HASS · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Founding Myths and Early Rome

Active learning turns Rome’s founding stories from static names into living debates. When students argue Romulus’s choices or map myth against archaeology, they move beyond memorization to see how legends shaped identity. These hands-on tasks make abstract power structures tangible and spark curiosity about how early Romans viewed their own past.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H7K03

• 40–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Role Play
• 45 min · Pairs

Role-Play: Brothers' Founding Debate

Pairs research Romulus and Remus myths, then role-play a debate on city location and name. They present arguments to the class, which votes on the winner. Conclude with a reflection on how myths built identity.

Analyze how the myths of Romulus and Remus shaped Roman identity.

Facilitation Tip

During the Brothers' Founding Debate, circulate to nudge students from personal opinions to evidence-based claims by asking, 'What line from the myth supports that viewpoint?'.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Roman citizen in 509 BCE. Would you support overthrowing the king and establishing a republic? Why or why not?' Encourage students to use specific details about the kings' powers and the proposed republican structure in their arguments.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Jigsaw
• 50 min · Small Groups

Jigsaw: Monarchy to Republic Experts

Divide class into expert groups on kings, Senate, overthrow events, and republic structures. Experts teach their topic to new home groups using visuals. Groups then quiz each other on transitions.

Differentiate between the roles of kings and the early Roman Senate.

Facilitation Tip

For the Jigsaw: Monarchy to Republic Experts, assign each group one king or transition event to own, then have them teach their topic to classmates using a one-sentence summary they write on the board.

What to look for

Provide students with a Venn diagram. Ask them to label one circle 'Roman Kings' and the other 'Early Roman Senate.' In the overlapping section, they should list shared characteristics or influences, and in the separate sections, unique powers or roles. Review for accuracy in distinguishing their functions.

• Understand
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Relationship Skills
• Self-Management

Activity 03

• Role Play
• 40 min · Small Groups

Timeline Construction: Myths vs History

Small groups sort events from myths and archaeology on a large timeline. They add annotations explaining influences on Roman identity. Share and compare timelines class-wide.

Explain the reasons for the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of the Republic.

Facilitation Tip

When building the Timeline Construction, provide two colors of index cards so students visually separate myth from historical anchor points before arranging them on a string line across the room.

What to look for

On an index card, ask students to write two sentences explaining how the myth of Romulus and Remus might have helped unify early Romans. Then, ask them to list one specific reason why the Romans decided to replace their kings with a republic.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 04

• Formal Debate
• 40 min · Pairs

Formal Debate: Kings or Consuls Better?

Pairs prepare pros and cons of monarchy versus early republic based on sources. Hold a structured debate with whole class as judges voting by secret ballot. Debrief on power balances.

Analyze how the myths of Romulus and Remus shaped Roman identity.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a Roman citizen in 509 BCE. Would you support overthrowing the king and establishing a republic? Why or why not?' Encourage students to use specific details about the kings' powers and the proposed republican structure in their arguments.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with the myths to hook students emotionally, then pivot to history to build analytical rigor. Use primary or secondary retellings of Romulus and Remus to highlight bias and agenda, modeling source triangulation. Avoid presenting these stories as truths; instead, frame them as cultural tools the Romans crafted to explain who they were. Research suggests that when students confront the constructed nature of myths early, they develop stronger historical reasoning later.

By the end, students should articulate how myths served cultural unity and how the king-Senate balance evolved. They will back claims with evidence from role-play transcripts, timeline annotations, or jigsaw notes, showing clear distinctions between legend and history in their arguments.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• Romulus and Remus were factual founders of Rome.

  During the Role-Play: Brothers' Founding Debate, remind students to cite specific lines from their assigned myth version and compare them to archaeological evidence on the Timeline Construction. Ask groups to justify whether the twins' story is history or symbol.

• Roman kings had absolute, unchecked power.

  During the Role-Play: Brothers' Founding Debate, have students act out a Senate meeting where they must consult the king’s decision with augurs and patricians. Afterward, debrief how advisory roles limited royal power.

• The Republic was fully democratic from the start.

  During the Jigsaw: Monarchy to Republic Experts, assign one group the plebeian struggle. Have them present their findings to the class and lead a quick discussion on gaps between patrician control and democratic ideals.

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Methods used in this brief

• Role Play
• Jigsaw
• Formal Debate