Ancient Rome Lesson 1

Name: Jessica Ruiz Velasquez

Learning Segment: Ancient Rome
Super Concept: Culture
Thematic Concept: Civilization
Standard Concept Correlation: Cultural Heritage
Lesson Name: Roman Time Capsule: The Secrets of Vesuvius
Grade Level(s): 6
Subject(s): Social Studies
Duration of Lesson: 60 75 minutes
Content Standards:
HSS 6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social
structures during the development of Rome.
Historical Thinking Skills:
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
3. Students explain how the present is connected to the past, identifying both
similarities and differences between the two, and how some things change over
time and some things stay the same.
Research, Evidence and Point of View
2. Students pose relevant questions about events they encounter in historical
documents, eyewitness accounts, oral histories, letters, diaries, artifacts,
photographs, maps, artworks, and architecture.
Historical Interpretation
2. Students identify the human and physical characteristics of the places they are
studying and explain how those features form the unique character of those
places.
Learning Objectives
Content Objectives:
Students will demonstrate
historical literacy:
Students will be able to make
interpretations about life and
culture in Ancient Rome by
analyzing and evaluating
informational non-text (Video,
photographs). Students will
engage in INQUIRY by
asking questions about the
past and exploring and
making connections between
the past and present.

Language Objectives:
Essential Question:
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to
answer:
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius is significant
because it provided a natural way for Ancient
Roman Culture to be preserved for thousands of
years. Pretend that a Volcano, like Vesuvius,
erupts and preserves your culture and society.
Thousands of years from now, archeologists find
your preserved society/culture. Predict what
artifacts they might find. What will they learn
about your culture based off their findings? How
would the findings reveal this?
Language Kills:
Viewing: Students will watch a Video about Mount
Vesuvius (Secondary Source). Students will also

look at photographs of the ruins of Pompeii and

the plaster citizens (Primary Sources). These
primary and secondary sources will provide
students with visuals that they can analyze and
interpret. Students will be able to discuss and
identify the significance of these preserved
artifacts.
Speaking: Students will think-pair-share what they
found interesting and what they want to learn
more about. Students will participate in whole
class discussion where they will interpret,
analyze and ask questions based off the video,
photos and text. Students will collaborate to
brainstorm ideas during the World Caf Activity.
Students will also discuss their ideas and
predictions regarding what our preserved culture
would reveal about us. Students will add to, or
disagree with other students ideas using
support/reasoning to justify their statements.
Listening: Students will engage in active listening
during think-pair-share activity. Students will
attentively listen to their classmates
interpretations and predictions. During class
discussion students will be asked to demonstrate
active listening by rephrasing/restating, adding
or disagreeing with what other students shared.
Writing: Students will write down their ideas before
they think-pair-share. This quick write will help
students organize their thoughts before sharing
with a partner or whole class. Students will write
and respond to questions during the World Caf
(carousel brainstorming) activity. Students will be
discussing collaboratively as they move from
poster to poster with their table groups.
Reading: Students will read and make sense of the
prompts written on the posters during the World
Caf activity. Students will show comprehension
by participation in partner talk and class
discussion.
ELD Standards
Emerging: Exchanging information/ideas SL.6.1Engage in conversational exchanges and express
ideas on familiar topics by asking and answering
yes-no and wh- questions and responding using
simple phrases.
Expanding: Listening actively

L.6.1- Demonstrate active listening in oral

presentation activities by asking and answering
detailed questions, with occasional prompting and
moderate support.
Expanding: Reading/viewing closely
RL.6.6.B. Express inferences and conclusions
drawn based on close reading of grade-level texts
and viewing of multimedia using variety of verbs
(e.g., suggests that, leads to)
Academic Language Requirements:
Students will be exposed orally to historical language and vocabulary that they are
familiar with such as artifacts, archeologist, and volcanic eruption. Teacher will assess
student background knowledge of these terms during the anticipatory set and will briefly
review. Students will come across new vocabulary such as time-capsule, anthropologist,
and thermopolia.
Language Functions:
Student will be using their language skills to engage in inquiry. Students will analyze
and interpret text and multimedia, ask questions and make inferences about specific
historical events and concepts. Students will also be making connections to the present.
Formal and/or Informal Assessments:
Informal Assessment: Students will be assessed informally in a variety of ways
throughout the lesson. Students will complete a quick write in their journals and engage
in think-pair-share this will help teacher determine students background/prior
knowledge. Throughout lesson teacher will use thumbs up/thumbs down to check
student understanding. During the lesson teacher will assess student thinking and build
student learning by prompting them with higher level thinking questions. During You
Do/You Do Together activities (collaborative speaking or writing activities) teacher will
ask students how much more time they need 1, 2, 3 or 0 minutes by a show of fingers or
fist. Students will demonstrate comprehension by writing a 3-2-1 summary at the end of
the lesson.
*Teacher will scollect Social Studies notebooks to check completion of quick-writes
and reflective assignments.
Procedures(InstructionalStrategiesandLearningTasks)toSupportStudentLearning:
Anticipatory Set:

