Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 9-10
Curriculum Focus: Ancient History
Lesson Duration: Two class periods
Program Description
Rome’s Conquests (31 min.)—Traces the path and battles of Roman legions in their quest to conquer
the world. Peter the Great (3 min.)—Looks at how this Russian leader brought Western influence and
power to his struggling nation. Rise of Nationalism (6 min.)—Examines how ideas replaced wars in
Russia’s battle against its oppressive czars. Communism & the Soviet Union (5 min.)—Shows the fall of
czarist Russia and the birth of the first communist state.
Onscreen Questions
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How did Rome expand its empire?
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What problems did Rome face by expanding?
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How can ideas expand a country’s power?
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How can ideas conquer regimes?
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Examine a map of the Roman Empire at its height.
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Learn about important rulers who led Rome’s expansion.
Materials
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
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Internet access
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Classroom map
Procedures
1. After watching the video, tell students that this video featured Rome’s expansions during two
periods of history: the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Explain that unlike the
Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
2
republic, the empire was a dictatorship in which one man, the emperor, ruled. At its height, the
Roman Empire stretched north to Britain and south to Egypt. Show students the map at
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/romanempiremaplarge.jpg. Compare it
with a current world map and ask students to name the continents and other modern-day
countries that are included in Rome’s territory.
2. Explain that although most of Rome’s expansion took place during the empire, important
conquests also took place during the republic. Ask students to name Rome’s biggest rival
during the republic. (Carthage) What were the wars with Carthage called? (The Punic Wars)
Name some groups that the Roman army fought during the empire. (Jews, Germans, Goths,
Franks, Persians, Parthians, and Visigoths)
3. Tell the class that many figures helped expand Rome’s borders. As a class, discuss leaders
mentioned in the video and briefly explain the role each had in Rome’s expansion:
•
Scipio: Defeated Hannibal, the military leader of Carthage, in the Punic Wars
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Gaius Marius: Made the Roman military professional, so people joined the army as a career;
the army was well trained, with the best equipment; soldiers became more loyal to the
general than to the state.
•
Julius Caesar: Fought against the Gauls, conquering more and more land, and eventually
took control of Rome.
•
Emperor Augustus: Rome’s first emperor; added Egypt, but slowed growth of the Roman
Empire.
•
Emperor Claudius: Conquered Britain
•
Emperor Trajan: Last emperor to conquer new lands
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Emperor Hadrian: Pulled back the Roman army and built large fortifications, including a
wall in Britain (later known as Hadrian’s Wall).
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Emperor Valerian: Fought against the Persians to the east; taken prisoner and forced to
negotiate with Persian king Shahpur.
4. Ask students to choose one figure above or another Roman general or emperor and write facts
about the ruler in the form of an obituary, a short biography, a news article, or a letter or journal
entry written in the first person. All forms of writing should include this information:
•
Name
•
Years in power
•
Role (general, dictator, emperor)
•
Impact on Roman expansion (lands conquered or protected)
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Other significant events or important facts about his rule
5. Provide students with print and online resources. The following Web sites provide a good
starting point:
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
•
Illustrated History of the Roman Empire
http://www.roman-empire.net/index.html
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A Visual Compendium of Roman Emperors
http://www.roman-emperors.com/
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An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors
http://www.roman-emperors.org/
3
6. Have students exchange their written pieces with those who covered different rulers. Hold a
class discussion about the rulers’ similarities and differences. Which ones conquered the most
land? Which ones worked to contain the empire instead of expanding it? Who would they
consider the most successful leaders of ancient Rome, and why?
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students were active in class discussions; essays reflected a strong understanding of
their selected leader and included most the requested information.
•
2 points: Students participated in class discussions; essays reflected a satisfactory
understanding of their selected leader and included most the requested information.
•
1 point: Students did not participate in class discussions; essays reflected a weak understanding
of their selected leader and included little or none of the requested information.
Vocabulary
barbarian
Definition: The Roman word for people without a written language
Context: The Roman legions were weakened by barbarian attacks on the empire’s frontiers.
Bolsheviks
Definition: A revolutionary party in Russia made up of radical socialists
Context: Vladimir Lenin led the Bolsheviks, promising the Russian people “peace, land, and
bread.”
czar
Definition: A king, or ruler, in Russia before 1917
Context: When Peter the Great became czar of Russia, he inherited a country that was isolated
from the Western world.
empire
Definition: A large territory governed by a single authority, such as an emperor
Context: Rome established one of the largest and most powerful empires in history.
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
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Legion
Definition: The main unit of the ancient Rome’s army
Context: Each legion consisted of 3,000 to 6,000 soldiers.
