Ancient Rome 700 B.C. to 500 A.D.
Session 2: Roman Citizenship and Government

Materials

• Class notes (see bolded text in Instructional Activities below)
• Overhead projector

Instructional Activities

1. Review content covered to this point in the unit.
   
   
2. Ask students to define citizenship. Instruct them to consider the process of attaining citizenship and to enumerate the rights and responsibilities associated with U.S. citizenship. Record their responses on an overhead transparency.
   
   
3. Put the following notes on the board or overhead:
   
   Citizenship in ancient Rome included:
   •    Patrician and plebeian men
   •    Selected foreigners
   •    Rights and responsibilities (taxes, military service)
   
   
4. Ask students to compare Roman citizenship with the list they produced earlier of U.S. citizenship.
   
   
5. Put the following notes on the board or overhead:
   
   Ancient Roman democracy included:
   •    A representative democracy
   •    Assemblies
   •    The Senate
   •    Consuls
   •    Law of Rome codified as Twelve Tables
   
   
6. Describe each of the components of ancient Roman democracy and encourage students to compare/contrast it to the United States democratic system.