Download DBQM6RomanRepublic04-01-2014

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Measures of Student Learning
Performance Assessment
Grade 6 Social Studies Assessment
Topic: Ancient Civilizations
Theme: Impact of Civilizations on History
Background: The Romans were one of the most influential civilizations in history. Today we use
their system of government, copied their art, their architecture, and many other aspects of their
civilization. Throughout the Roman Republic, the Romans could not agree on exactly how their
government would function. The most significant conflict was between the Plebeians and the
Patricians and this conflict would eventually cause Roman government to collapse and turn into an
empire. Was the freedom the Romans had worth the price they eventually paid or was their
government so stricken with problems that it couldn’t manage Roman civilization properly?
Inquiry Question: Did the Roman Republic have a good system of government or did it cause the
Romans too many problems to be worth having?
Part I.A – Document Analysis
(suggested time – 30 min.)
Directions: Review and read each of the following documents numbered 1-5. After each document,
answer the questions using the space provided. Remember to read and look at the document
carefully so that you can refer to specific facts and evidence in the text to support your ansder in
response to the inquiry question. As you read, keep in mind that textes have been edited. Here is a
guide to the types of edits:
 The mark with three dots (…) means that the words have been left out from the original.
 The mark with brackets [] means that the words have been replaced with more familiar words.
 The mark with brackets [] can also mean the word before the brackets is being defined for you.
Write your answer in complete sentences.
Document 1
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Grade 6 Social Studies Assessment (Roman Republic)
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I will write a history of Rome. How Rome ran its government. How Rome went to war. How
Rome elected magistrates and the effectiveness of its laws over all of its citizens. The tyranny of the
last king made the freedom Rome created all the better. The kings treated the people so badly that
they should not even count as having started civilization in the city of Rome. Freedom for Romans
came from the fact that Consuls could only serve one year. This kept the Consuls from getting too
powerful. The first Consuls kept the symbols of power that the old kings had, such as the fasces.
The old king Tarquin had killed many senators, so one of Consul Brutus’ first jobs was to fill the
empty seats in the senate. He did this by promoting people of the “equestrian” rank to that of
Senator. They were called “conscripti” where the old Senators kept their title of “patres”. This
allowed the patricians and plebeians to work nicely together.
Livy, The History of Rome
1. According to Livy, what problems did Rome have when it was ruled by the Etruscans? Why were
these problems so bad?
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2. According to Livy, what are some solutions to these problems? Did they work?
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 2
Negotiations were then entered upon for a reconciliation. An agreement was arrived at, the
terms being that the plebs should have its own magistrates, whose persons were to be inviolable,
and who should have the right of affording protection against the consuls. And further, no patrician
should be allowed to hold that office.
Aemilius had already in his former consulship advocated the grant of land to the plebeians. As
he was now consul for the second time, the agrarian party entertained hopes that the Law would be
carried out; the tribunes took the matter up in the firm expectation that after so many attempts they
would gain their cause now that one consul, at all events, was supporting them; the consul's views on
the question remained unchanged. Those in occupation of the land - the majority of the patricians complained that the head of the State was adopting the methods of the tribunes and making himself
popular by giving away other people's property, and in this way they shifted all the odium from the
tribunes on to the consul. There was every prospect of a serious contest, had not Fabius smoothed
matters by a suggestion acceptable to both sides, namely, that as there was a considerable quantity
of land which had been taken from the Volscians the previous year, under the auspicious generalship
of T. Quinctius, a colony might be settled at Antium, which, as a seaport town, and at no great
distance from Rome, was a suitable city for the purpose.
Livy, The History of Rome
1. According to Livy, what were the Patricians and the Plebeians arguing over?
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2. What were the solutions to these problems? Did the solutions work?
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 3
[5.1] There was peace throughout the Mediterranean Sea, except for the war that was occurring between Veii
and Rome. The fighting was so vicious that one of these cities was going to be completely destroyed.
[5.37] During the war, the Gauls learned that their embassy had been treated disrespectfully. Men who had
damaged their embassy had been rewarded by the Senate. There were messages from Clusium that they
were travelling south towards Rome. The speed that they travelled had the people of Rome very scared. The
Romans drafted everyday citizens into the army, who were not prepared to fight because they were not
soldiers. The Roman army and the Gauls met at a place near Rome where the Alia river joins the Tiber river.
[5.38] Bennus the chieftain of the Gauls, attacked the Roman army where they were weak. He thought his
greater numbers would give him an easy victory. Luck and strategy were both on the side of the Gauls. Most
of the Roman army reached Veii safely after being beaten by the Gauls at the Alia river. Some of the men
from the Roman army fled back to Rome but locked themselves in the Citadel and left the gates to the city
undefended.
[5.41] The Gauls had a good night’s rest after the battle and entered Rome through the Colline gate without
any violence occurring. They came to the Forum, the temples, and the Citadel. A Gaul had been standing in
the street stroking his beard and Papirius hit him on the head with his ivory staff. The Gauls killed him first and
then killed the magistrates and everyone else who wasn’t in the Citadel. They looted and burned the houses
next.
[5.48] Hunger began to affect both the Gauls and the Romans, and diseases started to break out amongst the
Gauls. Their camp was near swamps that were full of malaria. They started to die off like sheep.
Livy, The History of Rome
1. What problem faced Rome in this passage? Did the Romans have a good solution to this
problem? Explain.
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2. How could a different form of government prevented the problem Rome was facing?
