EAST MEETS WEST
What?
In our first unit we will focus in on Inter-trade and cultural connections of the Ancient and Early Modern period across the globe. Covering the period 250ad - 1250ad we will look at the increasing expansion and decline of early empires, exploring the causes and consequences of expansion. We will also focus on other factors that resulted in increasing global interaction such as trade, culture and religion.
Content
Rome – Expansion and decline
Silk Road - trade
Baghdad - culture
Crusades - religion
Our key critical thinking for this unit is to draw out the benefits and challenges of increased expansion and interaction in this period.
Content
Rome – Expansion and decline
Silk Road - trade
Baghdad - culture
Crusades - religion
Our key critical thinking for this unit is to draw out the benefits and challenges of increased expansion and interaction in this period.
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Why? |
big idea - political unity as a driver of interconnectedness
Case Study 1: Political interconnection - the roman empire 250Ad
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Activity 1: Introduction to RomeWatch the video of the expansion of the Roman Empire and think about the following questions;
1. What do you notice about the pattern of growth? 2. What period sees the most growth? 3. What reasons can you think of to explain the growth? 4. Explain how the following might encourage expansion;
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Activity 2: MApping the Expansion of the Roman Empire
What factors were responsible for the expansion of the Roman Empire?
Activity 3: How was Rome fed and supplied? What was the benefit of expansion?
How exactly were the people of the Roman empire fed and supplied? In 50BC Rome was largely self-sufficient in the things that it needed, though this did not provide for all of its wants. As the Roman Republic expanded in the 1st Century BC and AD to encompass much of Western Europe, North Africa and the Middle East it was able to get more of the goods that it wanted. This expansion was driven largely by political forces namely consuls and emperors that sought to expand Romes power. In the activity below you will identify how political expansion brought benefits to the people of Rome and it's empire in increased wealth.
i. On the map of the Roman Empire identify each of the Roman Provinces and what benefits they brought to the empire in terms of trade. Also find out the date at which the province was annexed (conquered) by the Romans.
Activity 4: Take a trip to Ancient Rome
Username: bish
Password: bish123
Password: bish123
Activity 5: Does Rome need another province?
Studying the range of sources below write a report for the Roman emperor Claudius evaluating the benefits and costs of expanding the Roman empire into the British Isles. Below you will find a list of prompts to help you write your report:
Lesson 3: Why had the Roman Empire become so fragile by the 5th century ad?
Activity 1: Providing an analytical Summary of Causation
Collaborative Task: Work in Groups of 3 or 4.
As a group you must research, analyse and explain the main causes of the decline and end of the Roman Empire.
You can use the file below to help you structure and record the information you will need to produce your summary.
When you have completed the research you should categorize the reasons for the decline and end of the empire. This will help you write a summary that is more than just narrating a story but will encourage you to analyze causes. There are ways to do this, below are some causation ideas and scaffolds to help:
You should provide a summary of the main causes of the decline and end of the Roman Empire. How you present your findings is up to you as a group. Some suggestions;
A keynote presentation
A recorded explanation
An iMovie
A Speech
An oral presentation
A poster
An infographic
As a group you must research, analyse and explain the main causes of the decline and end of the Roman Empire.
You can use the file below to help you structure and record the information you will need to produce your summary.
When you have completed the research you should categorize the reasons for the decline and end of the empire. This will help you write a summary that is more than just narrating a story but will encourage you to analyze causes. There are ways to do this, below are some causation ideas and scaffolds to help:
- Political, Social and Economic Causes (PSE)
- Short Term and Long Term Causes
You should provide a summary of the main causes of the decline and end of the Roman Empire. How you present your findings is up to you as a group. Some suggestions;
A keynote presentation
A recorded explanation
An iMovie
A Speech
An oral presentation
A poster
An infographic
Resources
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8 Reasons Why Rome Fell
The most straightforward theory for Western Rome's collapse pins the fall on a string of military losses sustained against outside forces. Rome had tangled with Germanic tribes for centuries, but by the 300s "barbarian" groups like the Goths had encroached beyond the Empire's borders.
Lesson 4: Debating The benefits and costs of Roman expansion
Hail Caesar,
Most Divine, across the seas from Gaul the land of the Britons exists...
Your great uncle the divine Julius temporarily invaded the land of the Britons almost a century ago, you will know that the Britons are...
However the benefits that this conquest and the further expansion can bring our empire are many fold...
Politically the land of the Britons is...
Economically the land can bring many benefits to our empire...
The Social benefits to our empire and to the Britons should we expand include...
I advise you divine princeps that the land of the Britons.... (evaluate whether Rome should invade Britain and the most important benefits it will bring)
REFLECTION: To be successful it is expected that you use all of the ancient sources and secondary evidence above.
Your evaluation should balance the benefits of expansion and costs of expansion and give a reasoned conclusion.
Most Divine, across the seas from Gaul the land of the Britons exists...
Your great uncle the divine Julius temporarily invaded the land of the Britons almost a century ago, you will know that the Britons are...
However the benefits that this conquest and the further expansion can bring our empire are many fold...
Politically the land of the Britons is...
Economically the land can bring many benefits to our empire...
The Social benefits to our empire and to the Britons should we expand include...
I advise you divine princeps that the land of the Britons.... (evaluate whether Rome should invade Britain and the most important benefits it will bring)
REFLECTION: To be successful it is expected that you use all of the ancient sources and secondary evidence above.
Your evaluation should balance the benefits of expansion and costs of expansion and give a reasoned conclusion.
Additional reading and resources
| the_roman_republic_expansion.docx |
Additional Resources: Ancient Rome
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Downfall of the Roman EMpire game
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big idea- economies and Trade as a driving factor of interconnection
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ECONOMICS: What were the challenges for the people of Tasmania of being isolated? How do human populations benefit from trade and why is trade in objects, ideas and technology almost always a good thing - This is the economic theory of Comparative advantage!
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Activity One: Traveling the Silk Road - Developing Understanding
| mapping_and_travelling_the_silk_road.docx |
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Maritime traders had different challenges to face on their lengthy journeys. The development of sailing technology, and in particular of ship-building knowledge, increased the safety of sea travel throughout the Middle Ages.
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| on_the_silk_road_with_sam_willis.docx |
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What were the benefits of the Silk Route? |
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Activity 2: Sources Exercise: Passages from the Journey of Marco Polo
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Marco Polo's extraordinary journey was captured in his Book of the Marvels of the World. There is some discussion over the authenticity of the journey, but few doubt that it gives by the standards of the time as accurate an account of the East and the Silk Road as can be expected by a Medieval European.
In Activity 2 you will use your background knowledge and understanding of Polo and the Silk Road to develop your skills as an historian in dealing with primary source material .
A historian needs to develop their skills over time to be able to confidently:
Your teacher may decide to read the sources below with you in order and discuss the skills above with you as they go. Be prepared to annotate ideas on your own copy that you can download below the gallery. You should then write answers to each of the 4 questions.
In Activity 2 you will use your background knowledge and understanding of Polo and the Silk Road to develop your skills as an historian in dealing with primary source material .
A historian needs to develop their skills over time to be able to confidently:
- Infer meaning from sources deductively and inductively
- Corroborate sources for agreement and disagreement
- Analyse the usefulness of sources for answering an enquiry question.
Your teacher may decide to read the sources below with you in order and discuss the skills above with you as they go. Be prepared to annotate ideas on your own copy that you can download below the gallery. You should then write answers to each of the 4 questions.
| marco_polo_-_evidence.docx |
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Use the Powerpoint and the sources to consider what great travel writing looks like...
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| baghdad_guide.pdf |
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