Name: Samantha Szumigalski and Haylie Japuncha

Title of Unit: Ancient Rome

Title of Lesson: Cold Case: Julius Caesar
Grade Level: Seventh Grade
Goal: Students will be able to use evidence to support a claim.
Objectives
Students will be able to
cite evidence from
primary and secondary
sources to support a
claim.
Students will be able to
identify the definition of a
tyrant, republic and
dictator.
Students will be able to
differentiate between the
conflicts of the Roman
Senators and Julius Caesar
using primary and
secondary sources.

Standards/Assessment
Anchors
CC.8.5.6-8.A: Cite
specific textual evidence
to support analysis of
primary and secondary
sources.
8.1.7.B: Identify and use
primary and secondary
sources to analyze
multiple points of view for
historical events.
8.4.7.D: Explain how
conflict and cooperation
among groups and
organizations have
impacted the history of
the world.
CC.1.4.7.I: Acknowledge
alternate or opposing
claims and support claim
with logical reasoning and
relevant evidence, using
accurate, credible sources
and demonstrating an
understanding of the
topic.
CC.1.4.7.J: Organize the
claim(s) with reasons and
evidence clearly; clarify
relationships among
claim(s) and reasons by
using words, phrases, and
clauses to create
cohesion; provide a
concluding statement or
section that follows from
and supports the

Formative Assessment
Video-Dr. Burzstajn
Interview
Speech- Cassisus
Questions
Station Worksheet
Indictment Worksheet
Discussion- What does the
evidence show?
Prompt- Did the senators
do the right thing by
assassinating Caesar?

argument presented.

Prior Knowledge: Students will have a basic understanding of how the Roman
Republic was organized. They will also know how to analyze documents and pull
evidence from the text.
Content Knowledge:
Republic
Parts of Roman government- Consuls, the Senate, Judges, Assemblies, and Tribunes
Tyrant
Dictator
Julius Caesar
Assassination
Indictment
Cassius
Future Knowledge: Students will learn the outcome of the formation of the Roman
Republic after the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Procedure:
Lesson Beginning:
Introduction: Students will enter the room and see a "crime scene" of an outline of
a body. There will be a pictured of Julius Caesar projected on the screen with the
words "Cold Case" written over it. The students will begin class with a mathematical
prompt. *see slide two*
Review: After reviewing the prompt the teachers will then provide a brief
discussion of how the Roman republic was set up with a Power Point *see slide
three*
Questions: What kind of government did Ancient Rome have?
Answer: A republic
Questions: What are some of the characteristics of a republic?
Answer: There was The Consuls, the Senate, judges, assemblies, and
tribunes.
The teachers will then provide a brief description of the characteristics of each
group using the PowerPoint. Then there will be a brief description of who Julius
Caesar was and how he came to be a dictator. *see slide four and five*
This is where our case begins.
Transition/Motivation: Students will then be introduced to the activity by a short
introductory video. The class will then be given a background on the murder of
Julius Caesar. *see slide seven* The class will then be given two options to
consider for the activity. *see slide eight* Once the options have been discussed,
the teachers will give the directions for the activity, and put into groups that the

teachers have already selected prior to class. *see slide nine* The teachers will
also provide a vocabulary to assist them throughout the activity. *see slide ten*
Lesson Development:
Students will move between six different "exhibits" stations filling out a worksheet
with questions for each station. *see figure one* Students will be given roughly
five to seven minutes at each exhibit.
Exhibit A: Ancient Newspaper Article: Students will select one person to read
the newspaper article that explains how the senators are jealous of Julius Caesar's
power. The students will have to discuss in their groups the evidence from the
secondary source and complete the three questions on the worksheet. *see figure
two*
Exhibit B: Warnings and Dr. Burzstain Video: Students will select one person to
read the various warnings Caesar was given before he was murdered. They will
have to answer the questions on the worksheet and begin to form their claim on
which option they think the evidence supports from these primary sources. Students
will also watch a video of Dr. Burzstain claiming that Caesar wanted to die so that
he would live on in history. Students will respond to the questions on the worksheet
after looking at the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCp530h1b0c
*see figure three*
Exhibit C: The Twelve Caesars by Plutarch: Student will select one person from
the group to read the description of Julius Caesar by the twelve Plutarch. They will
have to analyze the primary source and pull evidence from it to answer the
questions on the worksheet. *see figure four*
Exhibit D: Autopsy Report: Students will analyze the coroner's report of Julius
Caesar's autopsy. They will determine the nature of the attackers and their skill
level. They will discuss the questions on the worksheet and complete it. *see
figure five*
Exhibit E: Statement by Caesar's Bodyguard: One student in the group will
read a statement from Julius Caesar's body guard. They will examine and discuss
why Julius Caesar would fire his body guard days before he was assassinated. They
will complete the questions on the worksheet that pertain to this exhibit and the
primary source given. *see figure six*
Exhibit F: Recording of Senator Cassius: Students will listen to a recording of
Senator Cassius comparing himself to Julius Caesar. A typed version of his speech
has been given in case students don't get all the information from the recording.
Students will then discuss and answer the questions on the worksheet. *see figure
seven* *this station will only be in the lessons for the advanced students*
Teachers will help facilitate group discussions and readings throughout the activity.
They will also say when to switch between exhibits and make sure students are on
track. Once each group has made it to each station the class will be gathered back
to discuss the evidence they found from the primary and secondary sources and
make their claims.

Lesson Ending:
Students will be brought back into a whole class group to participate in a discussion
about the activity and their findings. They will first complete the indictment
worksheet and bring it with them back to their seats to start the discussion. *see
figure eight*
Question: Which option did you think supported your findings?
Question: Which station most clearly supported your indictment?"
Take out the door: "Did the senators do the right thing by assassinating Caesar?"
The students will bring a response to this prompt with them to class tomorrow.
Preview: The teachers will end class by informing the students that tomorrow they
will be learning about how the Roman republic was affected by the assignation of
Julius Caesar.
Materials: Paper cut out of a body, station cards, worksheets, three laptops,
projector, pencil, and PowerPoint.
References: Roughton, K. (2015, April 23). Cold Case Rome. Retrieved April 4,
2015, from http://www.mrroughton.com/history-mystery-labs/cold-case-rome
Mode: Students will begin the lesson as a class to answer the mathematical
prompt. Students will work in teacher selected groups for the activity and then will
be in a whole group discussion at the end. Each student will turn in an individual
worksheet that will be graded on completion.
Special Adaptations: For the classes that are lower academically, the stations of
Cassius' speech (Exhibit F) will be taken out in order for them to focus on the
remaining other ones more. More time will be given for certain exhibits that involve
more reading and pulling evidence from sources. The teachers have also provided a
typed transcript version of the speech in case the students do not comprehend the
recording of the speech the first time.
Anticipated Difficulties: Students may take longer in the different stations then
the teachers anticipate. Students with lower reading levels may not be able to
identify the evidence from the sources to support their claims. The teachers have
preselected the groups and paired higher performing students with lower ones in
order for them to help each other. Also, when the students are in groups, one
student may be the leader, while others do not do any of the work. The teachers
have made a worksheet that each student must complete and will be turned in at
the end of class so that they participate. We have also instructed the students to
assign a different person to read at each station to boost interaction. Technical
difficulties include the videos and Power Points not playing. If this occurs, the
teacher will introduce the activity based on their knowledge of the content.