HASS · Year 7

Active learning ideas

Life in the Roman Empire: City and Country

Active learning turns Roman law into something students can see, argue, and evaluate rather than memorize. When students role-play trials or compare laws, they move from passive listeners to critical thinkers who question fairness and authority in ancient Rome.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9H7K05

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Mock Trial
• 45 min · Small Groups

Mock Trial: The Twelve Tables in Action

Students are given a scenario (e.g., 'A neighbor's tree fell on my house'). They must find the relevant law from a simplified version of the Twelve Tables and argue their case before a student 'Praetor' (judge), focusing on evidence and the written law.

Analyze the features of a typical Roman city and its amenities.

Facilitation Tip

During the Mock Trial, assign roles so each student prepares arguments for one of the Twelve Tables, forcing them to study the law closely before presenting.

What to look for

Provide students with an image of a Roman artifact (e.g., a mosaic, a piece of pottery, a coin). Ask them to write two sentences explaining what this artifact tells us about daily life in the Roman Empire and where it might have been found (city or country).

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Decision-Making
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Checks and Balances

Groups create a 'flowchart of power' for the Roman Republic. They must draw lines showing how the Senate, the Consuls, and the Tribunes could 'block' or 'check' each other, explaining why this was important for preventing a dictatorship.

Differentiate between the daily lives of wealthy Romans and the urban poor.

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation, limit each group to three legal principles to research so they focus on depth rather than breadth.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'If you could live in the Roman Empire, would you choose to live in a bustling city like Rome or a quiet rural villa? Explain your choice by referencing at least two specific aspects of daily life discussed in class.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Then vs. Now

Show students a Roman law (e.g., 'Innocent until proven guilty') and ask them if we still use it in Australia. They discuss with a partner why some laws have lasted for 2,000 years while others (like 'death for singing insulting songs') have been discarded.

Explain how archaeological evidence from Pompeii informs our understanding of Roman daily life.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share, give students one minute of silent writing before pairing to ensure quieter students have time to organize thoughts.

What to look for

Present students with a Venn diagram template. Ask them to fill it in by comparing and contrasting life in a Roman city (e.g., Rome) with life in a Roman rural area (e.g., a villa). Prompt them to list at least three differences and one similarity.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with a short primary source snippet to ground the lesson in reality. Avoid overwhelming students with too many laws; focus on three key examples that show both progress and bias. Research shows that when students debate fairness, they retain legal concepts longer than when they simply read them.

Success looks like students explaining how the Twelve Tables both advanced justice and fell short of modern standards. They should connect specific laws to real cases and debate their limits using evidence from the classroom activities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Collaborative Investigation, watch for students describing the Senate as an elected body. Redirect by having them examine the list of senators’ names on the provided handout and note how many were from the same families or appointed by consuls.

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Methods used in this brief

• Mock Trial
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share