Daily Life in Ancient Rome
NCSS Content Standards:
1a. Compare similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures meet human needs and concerns.
1c. Explain and give examples of how language, literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture.
5a. Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as role, status, and social class in describing the interactions of individuals and social groups.
Patrician and Plebeian Way of Life
Like most cultures, the rich and the poor live drastically different lifestyles. In Ancient Rome, the patricians were the wealthy people of society that enjoyed the big houses which included roman baths, mosaics and morals. Patricians also enjoyed leisure time which included siestas, theater and free time with families. However, the majority of Romans were far less fortunate and were known as the Plebeians. Read the article below comparing and contrasting the groups and complete the Venn Diagram.
Now that you have learned about the rich and poor of Rome, the link below allows you to create a mural or a mosaic in a Patrician's house.
Decorate the house of the Roman elite
The following link is a virtual field trip that takes you on a tour of a Roman Villa. Tour it and get an even better idea of how the Romans lived.
Life as a Gladiator
Contrary to what some may believe, life as a Roman gladiator was not always full of glory. Gladiators fought for their lives for the entertainment of others. Below are links to information about the different types of gladiators and when their event was at its peak popularity. Read the links to gather general knowledge about these people. The information on these links will help you complete a gladiator challenge.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/warriorchallenge/gladiators/profile.html
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/warriorchallenge/gladiators/time.html
Now that we have some knowledge about the ancient gladiators, lets explore where they fought. The Colosseum is one of the most famous arenas in the world and was the site to many gladiator battles, as well as, other forms of entertainment. Use the link below to explore the arena.
You are now educated on who the gladiators are, how they fought and where they fought. Use your knowledge to complete the gladiator game below.
Changing Role of Women
As the Roman Empire grew from a kingdom, to a republic, to an empire, the role of women changed as well. Below, is a reading about the role of women in each phase of Ancient Rome. Use the information from the reading to complete the Venn Diagram below.