Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome Museum Walk

California History Framework Standards Addressed:

6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social

structures during the development of Rome. 6.7.8 Discuss the legacies of Roman art and architecture, technology and science,

literature, language, and law.

Objectives (content/language): As they view the images, texts and accompanying video

clips on the seven greatest achievements of Ancient Rome students will increase their

understanding of the significance and impact of Ancient Rome’s accomplishments.

1. Anticipatory Set: Show students the first two minutes of the Discovery Channel’s video

on the Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvUMuu1WrT0

2. Purpose/Objective: “Today we are going to begin our unit on Ancient Rome with a

museum walk of Rome’s seven greatest accomplishments. As you rotate throughout the

exhibits think about how these major accomplishments changed the ancient world.”

3. Input: Discuss the legacy of Rome and its relevance to Western society today.

Emphasize the advanced achievements of the Romans for their time and the impact that has

left on our world. Explain assignment- 5 minute rotations, four bullet points minimum.

4. Modeling: Together place additional bullet points on graphic organizer on document

camera. Demonstrate scanning QR code to access the Discovery Channel video on ipads

and setting the video to the appropriate time to access additional information.

5. Check for Understanding: Review expectations for 5 minute rotations at each exhibit.

6. Guided Practice: Students will rotate throughout the seven exhibits and read the

accompanying information, writing a minimum of four bullet points per exhibit.

7. Independent Practice: N/A

Assessments (formal and informal): Students will complete the accompanying Graphic

Organizer as they rotate throughout the exhibits.

Closure: Have students write down two new things they learned today as an exit ticket.

Differentiation: Students will be assisted by their group members to find the information

in the exhibit texts.

Resources and Materials:

1. Seven wonders images and texts posted throughout the room, or placed on 7 table groups

for rotation.

2. ipads to add audiovisual element. This activity can be completed without ipads.

Ancient Wonder of

Rome

Notes

Circus

Maximus

Stadium

Build by Emperor

______________________________________________

Could hold ______________________________________

people

Trajan’s

Forum

Built by _______________________________________

Aqueduct

_______________________________ long network of

aqueducts

Baths

of

Caracalla

Built by

________________________________________________

Roman Roads

First road was _____________________________________

built by censor _____________________________________

A network of _____________________________________

miles of roads were built

Pantheon

Rebuilt by emperor _____________________________

Colosseum

Could hold over

____________________________________________

people

Building begun by emperor

________________________________________________

_

Circus Maximus

This stadium is the largest arena ever constructed! The

stadium could hold 250,000 people on four seating tiers. It is

twice the size of the largest stadium existing today, and has been

an inspiration to modern sports stadiums worldwide. It was most

famously used for chariot races, but also hosted beast and

gladiator fights. In a standard chariot race, twelve chariots would

complete seven laps around the 300 meter dividing barrier in the

center of the stadium. These races were so dangerous more than

50 charioteers died every year, but those that survived were

treated like celebrities.

Emperor Trajan commissioned the stadium to be built in

103 AD out of stone and concrete after an earlier wooden arena

burnt to the ground. The Romans were the first civilization to use

concrete, which allowed them to build strong and tall buildings

quickly. The use of concrete allowed the structure to stand for

500 years.

Want to learn more? Watch the Discovery Channel’s Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome video beginning at:

2:00 minutes

Trajan’s Forum

There were five forums in ancient Rome, but Trajan’s forum

was larger than all the other forums put together. It had a large

piazza (open meeting place) in the center, surrounded by arched

openings decorated with statues of Trajan. It was made of marble

and bronze with a triumphal arch, triumphal column, and a large

statue of Trajan on a horse. It contained Latin and Greek

libraries, a law court, a temple dedicated to Trajan himself and the

first world’s shopping center, Trajan’s Market.

Trajan’s Market was a five story shopping complex built to

hold 150 shops including bars and take-out shops. The shops

offered goods from all over the world. Ancient Romans would go

here to socialize, eat, shop, and relax just like we do in our malls

today.

Want to learn more? Watch the Discovery Channel’s Seven Wonders of Ancient Rome video beginning at:

10:45 minutes

Aqueducts

Rome couldn’t survive without fresh water. It needed it for drinking,

irrigation, and private and public baths and latrines. The Romans found a

way to bring fresh water from the natural springs several miles outside the

city to the people of Rome using aqueducts.

At the peak of Roman engineering, the Romans had a system of

over 400 miles of underground and above ground channels that provided

230 million gallons of water through 11 aqueducts to Rome’s 1 million

people. When the water arrived it was held in three large cisterns: one for

the general public, one for public baths, and one for private households

that paid a water tax. This was a luxury for the rich and helped cover the

costs of providing water for everyone.

The aqueducts carried water using gravity and a particular degree of

incline. Some of the water tunnels Romans built through hills were

constructed so well that they are still in use today! Drinking water passed

through several purification tanks to make it safe for consumption.

Romans used arches for the above ground portions of the aqueducts

because building tall solid walls was too expensive and unstable. However,

the arches also became unstable above 68 feet. When they had to build

even higher, the Romans constructed a second or third tier of arches on

top of the first. They also discovered a waterproof form of cement they

used when aqueducts had to pass through rivers or bodies of water.

Want to learn more? Watch the discovery channel’s video beginning at:

14:00 minutes

Baths of Caracalla

One of Rome’s most ruthless tyrants was the Emperor Caracalla. In his

desire to make a lasting name for himself he undertook to finish the enormous

bath complex begun by his father, Emperor Septimius Severus in 206 AD.

