Julius Caesar and the Rise of the Roman Empire

 Today's Learning Objective  * Discuss the influence of Julius Caesar in Rome's transition from republic to empire.

BrainPop: Rise of the Roman Empire Last week we learned about the development of the Roman Republic. Today we examine how the growth of the empire of Rome leads to the fall of the Roman Republic and the ambitions of men such as Julius Caesar. We begin with the BrainPop video and online quiz: "Rise of the Roman Empire" which can be accessed from the BrainPop app within your Google Drive.   

Guided Reading: The Fall of the Republic Now we will read an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook entitled "The Fall of the Republic" about this important time in Roman history. Afterwards, you will work on answering the questions from the document Julius Caesar - Questions and Answers which you can find at your Social Studies Google Classroom. 

Homework Complete and 'turn in' the assignment Julius Caesar - Questions and Answers by Friday, May 15. 

Game On!

Homework Submission If you haven't done so already and you completed your Ancient Rome: A New Power Rises (Reading and Fill-in-the-Blank) assignment, please go to Google Classroom and submit your assignment. If you do not submit your assignment today you will receive an 'incomplete' until it is completed and submitted. 

Academic Tutorial Time If you have assignments or assessments for either Language Arts or Social Studies that you have not yet completed, I would like to provide you time to get caught up today. 

These may include the following: 

• Pets in the Classroom (Argumentative Writing Performance Task) *HIGHEST PRIORITY
• Ancient Rome: A New Power Rises (Reading and Fill-in-the-Blank) 
• Map of Greece
• Athens and Sparta - Comparison/Contrast Paragraph
• Say, Mean, Matter ('Tequila Worm')
• Argument Essay (Should Kids Play Football?)
• Analyzing Arguments - Scavenger Hunt

If you do complete one of the above, please make sure to Loop Mail me so I can make sure you receive proper credit towards your grade. 

Computer Game Reward Time If you have finished all of the above and your grades are in good standing, you should be celebrated and rewarded. Congratulations! You have earned 'Computer Game Reward Time'. Head on over to BrainPop and choose from the assortment of high-interest educational games, including those featured below. 

The Roman Republic Meets BrainPop

 Today's Learning Objective  * Identify the location and describe the rise of the Roman Republic.

BrainPop Videos: 'Roman Republic' and 'Democracy' Following in the footsteps of the video "Journals Through History: Ancient Rome" from yesterday, we will watch two BrainPop videos today about early Roman government and its influence on our own government today. Pay close attention because content from the videos will be featured in a short quiz later in the period.  

Remember you can access Brainpop from within your Google Drive.

                                             

Once you've launched the BrainPop App, search for "Roman Republic" or "Democracy."

Quiz: Early Rome Now show what you've learned about early Rome and its system of government by taking the short quiz here. I will read the questions and answer aloud to you.  

Game: 'Executive Command' Since the structure of the government of the United States of America owes so much to the ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans, spend some time imagining that you are the President of the United States in the BrainPop game 'Executive Command.' Step into the President's shoes! Do your best to run a government while keeping the country's citizens healthy and safe. 

You can access the game by clicking on "GAMEUP" and then "Executive Command." Enjoy learning a little about how our system of government works!  

 

Homework Please make sure you complete and 'turn in' the assignment Ancient Rome: A New Power Rises (Reading and Fill-in-the-Blank) within Google Classroom before the end of class tomorrow. 

Rise of the Roman Republic

 Today's Learning Objective  * Identify the location and describe the rise of the Roman Republic.

Warm-Up  Learn about how Ancient Rome was ruled over the years by checking out the link here from BBC Primary History and reading the section "How was Rome ruled?". (Make sure to hover over key terms in yellow to discover their meanings). Then go and participate in a digital conversation about the changing nature of Roman governance at TodaysMeet here. What did you learn about Roman Rule? What surprised you? If you were an ancient Roman, which form of Roman government do you think would have been best? Share and explain your ideas.     

EdPuzzle: 'Journals Through History: Ancient Rome' Now head on over to EdPuzzle, login, and locate the video "Journals Through History: Ancient Rome." Use your headphones, watch the video carefully, and answer the questions along the way. If you don't finish in class, the assignment needs to be completed for homework. We will have a quiz on the content tomorrow.  

Homework (1.) Make at least one appropriate comment at TodaysMeet about Roman rule. (2.) Study for your quiz. Review and make sure your understand the content from both the BBC Primary History link and the EdPuzzle video.   

Welcome to Ancient Rome

 Today's Learning Objective  * Identify the location and describe the rise of the Roman Republic, including the importance of such mythical and historical figures as Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, Cincinnatus, Julius Caesar, and Cicero. 

Warm-Up  Welcome to Ancient Rome. Romulus and Remus are the legendary twin brothers who according to myth founded the city of Rome. Read about Romulus and Remus here and then take the quiz here. Next, we will watch the Romulus and Remus video below.  

  

Introduction to Ancient Rome: Digital Guided Reading Read along with Mr. Dowling as he introduces you to the new rising power of the ancient world - Rome. After reading, complete the Ancient Rome: A New Power Rises (Reading and Fill-in-the-Blank) worksheet that accompanies the text. You can access the document at your class's new Google Classroom site (Period 4 and Period 6). Class codes will be provided, which will allow you to join your class. 

The Geography of Ancient Rome: Map Exploration If time permits, check out the site here and using a set of digital maps explore how the geography of Rome changes over time.  

Homework Complete the Ancient Rome: A New Power Rises (Reading and Fill-in-the-Blank) assignment.  

The Death and Legacy of Alexander the Great

 Today's Learning Objective  * Trace the rise of Alexander the Great and the spread of Greek culture. 

Video of the Day Let's review some of Alexander's greatest accomplishments through a parody musical video produced by Horrible Histories.  

Primary Source: The Death of Alexander the Great In our examination of history we routinely review both primary and secondary sources. But what's the difference between the two? Watch the video below to find out. 

Now let's examine an example of a primary source which relies on actual eyewitnesses to the death of Alexander the Great. You can read it here. What makes Greek historian Arrian's account different from what you might read about Alexander's death in your Social Studies textbook? 

Guided Reading: The Legacy of Alexander the Great Now we will read excerpts from your Social Studies textbook, an example of a secondary source, about Alexander's death and enduring legacy. 

Homework Finish your Athens and Sparta - Comparison/Contrast Paragraph, which is due on Wednesday, May 6.

What's So Great About Alexander?

 Today's Learning Objective  * Trace the rise of Alexander the Great and the spread of Greek culture. 

Warm-Up Today we will be learning about one of the most famous and powerful figures in world history: Alexander the Great. Read a short description of Alexander's life and achievements at Ducksters and then share something you learned about the man on your class's Padlet wall. Period 4, your Padlet wall is here. Period 6, you can find your wall here.  

Alexander the Great Video Hour Let's continue to learn about Alexander the Great through a series of humorous historical videos.The first is from the team at Crash Course; the second is from the creative minds of Horrible Histories. What sort of portrait is being painted of Alexander? Does he come across as 'great' in your mind? If you have any new ideas or things you've learned about Alexander the Great, you may add them to your class's Padlet wall. 

Group Discussion: Is Alexander Great or Not So Great? Today you and the members of your team are going to discuss Alexander the Great's achievements and whether they indicate greatness or something else entirely.In your Language Arts folders I have placed guidelines for "Scholarly Discourse." Feel free to use them to help guide your conversation with your classmates.Make a point to express your ideas using academic language, build upon each other's ideas, ask clarifying questions, and even disagree with each other in a scholarly manner.