Teacher will show a 2 minute video- August 24th This Day in History: Eruption of
Mount Vesuvius begins. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eruption-ofmount-vesuvius-begins.
Students will quick-write one interesting fact or statement from the video and one
question they come up with. Students will think-pair-share either their interesting
fact or their question with a partner. Teacher will pick two students to share what their
partner said.
Teacher will then prompt the class: The video stated that the volcanic debris turned
the land into a time capsule preserving the city exactly the way it was in 79 A.D.
Can we make an inference about what it means to be turned into a time capsule?
Students use context clues to discuss and make inferences about what time capsule
means with their table groups. Students will share their ideas and describe what they
think it means.
Teacher prompts and guides them to the intended answer: A time capsule preserves
artifacts and objects of present time or culture so that they will be discovered in the
distant future. Archeologists discovered the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, lets
see how Mount Vesuvius preserved their culture.

Instruction (I Do):
- Teacher will provide photographs (primary sources) including images of the town
ruins and of the plaster citizens of Pompeii. Teacher will emphasize that the images
are of the actual site and of preserved bodies and artifacts that are kept in museums
(primary sources).Teacher will say: You will have a project at the end of this
learning segment in which you will become experts on an aspect of Roman life so
take good notes on these artifacts. (End project)
- Teacher will give brief descriptions about the images to build and/or support student
background knowledge. For example, this image is of a thermopoliaa takeout
restaurant where people could buy bread, dried fish, cheese, wine and hot food to take
home.
- Students will be engaged by turning to their shoulder partners and sharing their ideas
and interpretations about the photos.
- Teacher will emphasize that these artifacts and architecture were perfectly preserved
due to the eruption. This is significant because it allowed archeologists and
anthropologists who study humans to learn about ancient people of Rome.
Guided Practice (We Do):
- Teacher will explain World Caf activity to students. There will be four posters
posted around the room. Students will rotate from poster to poster with a group and
discuss and answer the prompts on each poster. On the first poster, one person will
record the ideas from the group. When the students rotate the recorder will stay and
explain the ideas and then moves to their groups. A new recorder writes down
additional ideas from the prompt.
- Teacher will have students to remind the class how to interact and share their ideas
respectfully.
- Teacher will model how to respond to the prompts; Sentence starters and sentence
frames available for students who need additional support but all students are

welcomed to use them:

Students will briefly practice answering a prompt using the frames:
Based on the photos/video, I think that ____________. The photo/video shows
this because_______.
I agree with __________ because.
I would like to add to what _________ said
I infer that _______ because the photo shows _________.

Independent Practice (You Do Together and/or You Do Alone):

- Students will use their analytical and interpretive skills to answer the prompts on
World Caf Posters:
What do the artifacts that were found reveal about the Roman life?
If our culture were to be preserved, predict what objects and artifacts would
archeologist of the future find?
What are some things they may have found in the ruins that are similar to things
they might find in our culture/society?
What are some things they may have found in the ruins that are different to
things they might find in our current culture/society?
- All groups will visit every poster during the World Caf. Students collaborate and
respond to prompts based on their interpretations.
- Students will build on and evaluate each others ideas.
- During Activity teacher will walk around and monitor student learning. Teacher will
provide support and guidance as needed. Teacher will take this opportunity to assess
student understanding and prompt student thinking by asking questions like why
do you think that artifact reveals that about their life? Can you make any
connections to our society or culture based off the photos/video?
- Teacher will ask students to show if they need 1, 2, 3 or 0 minutes with their hands
and ask them to finish up what they are working on.
Differentiated Instruction (Some Do):
Students that need additional support will use sentence frames to help them express
their ideas during the World Caf activity. The sentence frames and sentence starters
will be in their social studies notebook which they will carry with them as they rotate
from poster to poster. The teacher will repeat the instructions individually to these
students and ask them to repeat or rephrase the instructions back to the teacher. This
will ensure that they heard and understood the instructions. Teacher will monitor them as
the move with their groups. ELLs will be grouped strategically so that they are
partnered with an interpreter within their group. Gate students will be responsible for
recording and they will stay behind and explain their groups ideas to the other groups.
Some students will have 3-2-1 Summary handout (graphic organizer) available that they
will paste on their notebook instead of writing directly into their notebook. IEP students
will be expected to at least respond to 3 List three things you learned from our lesson
(activities) today.

