Tips for Teaching the Romans

Dictatorships, Julius Caesar, Pompeii, and the Coliseum, are only a few things in history you may address when teaching the Romans. As fascinating and in depth as the history of the Romans is, you may still struggle with getting your students to learn this important part of world history.  Of course, the wars and the fall of Roman civilizations may hold some intrigue, but what about the other things your students need to learn.  Well, probably the most important tip you will ever receive for teaching the Romans is to make it interesting and bring the subject to life, but this is easier said then done.  However, there is help and tips for lessons plans or class activities that you can use to make teaching the Romans more than just another part of history, and a few of these tips are as follows:

• When you first begin teaching the Romans, you can start this project that will last through out the duration of this part of history.  You and your students can create a timeline of Roman history.  If possible, either have each of your students create miniature time lines, using items such as construction paper and paint, and each time you enter into a new phase of the Romans, add to the time line.
• This tip is really fun for the students and it deals with the dictatorships, such as Julius Caesar, in the history of the Romans.  What you do is put all your students’ names in a hat and choose one.  The student chosen will be the dictator for the day; he/she will be able to make most of the decisions for the class, from who gets to stand first in line to who sits where in the classroom.  At the end of the class or the next day, let each of your students express how living under a dictatorship affected them, etc...
• Instead of having your students write an essay or paper on the Romans, have them choose one famous Roman that was interesting to them and act out or role play something that Roman did in history.  This is similar to doing a biography, but instead of writing the students are talking.
• When teaching the Romans, as with teaching any part of history, food is always a great path to take.  Have a day called “A Taste of Rome” or “Eating like the ancient Romans” and have your students bring in a Roman dish.  You might explain how the dish came to existence in Rome, or how the ancient Romans would prepare meals.

Teaching the Romans can be as fun and intriguing as you make it, all you need to do is research a little and bring the subject to life in the classroom.  From recreating war scenes, building miniature Roman structures, to interviewing students pretending to be famous Roman dictators; you can make teaching the Romans more than just another part of history.  In fact, with a little imagination, you can bring Rome to your classroom.