Download Sample Lesson: "Creating a Roman Road"

Lesson 2 Creating a Roman Road
Stage 1
Lesson Overview
• Lesson Objective
Students will read, research and take notes on the Roman highway
system. Students will then develop a Roman road system mural which
will cover the perimeter of the classroom.
• Time Required
Two to three 45 minute time periods
• Materials Required
Pencils
Black, grey, brown, orange, red markers
Grey, brown construction paper
Long pieces of white or grey butcher paper
Reproducible:
“Roman Roads”
• Other Support Materials
The Romans by Peter Chrisp
Roman Places by Sarah Howarth
The Romans by Jon Haywood
The Roman News by Andrew Langley, Philip De Souza
The Time Trekkers Visit the Romans by Antony Mason
What Do We Know About the Romans? by Mike Corbishley
Ancient Rome Cultural Atlas for Young People by Mike Corbishley
PAST PORTS
CONNECTION
Murals were popular
forms of art in ancient
Rome. In this lesson,
students create Roman
road murals that encircle
the classroom and serve
as a display vehicle for
the Roman portraits,
maps, timelines and
other creations.
Background Information
Romans depended on efficient roads for communication, troop passage,
and trade. It was also very important for Rome to keep in touch with all
the provinces it had conquered. Many miles of highway crisscrossed
Rome, and people of every position traveled the roads. On average, a
strong walker could cover 20 to 25 miles in a day, while a Cursus
Publicus courier might cover 40 miles each day. Some people walked;
others rode on horseback or in a cart. Still others (usually the rich)
traveled in lecticas, a fancy, platform box carried by four strong
people.
Building a new road involved the survey work and the physical
labor of construction. A road surveyor used a groma to measure the
land. They stood on a high point to measure low stretches. The surveyor
used centuriation, a system of dividing land into large blocks, with
roads running along the side. Members of the army built the roads after
the surveying was complete. First they dug trenches to lay the road
base. The trenches were three feet deep and 23 feet wide. Into the
trenches they poured a layer of sand, then stone blocks set in cement,
CURRICULUM
CONNECTION
Reading
Math
Science
Art
Communication
Problem solving
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then gravel mixed with concrete. The top surface of roads were made of
tough stone slabs or cobblestones. This road surface was curved downward on the edges to allow water drainage into ditches or gutters on the
sides. The roads were 15 feet wide (4.5 m) and 3 feet (.9m) high.
Milestone markers made of short columns of stone labeled each
mile of the road. These markers were engraved with the distance to the
next town. A Roman mile was about 4,790 feet long—a bit shorter than
our current mile of 5,280 feet. These markers acted as road signs for
travelers on the Roman highway.
✍
?
DID YOU
KNOW?
The Roman Empire
included sections of what is
currently called Europe.
Many Roman roads still
exist and are used today.
☞
?
DID YOU
KNOW?
The concrete used in
Roman road construction
was made of volcanic ash,
lime, gravel and water.
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Activities
• Meet at the Cursus Publicus to discuss today’s activities.
• Students read and research information about the Roman system of
highways then become engineers and soldiers building the highways.
• Encourage students to divide the labor . Some students should become
the planners while others become the workers
• Divide the class into groups of four. Give each group a section of the
room to prepare their portion of the highway.
• The width and length of each group’s portion of the road should be
the same. Note: These dimensions will depend on the available space in
the classroom.
• Each section of highway should include a small portion that illustrates
the layers of the road. The rest of each group’s section can be the top
cobblestone layer.
• Add milestone markers, maps, timelines, self-portraits, and other
extensions to the highway. Possible cities for milestone markers are:
Ostia, Naples, Puteoli, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Carthage, Troy,
Nemausis, Pompeii, Tarquinii, Ravenna, Athens etc. The distance
should relate to each city’s location from Rome.
• Return to the Cursus Publicus to discuss the processing questions.
Extensions
• Invite a guest speaker from the city, county, or state department of
transportation to talk about road construction.
• Design stone markers resembling milestones. Milestones were used for
each mile telling the traveler how far it would be to the next town.
• Design maps that a Roman traveler might use, including landmarks.
• Calculate distances between ancient Roman cities.
• A Roman mile was 4,790 feet. Compare this to an American mile
(5,280 feet). How many kilometers is this? (Answer: 80,500 km)
• Research some of the specific roads. Find out where they went, what
they were used for and what they were called (e.g. Appian Way highway
built in 312 B.C.)
• Concrete was invented during the Roman time period. Research
information about concrete today. Compare and contrast the two.
• Investigate current day road signs and markers and compare these to
Roman ones.
Processing Questions
?
• Why was it so important to the Romans to have such a sophisticated
road system?
• Discuss the level of endurance for this highway system to last until
today.
• Discuss how you would feel if you were a Roman soldier building the
road. What would you enjoy about your work? What hardships would
you face?
Evaluation
✔
Students will be able to describe orally and visually to another Roman
person how the road was built and who used it.
?
DID YOU
KNOW?
The Appian Way was the
main road from Rome.
This road ran for 100
miles to Capua. After
Spartacus’ revolt, slaves
were crucified every 100
feet along this road.
?
DID YOU
KNOW?
Nineteen roads led to
Rome itself.
26
Roman Roads
Romans depended on efficient roads for communication, troop passage, and trade.
It was also very important for Rome to keep in touch with all the provinces it had
conquered.
Building a new road included the survey work and the physical labor of construction. A road surveyor used a groma to measure the land. They stood on a high
point to measure low stretches. The surveyor used centuriation, a system of dividing
land into large blocks, with roads running along the side. Members of the army built
the roads after the surveying was complete. First they dug trenches to lay the road
base. The trenches were three feet deep and 23 feet wide. Into the trenches they
poured a layer of sand, then stone blocks set in cement, then gravel mixed with concrete. The top surface of roads were made of tough stone slabs or cobblestones. This
road surface was curved downward on the edges to allow water drainage into ditches
or gutters on the sides. The roads were 15 feet wide (4.5 cm) and 3 feet (.9m) high.
Milestone markers made of short columns of stone labeled each mile of road. These
markers were engraved with the distance to the next towns. A Roman mile was about
4,790 feet long – a bit shorter than our current mile of 5,280 feet. These markers
acted as road signs for travelers on the Roman highway.
27