World Cultures Ability Assessment

Roman Museum Exhibit

Semester 1, 2014
Situation: Curators and historians work in teams to create a museum exhibit about the good, the bad,
and the ugly of the Roman Empire.
Students will create a proposal for an interactive museum exhibit on perspectives about the Roman Empire.
Options include:
-3D model or diorama
-PowerPoint walkthrough tour of different rooms in the exhibit, including visuals
-2D blueprint of what the museum exhibit would look like with supplemental
visuals
-Your own idea (clear with teacher first!!)
Each group will develop a thesis to promote their groups viewpoint on the positives and/or negatives of the
Roman Empire.
Abilities Assessed:
Global Perspective
Communication: Reading
Assessment Criteria:
Global Perspective
1. Understands that diverse worldviews are interrelated regionally
Locates & describes similarities and differences among different peoples perspectives on the Pax Romana
2.
Enhances knowledge and understanding of the Pax Romana by collecting a variety of information
Utilizes credible sources on the Roman empire to illustrate an understanding of the impacts of the Pax
Romana
3.
Uses appropriate evidence to formulate own judgment on advantages and disadvantages of the Pax
Romana
Articulates opinions on the Roman Empire with some reasoning that is justified by literary, informational,
or experiential evidence
Communication: Reading
1. Interprets Roman historical texts: What the texts mean
Makes inferences about the text based on evidence
Can examine the writers stance by identifying binaries: determining what the writer discusses positively
and negatively
2. Integrates prior academic knowledge and experience on the Roman empire and its surroundings
Identifies and clearly articulates prior experience and knowledge of Rome and surrounding nations
3.Understands content: What primary and secondary Roman history texts say

Can annotate historical Roman primary and secondary texts and map the authors ideas

Directions or Procedure (determine whats most relevant for your assessment):

Your group will be randomly assigned a perspective of a group of people who lived within the Roman
Empire:
o (Germania / Judea / Britannia / N. Africa / Rome (city) / Gaul / Egypt)
Your group will create a thesis statement answering the question: Was the Roman Empire good or
bad for our people? based on primary and secondary sources. You will collect three evidence points to
support this thesis (one per source) and answer a series of document response questions

Evidence should include both actions that the Romans took, and actions that the people in the area
took in response (fully became Roman/assimilated; partially assimilated; tried to operate
independently; resisted/fought back)
Once you have your thesis, you will design a museum exhibit that illustrates the impacts of the Roman
Empire on your particular people. This exhibit should include:
o Quotes or passages from your sources
o Visuals supporting your thesis (3D, PowerPoint, blueprint, other)
o At least four different sections (minimum one per source, plus one section on your peoples
response)
Each group of three will need to divide work as such:
o Each person will be responsible for one source and source responses.
o Each person finds visuals to represent the main ideas of their source.
o During the presentation, one student will present a brief summary of their primary &
secondary sources; the second student will explain their thesis and how they reached that
thesis; and the third student will explain the exhibit itself

World Cultures Ability Assessment

Roman Museum Exhibit
Semester 1, 2014
Demonstration of Ability and Content Criteria
Global Perspective
1. Understands that diverse worldviews are interrelated regionally

Locates & describes similarities and differences among different peoples

perspectives on the Pax Romana

Global Perspective
2.
Enhances knowledge and understanding of the Pax Romana by
collecting a variety of information

Utilizes credible sources on the Roman empire to illustrate an

understanding of the impacts of the Pax Romana

Global Perspective
3.
Uses appropriate evidence to formulate own judgment on advantages
and disadvantages of the Pax Romana

Articulates opinions on the Roman Empire with some reasoning that is

justified by literary, informational, or experiential evidence

Communication: Reading
4. Interprets Roman historical texts: What the texts mean
Makes inferences about the text based on evidence
Can examine the writers stance by identifying binaries: determining what
the writer discusses positively and negatively
Communication: Reading
5.
Integrates prior academic knowledge and experience on the Roman
empire and its surroundings
Identifies and clearly articulates prior experience and knowledge of
Rome and surrounding nations
Communication: Reading
6.
Understands content: What primary and secondary Roman history texts
say

Can annotate historical Roman primary and secondary texts and map the
authors ideas

Exceeds
Criteria

Meets
Criteria

Partially
Meets
Criteria

Criteria
Not
Met