Closure:
Teacher will ask the students that were designated recorders to share the ideas that the
class came up with for each poster. Class will have a brief discussion about the
responses. Students will express additional comments, connections and questions
during this time to build on their each others understanding.
Students will reflect on their learning by completing a 3-2-1 Summary in their
notebooks.
3 List three things you learned from our lesson (activities) today.
2 List two things you found interesting or surprising.
1 Write a question you still have or something you want to learn more about.
Students will briefly share with their shoulder partner one item form their lists. If time
permits, teacher will ask two or three students to share what their partner said.
Teacher will close with: Tomorrow we will be learning more in depth about some of the
aspects of culture and society of Ancient Rome.
Resources and Materials:
- Video resource: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eruption-of-mountvesuvius-begins
- Slides with photographs (primary sources)
- Poster paper (4) with questions on them
- Markers
- 3-2-1 Handout (some students)
- Social Studies journals (all students)

These images would be shown on Power Point Slides with a no description. Students will make
interpretations.

These images would be shown on Power

Point Slides with a brief description.

Thermopoliatake out restaurants where people could

buy bread, dried fish, cheese, wine and hot food to take
home.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thermopolia-of-pompeii

When Vesuvius erupted on August 24 and 25, A.D. 79, some 2,600 inhabitants perished. A
plaster cast of a child found under a staircase.
Discovered with
the
body of a woman
fleeing down an
alley in Pompeii, this long
necklace, or
catena-with its 94 ivy leaves of
gold foil-is one of the finest pieces of jewelry found in the
region. The woman also carried two uncut gems and the family
silver.

This gold-and-silver statuette of mercury was with the body near the
citys harbor gate.

The gold bracelet in the form of a

two-headed snake, a good-luck symbol,
weighs 1.3 pounds.

Olives and olive branches adorn this silver wine goblet, or kantharos, found inside a
home.
Images found:
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/resurrecting-pompeii-109163501/?all

List three things you learned from our lesson (activities) today.

List two things you found interesting or surprising.

Write a question you still have or something you want to learn more about.

Ancient Rome Lesson 2

Name: Jessica Ruiz Velasquez

Learning Segment: Ancient Rome

Super Concept: Culture
Thematic Concept: Civilization
Standard Concept Correlation: Cultural Heritage
Lesson Name: Everyday Life in Ancient Rome
Grade Level(s): 6
Subject(s): Social Studies
Duration of Lesson: 60 minutes
Content Standards:
HSS 6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social
structures during the development of Rome.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.2
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
Historical Thinking Skills:
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
4. Students explain how the present is connected to the past, identifying both
similarities and differences between the two, and how some things change over
time and some things stay the same.
Research, Evidence and Point of View
3. Students pose relevant questions about events they encounter in historical
documents, eyewitness accounts, oral histories, letters, diaries, artifacts,
photographs, maps, artworks, and architecture.
Historical Interpretation
1. Students summarize key events [aspects] of the era they are studying and explain
the historical contexts of those events.
2. Students identify the human and physical characteristics of the places they are
studying and explain how those features form the unique character of those
places.
Learning Objectives:
Content Objectives:
Students will demonstrate
historical literacy:
Students will be able to
summarize everyday life and
culture in Ancient Rome by
analyzing and interpreting
informational text and non-text
(textbook chapter, photographs).
Students will collaboratively
engage in INQUIRY by asking
questions and drawing their own
conclusions from the text.

