Recipe for an Empire assignment:

Your groups task is to create your own empire based off of what weve learned in lesson two of
this unit. After comparing and contrasting several ancient empires, you are to use what youve
learned about their many characteristics to create an empire of your own. Although we want
you to be creative when designing your empire, you still need to ensure that it makes sense
based on the general trends of the empires weve discussed. For instance, all the empires weve
talked about had some form of military. A military force is a key ingredient for the recipe of
an empire, so it only makes sense to include one. Make sure your group includes all of the key
ingredients of empires, then you may go about adding extra descriptions and characteristics
that make sense to your own empire.
**Keep in mind that these empires formed from ancient civilizations discussed in the last unit.
How might that affect things?

Your group must think about and include the following information (ingredients)
about your empire, at least:
Background: What is the history of your empire?
Founding: How did your empire get its start?
Organization: How was your empire set up?
Religion/Culture: What were your empires beliefs? What was their way of life like? (Language,
arts, science, daily lives, etc.)
Interaction with other empires: How did your empire interact with others? Was it peaceful?
Was it hostile?
Decline/Fall: Every good empire comes to an end. How did yours lose its power?
A Map: Create a hand-drawn map of your empire. Include a title, key, compass, trade routes,
cities, neighboring empires. (Weve seen several examples)
Your group should provide a 3-5 sentence description for each of these main characteristics
(not including the map). Again, refer to the information you have about real life empires when
considering the creation of your own. Be sure to include vocabulary in your descriptions!!! You
also need to provide a colored illustration to go along with ityour chance to be creative!
**Other General Information to consider/include: Date of existence, name, timeline, climate,
location, geographic features.

Rubric
You will be graded on the following:
Participation

Written
Summaries

Artistic Effort
(Including color)

Map

Content
Understanding

5
Fully utilized
class time to
create a
finished product
without
needing to be
redirected by
the teacher to
stay on task
10-9
Descriptions are
3-5 sentences
and adequately
characterize
empire.
Evidence of
reference to
real-life empires
is present

4
Used Class time
efficiently but
needed to be
redirected once
or twice

3
Utilized some
class time but
needed to be
redirected often

2
Didnt utilize
class time
unless
redirected by
teacher

1
Didnt utilize class
time wisely even
when redirected

8-7
Descriptions are
3-5 sentences
and adequately
characterize
empire. Little to
no evidence of
references to
real-life empires
exists

6-5
Descriptions are
less than 3-5
sentences but
characterize the
empire
somewhat
adequately. No
evidence

4-3
Written
descriptions
weakly
characterize
the empire

2-1
No description/
descriptions dont
characterize the
empire at all

5
Artistic effort is
evident
throughout the
project
5
Map is colored,
include a key,
compass, and
title.
Adequately
shows location
of empire

4
Artistic effort is
mostly evident
throughout the
project
4
Map includes all
requirements,
but doesnt
adequately
depict location
of empire

3
Some artistic
effort is evident

2
Not much
artistic effort is
evident

5
Overall your
project depicts
understanding
of what it takes
to create an
empire

4
Your project
mostly depicts
understanding
of what it takes
to create and
empire

3
Map includes
some of the
requirements
and only
somewhat
adequately
depicts location
of empire
3
Your project
somewhat
depicts
understanding
of what it takes
to create an
empire

2
Map includes
very little of
the
requirements
and fails to
adequately
depict location
of empire
2
Your project
depicts little
understanding
of what it takes
to become an
empire

1
No artistic effort is
evident
throughout the
project
1
No Map

1
Your project does
not depict
understanding of
what it takes to
create an empire

Total____/30 points