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.

• Year 7
• HASS
• 4 activities
• 40 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze the narrative elements of the Romulus and Remus myth to identify key values and symbols of early Roman identity.
2. Compare and contrast the powers and responsibilities of Roman kings with those of the early Roman Senate.
3. Explain the specific grievances and events that led to the overthrow of the Roman monarchy.
4. Classify the foundational principles of the Roman Republic based on its initial governmental structures.

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.

Prepare & details

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?'.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Flexible seating for regrouping

Materials: Expert group reading packets, Note-taking template, Summary graphic organizer

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

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.

Prepare & details

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.

Setup: Open space or rearranged desks for scenario staging

Materials: Character cards with backstory and goals, Scenario briefing sheet

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

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.

Prepare & details

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

Setup: Two teams facing each other, audience seating for the rest

Materials: Debate proposition card, Research brief for each side, Judging rubric for audience, Timer

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

Teaching This Topic

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.

What to Expect

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.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Romulus and Remus were factual founders of Rome.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

Roman kings had absolute, unchecked power.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Common Misconception

The Republic was fully democratic from the start.

What to Teach Instead

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.

Assessment Ideas

Discussion Prompt

After the Debate: Kings or Consuls Better?, 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?' Ask students to use evidence from the role-play about kingly power and republican structure in their responses.

Quick Check

During Timeline Construction: Myths vs History, 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, and in the separate sections, unique powers or roles, using their timeline cards as evidence.

Exit Ticket

After the Jigsaw: Monarchy to Republic Experts, 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.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask early finishers to research modern national founding myths (e.g., George Washington and the cherry tree) and compare their functions to Romulus and Remus, sharing a short analysis with a partner.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence stems for students who struggle during the debate, such as 'Romulus chose to... because the myth says...' to guide evidence-based statements.
• Deeper exploration: Have students examine coins or art from the Republic that reference the wolf and twins, annotating how later Romans reinterpreted the myth to legitimize their new system.

Key Vocabulary

Patrician	A member of the wealthy, landowning aristocratic families in ancient Rome. They held significant political and social power.
Plebeian	A common citizen in ancient Rome, belonging to the lower social classes. They initially had fewer rights than patricians.
Monarchy	A form of government in which a single ruler, typically a king or queen, holds supreme authority. Rome was initially ruled by kings.
Republic	A form of government where power is held by the people and their elected representatives, rather than by a monarch. This replaced the Roman monarchy.
Senate	A governing council in ancient Rome, composed primarily of elder statesmen and patricians. They advised the kings and later held significant power in the republic.