Lesson #30 - The Legacy of Rome
Today, let's try to assess Rome's impact on world history. I always try to keep our focus on the "So what?" type of questions. In other words, "What is important for us to know?" "Why should we know it?" In that spirit, we'll close by looking at the lasting impact of Rome. As a group, I want us to come up with the "Top Ten Legacies of Ancient Rome." You've no doubt got a lot of ideas. In addition, here's an article called "The Legacy of Rome." We'll give you ten minutes to work on this, alone or in a group, and then we'll see what you come up with.
Finally, we'll bring this up to today and talk about whether this has anything to do with the modern United States. Here's the "big question":
Is the United States an "empire" in decline?
Let's consider some of the reasons established in this The Fall of the Roman Empire handout. For each category, try to think of parallels/ differences
between Rome and the United States of today.
- Decline in Morals and Values
- Public Health
- Political Corruption
- Unemployment
- Inflation
- Urban decay
- Inferior Technology
- Military Spending
If the United States and the Roman Empire are comparable, do you believe were are destined to suffer the same fate? Why or why not?
If time permits, we can examine some possible solutions to the problems you may have identified.
You can use any remaining time to get started on the "homework" below.
I'm going to give you all three of the Chapter 7 reading quizzes to take home with you. That means you won't have an "in-class" quiz either Tuesday or Wednesday when we return. You'll be much better prepared for class on Tuesday, January 3rd if you have read the chapter and completed the three quizzes by then.
Don't forget about your "Fakebook" assignment that will be due on Monday, January 9th. (The blog entry for Lesson #28 has the information for this assignment.)