Language Objectives:
Essential Question:
By the end of the lesson, students should be able
to answer:
Describe what cities, farms, and daily life
were like in the Roman Empire.
What similarities and differences exist in
home life and culture between the Ancient
Romans and present-day Americans?
(compare and contrast)
Language Kills:
Viewing: Students will have to analyze and

Students will be able to make

comparisons between Roman life
and present-day Western
civilization.

interpret visuals. Students will be able to

discuss and predict what they expect the
complete image to be. With each revealed
image students will have to deduce meaning
and come to their own conclusions.
Speaking: Students will think-pair-share about
their ideas. Students will participate in whole
class discussion where they will interpret,
analyze and ask questions based off the text
and their prior knowledge. Students will
collaborate during the Storyboarding a
Textbook Reading Activity. Students will
summarize their reading, make comparisons
and text-to-self connections.
Listening: Students will engage in active
listening during think-pair-share activity.
Students will attentively listen to their
classmates interpretations and predictions.
During class discussion students will be asked
to demonstrate active listening by
rephrasing/restating, adding or disagreeing
with what other students shared.
Writing: Students will write down their ideas
before they think-pair-share. Quick write
will help students organize their thoughts
before sharing with a partner or whole class.
Student will write collaboratively on their
poster. Students will also draw pictures on
their poster.
Reading: Students will read assigned section of
text chapter. Students will analyze and
interpret the text. Students will show
comprehension by participation in group
discussions.
ELD Standards
Expanding: Exchanging information/ideas
SL.6.1 Contribute to class, group, and partner
discussions by following turn-taking rules,
asking relevant information, and paraphrasing
key ideas.
Emerging: Reading/viewing closely
RL.6.6.a. Express inferences and
conclusions drawn based on close reading of
grade-level texts and viewing of multimedia
using frequently used verbs (e.g., shows that,
based on)

Academic Language Requirements:

Students will practice using and applying historical language learned in previous
lessons such as time anthropologist and artifacts. Teacher will assess student background
knowledge of these terms during the anticipatory set. Students will come across new
vocabulary such as gladiator, aqueduct and census. This vocabulary will be in the text
and students will interpret their meaning and evaluate their significance.
Language Functions:
Student will be using their language skills to engage in inquiry. Students will analyze
and interpret text and multimedia, ask questions and make inferences about different
aspects of the lives of Ancient Roman people. Students will also be making connections
to the present; students will make comparisons to Roman life to their own lives.
Text Type: Informational Text
Formal and/or Informal Assessments:
Informal Assessment: Students will be assessed informally in a variety of ways
throughout the lesson. Students will complete a quick write in their journals and engage
in think-pair-share this will help teacher determine students background/prior
knowledge. Throughout lesson teacher will use thumbs up/thumbs down to check
student understanding. Teacher will check understanding of instructions by having
students repeat or rephrase the instructions for the whole class. Students will display
their comprehension and interpretations of the reading by collaborating on
Storyboarding a Textbook Reading. Teacher will walk around and monitor providing
support as needed throughout lesson. Students will apply their learning by writing a
20/20 reflection at the end of the lesson.
* Teacher will collect Social Studies notebooks to check completion of quick-writes and
reflective assignments.
Procedures(InstructionalStrategiesandLearningTasks)toSupportStudentLearning:
Anticipatory Set:
- Teacher will open the lesson by referring to previous lesson: Yesterday we learned
about how the ancient towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum were preserved due to the
volcanic eruption of Vesuvius.
- Teacher will ask students: What are some things that we said were revealed about
Roman life and society by the artifacts in the time capsule? Students will thinkpair-share their response. Teacher will call on three students to share with the class.
Teacher will guide a short discussion based off student responses. This will assess
student understanding as well as re-engage students in the content.
- Teacher will introduce lesson focus and make the connection to prior lesson: Well
today we are going to learn more in depth about what the everyday life of an Ancient
Roman looked like.
- Teacher will read short introductory paragraph (You Are Here) from the chapter in
their Social Studies book,
- Teacher will ask students to close their eyes and listen closely to what she is about to
read. Teacher will ask student to imagine that they are in the situation being described
as she reads.

Teacher will have class quick-write in there journal where students interpret the:
who, what, where, when, why and how (students will have the option of making
and illustration to accompany their response). Students can refer to the excerpt when
they respond to the prompt; it will be posted on the board.
Prompt: Who is involved in this situation? What is happening? Where is this
taking place? When is it happening? Why is it important? How do you know?
The last question (how) requires students to justify and support their reasoning with
the text.
- Students will share their responses with their shoulder partners.
- Teacher have students share their ideas and ask student to build on each other
responses using sentence starters:
I agree with _______ because
I also think that
I would like to add to what ________ said
I disagree with what ________ said because

