A Recipe for Democracy - Roman Democracy Lesson Plans

 

You may be familiar with the phrase "When in Rome . . .". Like all phrases, this one may lose something in translation. For our purposes, this saying can mean: If you take your kids back in time to Ancient Rome, they'll pick up a thing or two along the way as a souvenir. Learning about democracy in Ancient Rome is an important component in building the foundation to understand our present system. 

When trying to immerse students in subject matter, it is essential to have the proper props and tools to motivate learning. Children can use bed sheets, preferably white, for an ancient fashion show. Roman Dress has great descriptions and illustrations of the Roman haute couture. When In Rome has video and links to websites describing the Roman hierarchy. Slaves, Labor Force and the Economy presents the rules dictating how differing classes interacted with each other on a day-to-day basis.

A person's position in the class system determined whether they could serve in governing bodies. Roman Cursus Honrum  outlines the different offices in the political system, and their position in the hierarchy. This information can help teachers or parents set up different stations in your "classroom", representing the political rungs. Literally walk the children through the political system. Take a rope and tape a portion of it to each "stage", connecting each spot along the tour. At the end, the children can see the intricate complexities of the Roman government, and the inherent checks and balances built within.  Ancient Rome Government has background information on the history, offices, and political structure.

No tour of Rome is complete without having a dictionary of key phrases. There are standard Latin phrases which are used in everyday speech. You can play a simple matching game with Latin words and their English equivalents. Common Latin Terms  provides a fun way for children to test their translation skills, and practice working together in a group.

The Roman political system is an important piece in the evolution of democracy. The checks and balances used in the Roman system are used today. Rome may have fallen, but its legacy continues to influence our own government.