Academic Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL's Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit
http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
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Historical Understanding—Understands and knows how to analyze chronological
relationships and patterns
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World History: Across the Eras—Understands long-term changes and recurring patterns in
world history
•
Language Arts: Viewing—Uses a range of strategies to interpret visual media
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
NCSS has developed national guidelines for teaching social studies. To become a member of NCSS, or
to view the standards online, go to http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/
This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards:
•
Culture
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Time, Continuity, and Change
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Power, Authority, and Governance
Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
5
DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by using
a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause button is
included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into two parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail icons.
Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief descriptions
and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the remote
for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read the accompanying text
description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV remote
or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. Rome’s Conquests (32 min.)
Rome’s powerful military conquered lands as far north as Britain and as far south as the Sahara
Desert. Take a closer look at the expansion of the Roman Empire.
II. Peter the Great (3 min.)
Crowned czar of Russia as a child, Peter overcame early obstacles to westernize his country and
build the city of St. Petersburg. Learn about the contributions of this celebrated ruler.
III. Rise of Nationalism (7 min.)
For many centuries czarist Russia was divided into two classes—serfs and masters. Examine
nationalism in czarist Russia and see how this empire was forced to embrace reform.
IV. Communism and the Soviet Union (5 min.)
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
World War I was a major factor in the end of czarist Russia. Explore the changes in Russia both
during and after the great and terrible war.
Curriculum Units
1. The Early Years
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why do people serve in the military?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Do you think expansion was one of Rome’s goals?
A: Answers will vary.
2. The First Punic War
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some causes of war?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How did Rome defeat Carthage in the first Punic War?
A: When the war started Carthage was a great sea power, while Rome had never fought a battle at
sea. But a Carthaginian warship washed up on the Italian coast gave the Romans a chance to copy
the ship and create its own navy. After 23 years of fighting, Carthage was defeated.
3. A Promise of Revenge
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you think is more important in a war, manpower or military strategy?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How was Hannibal able to defeat Rome in the first part of the second Punic War?
A: During the early part of the war Rome’s military leaders were mostly political appointees with
little battlefield experience. Even though the Roman army was larger, Hannibal was able to use
military strategy to repeatedly defeat them.
4. A Clash of Rivals
Pre-viewing question
Q: How do you think a victorious nation should treat a defeated one following a war?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What were the crucial differences between Hannibal’s and Scipio’s armies in Tunisia?
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
7
A: Hannibal’s army used elephants, but Scipio drilled his troops in new tactics for dealing with the
animals. Scipio also had the support of thousands of local cavalry who defected from Hannibal’s
side.
5. A Professional Army
Pre-viewing question
Q: What dangers can result from having an army loyal to a general instead of a state?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How did Rome’s professional army differ from its earlier civilian army?
A: In the civilian army, men took time out of the normal lives to serve; in the professional army,
being a soldier became a career. The professional army was better trained and better equipped.
Marius also made sure veterans received a grant of land when they retired, making soldiers loyal to
their general.
6. Caesar’s Path to Power
Pre-viewing question
Q: How does a modern politician earn loyalty and power?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Why did Caesar set out to conquer Gaul?
A: It was a way for him to spotlight his qualities as a leader to the people in Rome.
7. Defending Rome
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is the difference between a republic and an empire?
A: In a republic power is held by the people and their elected representatives; an empire is a group
of territories ruled by a single head of state.
Post-viewing question
Q: How do you think Rome should have dealt with the Jewish uprising and others like it?
A: Answers will vary.
8. Barbarians and Legions
Pre-viewing question
Q: Do you think an empire can last forever?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Do you think there was a way Rome could have been saved? How?
A: Answers will vary.
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Civilizations: Expansion and Conquest: Teacher’s Guide
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9. A Czar for All Times
Pre-viewing question
Q: Who do you think were the greatest rulers in history, and why?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What were Peter the Great’s most outstanding achievements?
A: Peter is best known for bringing West European culture to Russia and for building the city of St.
Petersburg. He also established the Russian navy, built schools for Russian children, and added the
land around the Baltic Sea to his empire.
10. Oppressing the People
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are the benefits of having a common national identity rather than a mixture of cultural
identities?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Describe Czar Alexander III’s program of Russification.
A: It was an attempt to build a common national identity by persecuting minority groups. All
residents of the Russian empire had to speak Russian and belong to the Russian Orthodox Church.
11. Serfdom and Early Reforms
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are some examples of nationalism?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: Do you think the Russian Revolution would have occurred without the Bloody Sunday incident?
A: Answers will vary.
12. The Coming of the Bolsheviks
Pre-viewing question
Q: What do you know about the Vladimir Lenin?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: How did the February Revolt bring about the downfall of the Russian monarchy?
A: It was the last in a series of incidents that showed increasing opposition to the czar and his
government. When protestors took to the streets in 1917, soldiers joined them rather than fight
against them. With the government left unprotected, the czar was forced to step down.
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