Instruction (I Do):
- In order to improve students reading comprehension of the textbook chapter, the
teacher will perform a chapter tour before students read the text.
- Teacher will engage students and guide them through this frontloading activity.
Students follow along on their text.
- Teacher will think aloud as she/he explores the text page by page. Teacher will point
out text features: title, headings, bold print, side bars, vocabulary, illustrations,
captions and maps.
This is an appropriate time to point out the new vocabulary. Teacher would
not define the words but simply draw attention to the vocabulary (text
feature).
- Teacher will explicitly state that students are not to read during the chapter tour.
- Teacher reads the headings using 1, 2, 3 Read with Me. Students all read the
headings aloud with the teacher.
- Teacher stops and asks students to make predictions about each section. Students
share with a partner. Teacher selects a few students to share their predictions with the
class.
During this time teacher will refer back to the bolded vocabulary on the page
and ask students to use the illustrations to make inferences about what the
words mean.
- Students analyze and interpret the images: What do you think these images
represent? Is the image a scene? If so, what is happening? Teacher will have a brief
discussion about each image in the chapter and ask student to share their inferences
with the class.
Guided Practice (We Do):
- Teacher will model how to read a passage with a partner by reading the first
paragraph of the chapter. Students may want to take turns reading paragraphs or they
may want to read simultaneously. Teacher will model both methods and tell students

that they can choose.

Teacher will model what a good reader looks for when annotating the text:
important facts, things that surprise you, and what dont you understand or want to
learn more about? Can you make any connections?
Students will work with their designated partner at their table and read the entire
chapter using read with a pencil. Students will practice reading and annotating the
text with a partner.

Independent Practice (You Do Together and/or You Do Alone):

- Students will be working on a Storyboarding a Textbook Reading Activity with
their table groups. Groups will be assigned only one section of the chapter
(subheading) that they need to storyboard.
- The storyboards must include:
Title- student will come up with a creative title for their section
Summary- Students will summarize using the: who, what, when, where and
why. Students will also incorporate the main idea into their summary.
Drawing- Students will interpret the text and draw images based off their
interpretations.
Question- Students will analyze and evaluate the text. They will pose a
question or refer to something that they want to learn more about.
Groups will choose two of the following for their storyboard:
Poem- Students will collaboratively write a poem about a key idea, term, or
character.
Connection- Students will make text-to-text, text-to-world, or text-to-self
connections
Compare and Contrast- Students can find similarities and differences
between life in Ancient Rome and life in modern Western Civilization.
Develop What if Statements
Write a script or dialogue and role-play the situation or dilemma
- During this time the teacher will be walking around and monitoring groups. Teacher
will provide support as needed. Teacher will ask prompting higher level questions
to assess student comprehension and build student learning.
- *If students do not finish, they may finish their posters as homework or chose to
come in during recess or lunch to finish their posters.
Differentiated Instruction (Some Do):
Students that need additional support will use sentence frames to help them express
their ideas during group discussion activities. The sentence frames and sentence
starters will be in their social studies notebook and posted on the wall for easy access.
The teacher will repeat the instructions individually to these students and ask them to
repeat or rephrase the instructions back to the teacher. This will ensure that they heard
and understood the instructions. Teacher will pull RSP group and work with them closely
during the annotating activity. Teacher will guide these students through annotating the
text. RSP students will have modified requirements on their poster; they will need a title,
summary and drawing. ELLs will be grouped strategically so that they are partnered

with an interpreter within their group. Gate students (student #4 in each table) will be
the team leader and will be in charge of delegating student jobs.
Closure:
Table groups will briefly present their Storyboard Poster to the class. Class will engage in
discussion about the chapter sections. Students will express additional comments,
connections and questions during this time to build on their each others
understanding.
Students will reflect on their learning by completing a 20/20 reflection in their
notebooks.
In 20 words or less explain what most interested you about Ancient Roman life
and why.
In 20 words or more decide whether you would have liked to live in Ancient
Rome and why.
Students will briefly share with their shoulder partner one item form their lists. If time
permits, teacher will ask two or three students to share what their partner said.
Resources and Materials:
- Textbook Chapter Printouts (all students)
- Social Studies Journals (all students)
- Storyboard Graphic Organizer (table groups)
- Summary graphic Organizer (IEP students)
- Poster paper (table groups)
- Markers (table groups)

Anticipatory Set Reading

Its a hot day in 27 B.C., and this school day seems endless! All you
want to do is go outside and play, but you force yourself to work on
your math problem instead. Using a piece of pointed metal, you
scratch numbers in the wax that covers your writing tablet. When you
make a mistake, you rub the number out of the wax and start over.
Finally, you finish the problem, and your teacher says that you are
finished for the day. As you leave the classroom, you think about
children who are unable to go to school because their families are
poor. While they work hard learning their parents you learn new
ideas at school.

