Ancient Rome 700 B.C. to 500 A.D.
Session 1: Democracy in Ancient Rome

Materials

• Class notes (see bolded text in Instructional Activities below)
• Historical examples of U.S. exclusion of certain groups from the governing process
• Overhead projector (optional)
• Teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or activity

Instructional Activities

1. Review content covered to this point in the unit.
   
   
2. Ask students to define the term democracy. Encourage them to explain what their definition means. Ask students to identify who is involved in the government process in a democracy.
   
   
3. Explain that ancient Rome developed a democratic government, which provided a foundation for modern democracy.
   
   
4. Instruct students to write the following terms in their notes and take a few minutes to define them:
   •    patricians
   •    plebeians
   •    Roman slaves (definition should include slaves’ origins)
   
   
5. After students have had time to define the above terms, discuss the definitions in class. Encourage students to compare patricians and plebeians in ancient Rome to segments of current-day society in the United States.
   
   
6. Put the following note on the board or overhead:
   
   While the Roman Republic was a representative democracy, women, non-Romans living in the Republic, and slaves were excluded from the governing process.
   
   
7. As a class, discuss how this type of government can be called a democracy. Ask students if the United States, as a democratic government, ever excluded certain groups from the governing process. Provide examples and guide discussion.
   
   
8. Assign a teacher-selected reading, worksheet, or other reinforcement activity, using available teacher resources.