Download Economy and Industry in Ancient Rome

Economy and Industry in Ancient Rome
Related Big Book Primary Sources: Roman Mosaic with Battle Scene; Roman Aqueduct; Money from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome
(See the list in the back of each Primary Sources of Ancient Civilizations book for the primary sources included in that book.)
Reading for Information:
Content:
• Remembering Facts (written, oral, graphic): Divide the class into small groups. Give each
group a sheet of art paper. Have the students divide the page into six sections and label the sections:
farmer, miner, landowner, miller, baker, and tax collector. Guide students with using the book to find
out more about these jobs and who performed them. Instruct the groups to work together to complete
the six-sectioned organizer by drawing a picture and writing sentences explaining the jobs in the
labeled sections. Point out to the class that this is an excellent note-taking procedure and strategy.
Display the posters in the classroom. Hold a class discussion on these jobs and whether or not they
exist today. Discuss how they may be performed using modern technology.
• Ancient Rome had a strong economy with a
variety of industries. There were three social
classes in ancient Rome. The patricians, or
upper class, owned land, and their income
came from rent and taxes. Much of their
time was occupied with political and leisure
activities. The working class, or plebeians,
were farmers, craftsman, and merchants.
The lowest class was made up of slaves,
who had to work without pay at difficult
tasks. The book explains many of the
businesses of ancient Rome, including
milling, baking, construction, mining, and
metalwork. As the Roman Empire spread,
so did the Roman markets. Food and
building materials were exchanged around
the empire and the known world for silks,
spices, and grain. While the Roman
economy boomed, taxes were becoming
a reality. People paid taxes to pay for
construction projects, food for the poor,
or for the emperor’s personal treasury.
The book explains how a money system
evolved that made the buying and selling
of goods easier and also strengthened
Rome’s economy.
Writing About History:
• Making Inferences (written, oral): Discuss the three different social classes of ancient Rome:
patricians, plebeians, and slaves. Assign each student the role of a person from one of these classes.
As that person, the student should write three journal entries of daily life. Instruct students to write one
journal entry describing their daily life and job in the first person, and the other two entries describing
their perspective on the daily lives and jobs of people from the other two social classes. Assign students
to groups of three, representing each of the three social classes of ancient Rome. Ask the students to
share their descriptions in their group. Reassemble as a class, and consider the small group discussions
by answering the following question: Were the descriptions similar? Why or why not?
Research Activities:
• Drawing Conclusions (written, oral, graphic): Divide the class into small groups. Give each
group a current world map. Explain to students that the Roman Empire spanned a large area. Assist
students in using resources to discover what areas were part of the Roman Empire. Have students use
a highlighter to indicate the Roman Empire on their map. Ask students to study the map and use the
book and other sources to help them to write an essay titled: How Rome’s Geography Helped with Its
Trade. Instruct students to provide specific examples of areas, routes, and the goods that were traded.
Guide each group with creating a bibliography of their sources.
Additional Resources:
Books:
• Ganeri, Anita, et al. Emperors and Gladiators. Columbus, OH: McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing, 2001.
• Hart, Avery, and Sandra Gallagher. Ancient Rome! Exploring the Culture, People and Ideas of this
Powerful Empire. Charlotte, VT: Williamson Publishing Company, 2001.
• Williams, Brian. Ancient Roman Jobs. Chicago: Heinemann Library, 2002.
Web sites:
• Due to the changing nature of Internet links, the Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., has developed an online
list of the Web sites related to the subject of this book. This site is updated regularly. Please use this
link to access the list: http://www.powerkidslinks.com/psaciv/econrom/
Objectives:
• Complete an organizer of pictures and
words describing jobs in ancient Rome.
• Assuming the role of either a patrician,
plebeian, or slave, write a journal entry
describing your daily life. Write two other
journal entries describing the daily life of
the other two social classes.
• Highlight the area of the Roman Empire on
a current map of the world. Write an essay
explaining how Rome’s geography was
helpful to its trade.
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