Unit Theme/Focus

ROME / CHRISTIANITY

Grade Level

9th

Duration (days/weeks)

(Suggested quarter or time of year best taught in)

Second Quarter November-December;

Third Quarter February-April

Narrative Description

The unit covers ancient Rome from its foundations under the Etruscans (c. 800 BC) until the Fall of the Western Empire in 476 AD.

It also covers Christianity from the life of Christ until the establishment of orthodoxy in the 5^th century AD.

Focus Questions/

Essential Learnings

(What are the overarching goals of the unit?)

Students will be able to discuss:

1. Roman unification of Italy.
2. The Punic Wars.
3. Roman military affairs.
4. The Breakdown of the Republic.
5. The Empire.
6. Judaea in the first century AD.
7. The idea of the Messiah.
8. The ministry of Christ.
9. Death, Resurrection and Promise of return.
10. The spread of Christianity.
11. Persecution.
12. Constantine.
13. The Council of Nicaea.
14. The Fall of the Western Empire.

Student Learning Outcomes

(What do we want the students to know?)

(knowledge area)

1. The reasons how the little city on the Tiber conquered first Italy and then the world.
2. What brought this government to an end, and what are the lessons for the modern world.
3. The overriding importance of the army in   Roman politics and diplomacy.
4. The problem of leadership in the Empire.
5. A knowledge of the Caesars from Julius to Septimius Severus.
6. The influence of Rome on the modern world.
7. How Rome became Christianized.
8. Christian theology and orthodoxy.

Primary Concepts

(What do we want the students to understand?)

(higher level thinking outcomes)

1. The uses of primary source material in discussing ancient Rome.
2. Why Rome and not Carthage?
3. The involvement of the military in domestic political affairs.
4. Roman use of pride in the search for excellence in public matters.
5. The use of the Gospels as primary source material.
6. Comparison of Jewish and Christian worldviews.

Skill Focus Objectives

(What do we want the students to do?)

(skills)

1. Historical analysis: to be able to analyze a piece of historical material and judge it on its merits as a reliable source.
2. Writing competence: To be able to organize and complete a competent and grammatical and reasoned essay.
3. Research: To be able to locate relevant pieces of historical writings whether through the Internet or at a library.
4. Chronology: To be able to place any historical event in its proper time.

Primary Assessments

(What assessments and evidence are necessary to assess student understanding?)

1. Essay Writing: Most exams and quizzes are in essay form.
2. Chronological Quizzes: They are to measure the student’s awareness of when an event occurred.
3. Standardized exams: They are used to broaden the range of assessments outside of chronology and essay writing.

Language Implications/

Linguistic Focus

(What are the linguistic and cultural implications of the language in this unit? What strategies will assist in making this language accessible?)

1. Most students are reasonably competent in English. A wide variety of assessment strategies can reach these students as well as those not so capable in English.

Technology Connections/

Integration

1. Internet use is required for the course to find outside information as well as to locate primary sources.

Interdisciplinary Connections

(Links to other subjects)

1. All essay writing is subject to spelling, grammar and content corrections common to English usage.
2. There are many references to historical events in literature that we use in class Polybius, Livy, the Old Testament, and the New Testament.

Primary Resources/Materials

1. The Pageant of World History, Gerald Leinwand, 1990
2. The Old Testament.
3. The New Testament.
4. Livy
5. Tacitus
6. Suetonius
7. Polybius

Teacher Reflections

(Sample activities or tasks that have proven useful and successful)

1. Use primary sources and ask students to locate them on the Internet.
2. Concentrate on writing and writing and writing!
3. Allow a wide field for discussion in class.
4. Teach both with the text and outside of the text.