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 4
[21.1] The war I am about to discuss was the most important war that Rome has ever fought. This
was the war with the Carthaginians, who were led by their general Hannibal. No two nations have
ever fought a bigger war, with more men and conquered more land than Rome and Carthage. They
were fully prepared, using all of the resources of their nation, and they knew the tactics of their
enemy because they had already fought the first Punic War. Early in this Second Punic War, things
went badly for Rome, but they eventually were victorious over the Carthaginians. As strong as both
countries were, their hatred for each other was even stronger. The Romans were furious because
the Carthaginians attacked them. The Carthaginians felt the Romans were brutal tyrants. Hamilcar
was the person who made this war happen. Hamilcar made his son, Hannibal, swear his hatred for
Rome. Hamilcar was furious that Rome had taken Sicily and Sardinia in the First Punic War and he
wanted them back.
Livy, The History of Rome
1. What do the Carthaginians accuse Rome of? Should Rome be guilty of something like this given
their form of government? Explain.
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2. What problems does this passage show that Rome’s government has?
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 5
The Romans were long at a loss, the succour demanded being so obviously unjustifiable. For
they had just inflicted on their own fellow-citizens the highest penalty for their treachery to the people
of Rhegium, and now to try to help the Mamertines, who had been guilty of like offence not only at
Messene but at Rhegium also, was a piece of injustice very difficult to excuse. But fully aware as
they were of this, they yet saw that the Carthaginians had not only reduced Libya to subjection, but a
great part of Spain besides, and that they were also in possession of all the islands in the Sardinian
and Tyrrhenian Seas. They were therefore in great apprehension lest, if they also became masters
of Sicily, they would be most troublesome and dangerous neighbours, hemming them in on all sides
and threatening every part of Italy.
Polybius, The Histories
1. Should the Romans have helped the Mamertines? Why or why not?
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2. Is there something wrong with Roman government if they help a group of people like the
Mamertines? Explain.
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 6
Marius was elected by a large margin. Even though it was against the laws and traditions of
the Roman army, he allowed poor people to become soldiers. Normally a commander would only
give weapons to a soldier whose family already paid a large amount of money to Rome, but Marius
gave weapons to poor men who paid nothing. This wasn’t what made people angry with Marius the
most. He also made rude and arrogant speeches in which he cursed the nobles of Rome. He
claimed he had won the office of Consul because the rich were weak. Marius claimed he had
wounds from battle to prove himself, not statues of his grandparents.
Plutarch, Parallel Lives
1. What does it say about Roman government that Marius was elected?
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2. Should Marius made the important decision that he did? Did it have the effect he wanted it to
have? Explain.
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Document 7
Rome first began as a city state under the Etruscan kings. After this they had freedom that can only
come from being ruled by consuls. Dictatorships were always temporary and were only used when needed.
Cinna and Sulla weren't tyrants for very long. Pompey and Crassus were defeated by Caesar so they couldn't
hurt the people. Lepidus and Antony were defeated by Augustus who granted himself the title of Princeps
(“First Citizen”) and brought peace to a Roman people who were very tired of war. There have been many
histories written of the Roman Republic, but none of the current Roman age. The histories of Tiberius,
Caligula, Claudius and Nero need to be told. I shall try and tell their history without taking sides.
When Brutus and Cassius were killed, any hopes of returning to the Republic disappeared. When
Pompey was beaten in Sicily, Lepidus and Antony killed, only Caesar remained. He started off as consul,
making the army happy with more pay, the people happy by giving them cheap food, and everyone else happy
with peace. He gradually tried to combine the power of the Senate, the Magistrates and the Tribunes all into
one office which he would control. Anyone who opposed him was killed or arrested. The people outside of
Rome were happy to have Augustus in control because all of the magistrates were corrupt and fighting with
one another to get more power.
Tacitus, The Histories
1. Did Roman government get better or worse during the events discussed by Tacitus? Explain.
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2. What do the problems Roman government had in this passage say about how good their
government was? Were these problems fixable? Explain.
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3. What are two pieces of evidence from the document that support your answer?
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Part I.B Document Integration
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(Suggested time: 15 minutes)
Directions: Use the chart below to plan the ways in which you will analyze the topic across sevral
primary and secondary sources for your essay. You will be assessed on the completion of the chart.
(See example below for guidance.)
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Source Type: Identify whether document is a primary or secondary source.
Claim: What position does the author present in the document?
Agree: Indicate which other documents agree with the identified claim.
Disagree: Indicate which other documents disagree with the identified claim.
Document
Document 1
Source Type
Claim
Agree
Disagree
Document 2
Document 3
Document 4
Document 5
Document 6
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Name__________________________
Date_______________________________
Date_______________________________
Part II: Writing a Historical Document
(Suggested time: 45 minutes)
Inquiry Question: Did the Roman Republic have a good system of government or did it cause the
Romans too many problems to be worth having?
Directions: Using information from the documents, you will now write an argument answering the
inquiry question.
Be Sure to:
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Introduce your topic, creating an argument in response to the inquiry question.
Develop your argument with textual evidence from the documents.
o Accurately indentify all primary and secondary sources when using evidence from
the source.
o Make connections between the documents by comparing information and noting
difference between the documents.
o Use evidence from the documents to support both claim(s) and counterclaim(s).
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Provide an accurate summary of historical information, including outside information on the
topic not found in the documents when possible.
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Provide a concluding statement supporting your argument.
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Maintain a formal style and objective tone in your writing.
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Grade 6 Social Studies Assessment (Roman Republic)
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