Summary Graphic Organizer (Who, What, Where, When, Why, How)

Who is involved in this situation?

What is happening?

Where is this taking place?

When is it happening?

Why is it important?

How do you know?

Sample Storyboard Layout (Poster)

Title:

Summary:

Question:
Drawing

Choose two of the following for to add to your storyboard:

Poem: write a poem about a key idea, term, or character.
Connection: make text-to-text, text-to-world, or text-to-self connections
Compare and Contrast: find similarities and differences between life in Ancient Rome
and life in modern Western Civilization.
Develop What if Statements
Write a script or dialogue and role-play the situation or dilemma

Ancient Rome Lesson 3

Name: Jessica Ruiz Velasquez
Learning Segment: Ancient Rome
Super Concept: Culture
Thematic Concept: Civilization
Standard Concept Correlation: Cultural Heritage
Lesson Name: Experts: Life and Culture of the Ancient Rome
Grade Level(s): 6
Subject(s): Social Studies
Duration of Lesson: 60-75 minutes (to be extended for a few days)
Content Standards:
HSS 6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social
structures during the development of Rome.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
Historical Thinking Skills:
Research, Evidence, and Point of View
3. Students differentiate between primary and secondary sources.
Historical Interpretation
2. Students identify the human and physical characteristics of the places they are
studying and explain how those features form the unique character of those
places.
Learning Objectives
Content Objectives:
Students will demonstrate
historical literacy:
Students will be able to
research about life and
culture in Ancient Rome by
analyzing and evaluating
multiple sources. Students
will engage in INQUIRY by
interpreting information
from varying sources.
Students will describe life in
ancient Rome and making
connections between the past
and present using support for
their claims.

Language Objectives:
Essential Question:
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
Describe different aspects of the life and culture
of Ancient Rome and use evidence/support from
multiple sources.
Make connections between past and present
(Ancient Rome and modern Western
Civilization).
Language Kills:
Viewing: Students will look at photographs on
slides of a painting of depicting a gladiator
(secondary source) during the Zoom into History
Activity. Students will analyze and interpret
informational text and non-text content from
various sources they explore. Students evaluate
information they see and determine whether it is
useful to them.
Speaking: Students will participate in whole class
discussion. Students will share their predictions

during their Zoom into History Activity.

Listening: Students will engage in active listening
during think-pair-share activity. Students will
attentively listen to their classmates
interpretations and predictions. During class
discussion students will be asked to demonstrate
active listening by rephrasing/restating, adding
or disagreeing with what other students shared.
Writing: Students use graphic organizers to write
down their notes during research. Students will
write during their closure of the lesson to reflect
on their learning.
Reading: Students will read and evaluate
information from various sources. Students will
interpret information and deduce meaning from
the text.
ELD Standards
Expanding: Exchange information/ideas
Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions
by following turn-taking rules, asking relevant
questions, affirming others, adding relevant
information, and paraphrasing key ideas.
Academic Language Requirements:
Students will use historical language to discuss their interpretations and research.
Language Functions:
Student will be using their language skills to engage in inquiry. Students will analyze
and interpret text and other sources and ask question. Students will also be making
connections to the present. Students will use language to research and support their
ideas.
Text Type: Informational Text and non-text.
Formal and/or Informal Assessments:
Informal Assessment: Students will be assessed informally in a variety of ways
throughout the lesson. Throughout lesson teacher will use thumbs up/thumbs down to
check student understanding. During the lesson teacher will assess student thinking and
build student learning by prompting them with higher level thinking questions.
*Teacher will collect Social Studies notebooks to check completion of quick-writes and
reflective assignments.
Formal/Summative Assessment: Students learning will be assessed through their final
project. Students will be producing a power point, poster, skit/sketch or imovie (video) in
which they will show their expertise on an aspect of Ancient Roman life and culture.
Students will have a choice on what they what their final product to be. There will be a
rubric for this assignment that will be shown to students formerly. Students will
present their final project but will not be graded on the presentation itself; they will be

graded on the actual project.

