Grade 7 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 11, Lesson 2

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Across the Centuries

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 11, Lesson 2: The Byzantine Empire (pp. 289-294)

The Big Idea
Framework Concepts: Diversity and Conflict Although the western half of the Roman Empire fell, the Byzantine Empire continued to thrive in the eastern half. The Eastern Orthodox Church, with the Emperor as its head, developed its own forms of worship.

Remind students that although the western half of the Roman Empire fell, the eastern half -- called the Byzantine Empire -- continued to thrive for hundreds of years. On the board write and circle the words "West" and "East." Ask students to consider what they know about the society that developed in Europe in the Middle Ages and about the societies in the East. Using their ideas, create a pair of concept webs comparing the most likely similarities and differences between the two cultures that grew up after the Roman Empire split.

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

Ask students to make up a report to be sent with the message to Pope Urban II. The report should tell what were the achievements of the Byzantine Empire and why the Pope should help defend it.
Have students create an illustrated map showing borders and cities in the Byzantine Empire, feudal Europe, the Mongol Empire, and other Islamic empires. Students may need to look up maps in other chapters in the book in order to gather all the information they need.

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