Though there were already over 900 public bath complexes throughout Rome,

none compared to the elaborate baths of Caracalla.

The complex spread over almost 30 acres and could hold up to 1,600

bathers at one time. In addition to having beautiful gardens, libraries, beauty

parlors, cafes, shops, and a temple, the baths had beautiful mosaics, statues, and

sculptures decorating the complex.

The central space contained several different types of baths. There were

baths of different temperatures including a Frigidarium, a cold water bath, a

Tepidarium, a tepid water bath, and a Caldarium, a hot water sauna. There were

also two gymnasiums and an Olympic size circular swimming pool with bronze-

panel mirrors above it to reflect sunlight on the pool area.

Though the baths were luxurious for the bathers, the slaves that worked

beneath the structure suffered. They had to man over 50 furnaces to heat the

baths, requiring more than 2,000 tons of wood. The baths required over 2 million

gallons of hot and cold water. A large system of terracotta pipes moved

freshwater in and wastewater out. Some pipes were hidden in the walls to

channel hot air from the beneath the baths to heat the rooms above.

Though Caracalla succeeded in building the most lavish bath complex in

Rome, he was not able to enjoy his accomplishment long. His bodyguard

assassinated him one year after the baths were opened to the public. The baths,

however, remained in use for 300 years.

Want to learn more? Watch the discovery channel’s video beginning at:

24:50 minutes

Roman Roads

The Romans used roads to connect their vast empire, facilitate trade, and

move their armies. They build a large network of roads throughout their empire

with Rome at its center, facilitating travel from Rome to far-away provinces. This

lead to the popular expression, “All roads lead to Rome”.

The Romans were excellent road builders. The first Roman road was

called the Via Appia, build by the Roman censor Appius Claudius Caecus,

specifically to transport troops to Apulia in 312 BC. Until this time roads were

just enhanced ancient paths designed to avoid rivers and hills. They didn’t

provide for efficient transport of vast armies like the Romans wanted. Within 200

years of the first road’s construction, the Romans built a network of over 50,000

miles of paved roads throughout their empire.

The Romans carefully planned their roads. Civil engineers used a

surveying system to plan the path of their roads in straight lines. This surveying

technique didn’t allow for turns and bends, so Romans cut through any natural

obstacles in their way. Engineers devised a way to make the roads last. First

they dug a trench and laid sand and small stones in it. Then they laid a layer of

gravel and mortar, and covered these layers with interlocking pavement stones to

make the surface flat. They also placed mile markers every 1,000 steps and

engraved them with the distance to the next town.

The Roman roads were built so well some parts of it are still used today.

One famous section of the Via Appia, called the Ancient Appian Way, stands

as a testament to the durability of Roman road construction. It is over 2,300

years old.

Want to learn more? Watch the discovery channel’s video beginning at:

26:00 min

Pantheon The Pantheon standing today was built by the Emperor Hadrian

after two previous Pantheons burnt down. It is one of Rome’s great

architectural accomplishments, and is the best-preserved Roman monument

standing today. Its construction has amazed and inspired architects

throughout the centuries. Renaissance architects such as Brunelleschi and

Michelangelo studied the Pantheon for inspiration on designing the domes

of Santa Maria del Fiore and St. Peter’s Basilica in Florence. The style

of the Pantheon can be seen in many of our government buildings,

universities, and libraries today.

The front space of the Pantheon, known as the Portico, is

supported by 16 granite columns imported from Egypt, each weighing 60

tons. The interior is a perfect circle, topped with a 142 ft diameter dome

with a 33 ft wide oculus (open hole) at its center. The dome of the

Pantheon is considered an engineering masterpiece. It is double the size of

any dome built before it, and remained the largest until the Renaissance

era. It is still the largest dome without reinforced concrete. To avoid the

massive dome collapsing under its own weight Roman engineers made it 21

ft thick at its base and gradually reduced it to 4 feet thick around the

oculus, which also serves to lighten the weigh of the dome and allow light

and ventilation into the temple.

The Pantheon was an ancient temple dedicated to all gods. Though

we don’t know what name the ancient Romans used for it, we call it the

Greek word Pantheon, “pan” meaning “all”, and “theon” meaning “gods”. In

the 7th century, it was converted into a church. Its continued use and

maintenance over the centuries by various religious orders helped to

preserve it over 2,000 years.

Want to learn more? Watch the discovery channel’s video beginning at:

35:15 minutes

Colosseum

The Emperor Vespasian began the work on the

Colosseum in 72 AD, and his son, Titus, oversaw its completion

in 80 AD. It was the biggest amphitheater in Ancient Rome.

The design of the Colosseum allowed 60,000 spectators to flow

in and out of its 75 entrances. The arches allowed for plenty of

open space and the use of concrete kept the structure strong.

Romans made concrete out of volcanic ash, lime, and a mixture of

rubble. Stone was used on the outer wall.

The Colosseum had gigantic awnings above the arena to

shade the audience from the sun. Beneath the arena floor there

were tunnels and rooms that held stage sets, gladiators, and wild

beasts. These could be lifted up to the arena floor using ramps

and lifts. Emperor Titus inaugurated the Colosseum with 100

days of gladiator matches, executions, animal hunts, and

reenactments of famous battles.

Want to learn more? Watch the discovery channel’s video beginning at:

38:50 minutes

Information taken from: http://www.documentary24.com/seven-wonders-of-

ancient-rome-roman-empire--1524/

Circus Maximus

Trajan’s Forum

Aqueducts

Pont du gard, France Nerja, Andalusia, Spain

Baths of Caracalla

Roman Roads

The Appian Way

Pantheon

Colosseum