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Download Sample Lesson: "Creating a Roman Road"
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Transcript
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 24 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. 25 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