Procedures(InstructionalStrategiesandLearningTasks)toSupportStudentLearning:
Anticipatory Set:
- Teacher will show slides for a Zoom into History Activity.
1. Teacher will show student the first image, this image is zoomed in and only a
part of the entire image. Students view and analyze the image.
Students will write in their journal to answer the prompts: What do you
notice? What do you predict the next image will reveal?
After student write down their interpretations they will share with their
shoulder partner or table.
2. Teacher will zoom out of the image and show a larger portion of the image but
still an incomplete image.
Student will write in their journal to answer the prompts: What do you
notice now? What is different or the same from what you predicted?
What do you expect will be in the final image?
Students will briefly discuss their ideas with their shoulder partner or
tables.
3. Teacher will zoom out one last time and show the final complete image.
Students will write in their journal to answer the prompts: Describe what
you know about this image/scene? What is happening in this scene? What
surprised you and why? What is different from what you predicted?
Student briefly share with their shoulder partner or table group.
- Teacher will ask students to share their responses with the class. Students should be
familiar with the subjects of the painting which are gladiators. Student were
introduced to gladiators in the previous lesson.
- Teacher will guide a short discussion about gladiators: What did we learn about
gladiators yesterday? How were they incorporated in the everyday life of
Romans? Students will share their ideas.
- Lastly, teacher will help students make a connection with the first lesson in the
learning section by showing a gladiator helmet found in the ruins of Pompeii by
thinking aloud: Well how do we know gladiators actually existed? Well, take a look
at this gladiator helmet; it was found in the ruins of Pompeii after the eruption of
Vesuvius. Anthropologists that study Ancient Rome learned that gladiators were a
form of entertainment in the lives of Ancient Romans. We have been learning about
different aspects of life in Ancient Rome. We are going to become experts as table
groups about certain aspects of ancient Roman life.
Instruction (I Do):
- Teacher: Can someone remind me what type of things we learned about the last two
days?
Students will share that we talked about the artifacts found in Mount Vesuvius and
then we read about Everyday Life in Rome.
- Teacher: Great, what are specific examples of things we learned or read about?
Students will share that they learned about home life, slavery, city life and country
life, and entertainment in their reading. Students will talk about how archeologist
made discoveries and analyzed them to help us learn about the past. For

example, the thermopolia shows that Romans had take-out restaurants.

- Teacher: Exactly, so anthropologist have been able to learn about different aspects
of Ancient Roman life through the primary sources like artifacts. These artifacts
support our interpretations and conclusions about Roman life. You and I learned
about these things through our textbook and other non-text informational media,
secondary sources.
- Teacher will use the example of gladiators and emphasize that we know about them
because multiple artifacts were preserved that told us a little bit about them.
- Teacher: We are going to pretend that we are anthropologist and we are going to do
research and become experts.
- Instructions:
Each table group will become an expert on an aspect of Ancient Roman life. Each
person in the table will individually do research on that aspect and fill out their
graphic organizer (research notes). Students will need at least two different type of
sources (textbook is one). After everyone is done with their research, students will
come together with their expert groups and talk about their findings. Students will
share their ideas about what they found. Students will collaboratively pick the
information that want to use for their final projects. Students will have a choice of
how to present their expertise in the final project: power point presentation, poster,
skit/sketch (scene), or imovie (video). Teacher will show the students the rubric that
will be used to grade their final project and briefly talk about the requirements. (This
will be elaborated on more after research is done). Teacher will explain that their
success criteria is between a 3 and 4. 3 is at grade level, they fulfilled all
requirement. 4 is above grade level they went above and beyond. NO students should
be aiming for a 2 or a 1.
*Students will spend at least two days in class doing research and meeting with their
groups to plan before working on the final product.
Guided Practice (We Do):
- Teacher will model how to use the graphic organizer for taking notes when doing
research. Students fill out a sample graphic organizer as the teacher models.
- Teacher will use the same example she used for the anticipatory set. Teacher will use
think aloud: Okay well I want to become an expert on Roman entertainment. I
remember that there is a section in our chapter about entertainment. This will be one
of my sources!
- Students turn to that page in the text. Teacher: What are some important notes we
can write from the text? Students share some of the important facts about
entertainment in the text. For example, they had chariot races, we know they had
gladiators, and they really liked theater.
- Teacher and students will write the notes on the graphic organizer and add details
from the text.
- Teacher will model taking notes on graphic organizer and researching using
websites.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/z2sm6sg#zpmtn39
Teacher will use this site to model with. Teacher will be projecting her computer
screen so that all the students can see. To engage students, teacher will be asking

students to tell her what she should click on: Okay, what do we want to take notes
on, gladiators, chariot races or theater? Students choose one for the teacher and then
they help her/him pick out what they want to write on the organizer.
After the teacher has modeled taking notes from text and website she will provide a
couple websites that the students can use. Students can look at other sources as well
and are welcomed to double-check the sources with the teacher.

