Materials

• Drawing paper
• Blank maps of Europe, Africa, and Asia
• Teacher-provided resources, media center, and/or Web access

Instructional Activities

NOTE: The following Web resource may be helpful in teaching this session:

•“Ancient Roman Timeline.” <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/romans/rome_timeline.shtml>

1. Review the content covered to this point in the unit.
   
   
2. Provide each student blank drawing paper cut into strips to develop a timeline. Instruct students to use their textbook and available reference materials from the media center or Web sites to develop a timeline that traces the evolution of the Roman Republic from approximately 500 B.C. through the Pax Romana and the spread of Roman culture. (The Web site above, titled “Ancient Roman Timeline,” may be of assistance.)
   
   
3. After an appropriate time, instruct students to move into groups of 3 or 4 and compare their timelines. At this point, students should check each other’s timelines for inclusion of the following information:
   Mediterranean basin (Africa, Asia, Europe, including the Hellenistic world of the Eastern Mediterranean)
   Western Europe (Gaul, British Isles)
   
   
4. Distribute blank maps of Europe, Africa, and Asia to students, and instruct them to shade the territory that comprised the Roman Empire at its most expansive.