Activities:

1. Have students invent a new god or goddess that could have been part of religion
   during the Roman Empire. Explain what the god/goddess represents, describe
   his/her qualities and characteristics, and create drawing or model of the image or
   statue that is representative of this god. Then create a myth where this god/goddess
   is the central character.

2. Compare the mythology of the Romans to that of other ancient cultures such as the
   Greeks or Egyptians. Using a Venn Diagram or other form of graphic organizer,
   illustrate the similarities and differences between the role of mythology and the
   mythological gods and goddesses of each culture.

Related Resources:

The Roman Religion section []
of the Roman Empire site [] has detailed information about
all aspects of Roman religion during the first century.

The Ancient Rome and Religion section
of the History Learning Web site [] offers a simple
explanation of some of the gods and goddesses worshipped by the Romans. There is
also a list of the most important gods/goddesses and what they represented. The site
also includes information about home alters and shrines for the gods.

Odyssey Online [] has basic
information about gods and goddesses, religion at home, and foreign gods.

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