Independent Practice (You Do Together and/or You Do Alone):

- Teacher assigns each group what aspect of Roman life they will be experts on:
Daily/home life
Schooling & Education
Games & Entertainment
Jobs & Occupations
City & Country life
Slavery
- Students being their research on their area of expertise individually. The English
language learners will have the option of working with their partner (interpreter).
They can work individually but must check in with the teacher during conference
time. There will be stations for research that students will rotate on so that everyone
is on task. Some students will be using the class desktops, some using the text book,
and some using mobile devices.
- Teacher will emphasize that the students are welcomed to continue their research at
home but that they will get more time in class so it is not a requirement.
- All students will be turning in their research notes with their end project.
*Students will be engaged in the research phase for at least 2 social studies blocks.
- During this time the teacher will walk around to check that students are on task and
to give suggestions or guidance on their research.
- Teacher will work closely with the RSP group when they are in the research phase.
Teacher will give them additional guidance when filling out their graphic organizer.
- Teacher will also check in with other groups and have a conference time when
groups can take turns and check in with the teacher. Students can ask for help with
their research or graphic organizer. Students can also share their ideas about their
final project and get feedback.
Differentiated Instruction (Some Do):
The teacher will repeat the instructions individually for students that need additional
support and ask them to repeat or rephrase the instructions back to the teacher. This
will ensure that they heard and understood the instructions. Teacher will monitor them as
the move with their groups. ELLs will be grouped strategically so that they are
partnered with an interpreter within their group. These students will have the option of
working with their interpreter partner during the research phase of the project. Teacher
pull groups to check in and give support as needed. She will work closely with the RSP
group. Teacher intentionally assigs RSP group with becoming experts on Games &
Entertainment because she already modeled this aspect of Roman Life. Gate students
(student #4) will be the team leader and will make sure everyone has a job and is on task.

Teacher is giving students a choice on how they will present their knowledge, proficiency
and expertise. Students have the option to produce a power point, poster, sketch/skit or an
imovie (video).
Closure:
- Teacher will have the class engage in a brief discussion reflecting on how they felt
doing research. Did they feel like they were becoming experts? Do they think
anthropologist might do the same things?
- Students will think-pair-share about these prompts and then share with the class.
-

Students will have a reflective exit ticket:

Knowing what you know now about how archeologist and anthropologist
research and study humans, lets think more about one of our previous questions.
If we had a volcano like Mount Vesuvius erupt on our civilization, what artifacts
would be preserved and what would they reveal about our culture?

Resources and Materials:

- Slides with photographs for Zoom into History (Gladiator)
- Graphic Organizers (Notes) (all students)
- Social Studies journals (all students)
- Desktop computers and internet devices

Zoom into History Activity

Pollice Verso (Thumbs Down) by Jean-Leon Gerome, 19th century painting.

Graphic Organizer for Research

Topic:
Textbook

Source # 1

Source # 3 (optional)

Rubric for Final Project/Presentation

Source #2

Group presentation includes:

3 or more sources (not including textbook)
4 or more examples or facts pertaining to their expert topic
One visual/illustration to illustrate each example (i.e. photographs,
drawings, objects)
Identification and interpretation of at least one primary source relating to
expert topic
Explicit connections comparing aspect of Ancient Roman life to modern
Western Civilization

Group presentation includes:

2 sources (not including textbook)
3 examples or facts pertaining to their expert topic
One visual/illustration to illustrate each example (i.e. photographs,
drawings, objects)
Identification and interpretation of at least one primary source relating to
expert topic
Explicit connection comparing aspect of Ancient Roman life to modern
Western Civilization

Group presentation includes:

1 source (not including textbook)
2 examples or facts pertaining to their expert topic
One visual/illustration to illustrate some of the examples/facts
Identification least one primary source relating to expert topic with no
interpretation
Vague connection comparing aspect of Ancient Roman life to modern
Western Civilization

Group presentation includes:

No other sources besides textbook used
1 example or fact pertaining to their expert topic
No visuals/illustrations to illustrate example
No identification of primary source relating to expert topic
Very vague or non-existent connection comparing aspect of Ancient
Roman life to modern Western Civilization