CHW 3M – Battle of the Roman Emperors

The end of Rome is near!

We will be done our unit on Wednesday just in time for our trip to the ROM, and next week we will have a test (mark this in your calendars – MONDAY!!) For now we are still exploring the new era of the Roman Empire. Today we will look at five emperors who reigned during the first century of the Empire – Augustus, Caligula, Claudius, Nero and Vespasian. Let’s do things differently though.

It’s time for the Battle of Rome’s Emperors. One group has been designated as judges for today’s event, and they will decide whether an emperor should be allowed to enter the HALL OF GREATNESS!   This is how today is going to look:

The first half of the class you will do the following: in your group you will be given a biography of a certain emperor. Pick one person who will act as the emperor and plead his case. The rest of your group will act as lawyers for the emperor. Spend the next 30 minutes reading over the handout provided and come up with the main points that you think will help build a case for yourself. Remember your goal is to enter the hall of greatness. What makes someone great? What contributions did you provide for Rome and its citizens?

There’s a catch: One person in your group is going to argue against you, bringing up the negatives and reasons why you should not be allowed to enter. You must take these into consideration as you build your case. How will you counteract these allegations against you?

For the second half, each emperor will have the chance to plead his case to the judges with their lawyers by their side. After each round, the judges will take a minute to come to a mutual decision and we will find out whether you have made it into the Hall of Greatness or not!

Time permitting: Spend the last ten minutes with your partner for the Gladiator Games, discussing any details before the big day tomorrow. You will have 10-15 minutes to set up tomorrow and prepare what you are going to say. I can’t wait!