Grade 6 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 14, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A Message of Ancient Days

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 14, Lesson 1: The Early Empire (pp. 430-435)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture Under the early Roman emperors, the Roman empire enjoyed a long period of growth and peace.

Describe the events that led to the establishment of emperors, making reference to Caesar and his successor Augustus. Point out Augustus's accomplishments, and establishment of Roman dynasties. Explain and discuss the Pax Romana.

Use the map on page 433 to point out how large the Roman Empire became. Talk about the ways in which the emperors kept this vast empire unified and how those ways also worked to spread Roman culture.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have students describe a trip through the provinces. Ask them to outline the route they would take to cover the major parts of the Roman empire, as shown on the map on page 433. Have them name three things they might see on their trip that would remind them of Rome.
Ask students to look closely at the picture of Bath on p. 435 and notice the statues decorating the building. Have students design two statues of famous Romans to decorate the entrance to a Roman amphitheater. Each statue should have something on it that helps identify who the Roman is, e.g. a statue of Hadrian could show him standing with his hand on a wall.

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