Target Curriculum: World History, World Geography
Target Grades: 8, 9, and 10
SOLs: HSS 8.4, HSS 9.2, HSS10.11, C/T 8.4
Time: One to Two Class Periods
Objective and Goals:
Students will understand the Roman influence on the landscape of Beit Shean, Masada, and Zippori
Purpose:
This lesson requires students to practice critical thinking skills. They will compare Ancient Roman influences on the Middle East region (Beit Shean, Masada, and Zippori) with Ancient Roman influences still present in our culture today.
Materials:
A computer lab
Procedure:
- Divide students into groups based on the number of computers in the computer lab.
- Explain to students that the object of the lesson is to explore the Internet sites on Roman history in Israel and write a short paragraph on each site. They will also research ancient sites of Roman influence and create a list of items existent in the ancient Roman periods that are seen in some form in our own culture. Explain to students that these items could be ones that have been expanded and improved in modern culture.
- Create a short worksheet listing the following sites: Masada, Beit Shean, and Zippori.
- List the following Internet sites on the worksheet:
- Masada
- Beit Shein (also called Scythopolis)
- Zippori (also called Sepphoris)
- After giving students ample time to conduct research, meet again as group. Conduct discussion session.
Observation:
This lesson provides students with opportunities to learn more about Ancient Roman influences and Israeli archaeology while practicing computer skills.
Conclusions:
After completing this lesson, students will be more knowledgeable of how culture today has been heavily influenced by Ancient Rome. They will also have a deeper understanding of the influence the Roman Empire had on Middle East culture.
For Your Information:
It is imperative that the teacher monitor students' work on the computers while accessing the Internet sites. The teacher will need to provide assistance for students with less developed computer skills. I have found that students are quite excited about learning when they are given an opportunity to conduct research via Internet.
Extension:
- Have students conduct additional research in the library on the Ancient Roman influences on our own culture. There are numerous influences that are not addressed in the above lesson.
- Print a map of Israel and have the students label the location of Masada, Beit Shean, and Zippori on the map.
Class Discussion Questions:
- List the ways that our culture has been influenced by Roman culture as evidenced in Masada, Beit Shein, and Zippori.
- List ways that our culture has been influenced by Roman culture, which may not necessarily be evident in the sites studied.
- Why do you think the ancient Roman culture has so heavily influenced our culture?
Cautions and Concerns:
This lesson is more effective if the groups are limited to small numbers. Too many students assigned to a computer often results in inefficient use of time.
Written By: Karen Cross
Submitted By: Karen Cross
Grade Taught:
School: E.B. Stanley Middle School (http://ebsms.wcs.k12.va.us)
Division: Washington County Public Schools (http://www.wcs.k12.va.us)