I really enjoyed Ancient Rome when we went through it the first time. You can see the back posts on Rome here for Part One and here for Part Two. Here is a gallery of work from our first time through Ancient Rome.
This time, my second time through sixth grade, I tried to keep things to a streamlined flow as much as possible. There is much that could be included in a study of Roman History, and it is easy to get lost in it. Here is my general outline, with some ideas for student responses using the Eight Arts of Waldorf Education (drama, speech, movement, handwork, singing and musical instruments, painting, drawing, and modeling):
1.An Introduction to Rome and the idea of Rome as a Kingdom, a Republic, an Empire
Possibilities: Romulus and Remus (model a wolf’s head, drawing, painting); Numa Pompilius, Tarquinias Priscus and the first census; Roman life, review geography of Italy
Possible Student Responses: Modeling a wolf’s head for Romulus and Remus; Oral (Timeline could be a possibility, although I don’t see many Waldorf Schools making timelines until eighth grade – please do share if you have an experience surrounding this); create title page for Main Lesson Book if using one; painting or drawing seven hills of Rome; salt dough map of seven hills;
2. An Introduction to Roman Society – especially patricians and plebians, how the Romans ate, dressed, etc
Read Alouds: “Our Little Roman Cousins of Long Ago” free over at mainlesson.com
Possible Student Responses: Oral Recall, (making togas or other Roman clothing, making Roman sandals, making Roman meals, playing Roman games), comparison chart of plebians versus patricians
3. The Roman Republic – roads, aquaducts, life of the Roman soldier
Read Aloud: “A Roman Fort”, the book “City” by Maccauley
Possible Student Responses: (making a hodometer, diorama, drawings, making weaponry/masks/shields, making Roman road, making an aquaduct, ) first person account of Roman soldier training or building a fort; possible connection between Roman Republic and American government, values of the average Roman citizen
4. Hannibal and Scipio (possible student response: drawing, modeling, drama)
5. Slavery – Roman Colosseum-Spartacus (possible student response – writing, modeling the Colosseum, first person narrative of Spartacus)
6.Julius Caesar
Possible Student Responses: black and white drawing of Julius Caesar, learning lines from Shakespeare’s play, music was often played at funerals – could compose music for the funeral of Julius Caesar with lyre or singing
7.Augustus Caesar and the Golden Age of Rome (also Mark Antony and Cleopatra); Roman Calendar
Possible Student Responses: (black and white drawings, model of Cleopatra’s boat, paper on Cleopatra, creating dialogue or dramatization between Antony and Cleopatra, paper of technology of Rome)
8. Life of Jesus – Parables, Miracles; The Ancient Church; Early Symbols of Christianity
Read Aloud: “The Bronze Bow”
Possible Responses: (drawings, modelings, dramatization, re-creating one of the parables in symbols, mosaic tiles of the early symbols of christianity, meal)
9. Emperor Nero
10. The Division of the Roman Empire; St. Constantine
11. Decline of Roman Empire -the Huns, the first of the Desert Hermits, Life of St. Anthony
Read Aloud: “The Dancing Bear”
Possible Student Responses: (drawing, dramatization of life of St. Anthony or Constantine’s vision; a large butcher block artistic response to the life of St. Anthony; maps of the Roman Empire and the tribes moving in on paper or in salt dough with little figures; paper on the Huns, sayings of the Desert Hermits)
12. Bridge between Rome History Block and Medieval Block: Possibly reading a non-fiction source, writing three ideas from each chapter and creating a paper. We are using a children’s nonfiction book, “Attila the Hun” for this endeavor. If one does a math block after this block, a paper could be worked on during the math block.
Would love to hear your plans surrounding Rome.
Blessings,
Carrie
