Lesson Title: Roman Empire Expansion and Stability
What is the central focus for the content in the learning segment?
Students will explore how the Roman Empire expanded and maintained stability by offering benefits—such as protection, citizenship, infrastructure, and economic opportunities—to the people it conquered. Students will understand how these benefits encouraged loyalty and contributed to Rome’s long-term growth.
What standard(s) are most relevant to the learning goals?
NJ Student Learning Standards – Social Studies
6.2.8.CivicsPI.4.a – Explain how the expansion of empires influenced governance, citizenship, and rights.
6.2.8.EconGE.4.a – Explain how trade networks and economic systems impacted development in ancient civilizations.
6.2.8.HistoryCC.4.a – Analyze the cultural, political, and economic strengths that supported the growth of the Roman Empire.
W.6.1 – Write and present arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
Student Learning Goal(s)/Objective(s)
What are the specific learning goal(s) for student in this lesson?
Concepts and reasoning/problem solving/thinking/strategies[2]
What are the specific learning goal(s) for students in this lesson?
Concepts and reasoning/problem solving/thinking/strategies[3]
What are the specific learning goal(s) for students in this lesson?
Students will be able to:
Identify at least three benefits of joining the Roman Empire.
Record reasons and evidence using a structured organizer.
Write a short persuasive paragraph using historical evidence.
Explain how Rome’s benefits encouraged conquered peoples to join the empire.
Analyze how roads, citizenship, trade, and stability strengthened Roman power.
Use reasoning to support a historical argument.
Prior Academic Knowledge and Conceptions
What knowledge, skills, and concepts must students already know to be successful with this lesson?
What prior knowledge and/or gaps in knowledge do these students have that are necessary to support the learning of the skills and concepts for this lesson?Â
Students should already know:
Basic understanding of ancient civilizations and how empires expand.
Key vocabulary: empire, conquest, trade, citizen.
Civilizations grow through military strength, trade, and government systems.
Believe Rome only expanded through force.
Be unaware that conquered peoples were offered rights and opportunities.
Oversimplify the experiences of people living under Roman rule.
Common Errors, Developmental Approximations, Misconceptions, Partial Understandings, or Misunderstandings
What are common errors or misunderstandings of students related to the central focus of this lesson?
How will you address them for this group of students?
“Rome forced everyone to join without offering benefits.”
“Only Romans could trade or own property.”
“Joining an empire was always negative.”
Present clear examples of Roman benefits (citizenship, infrastructure, trade).
Provide visual aids to show Roman roads, aqueducts, and trade networks.
Reinforce that experiences varied, but Rome strategically offered incentives.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Description of what the teacher (you) will be doing and/or what the students will be doing.
_____Five-Six_____ Minutes
How will you start the lesson to engage and motivate students in learning?
Do Now:
On the board:
If another country offered your town protection, new roads, clean water, and lower taxes, would you join them? Why or why not?
Students write 2–3 sentences, then share out.
Purpose: Activates thinking about incentives and connects to Roman expansion.
What will you do to engage students in developing understanding of the lesson objective(s)? Â
How will you link the new content (skills and concepts) to students’ prior academic learning and their personal/cultural and community assets?Â
What will you say and do? What questions will you ask?
How will you engage students to help them understand the concepts?
How will you determine if students are meeting the intended learning objectives?
(Teacher will/Student will)
Teacher presented mini lesson with relevant charts/visuals:
Benefits of Joining the Roman Empire
Protection from Roman Army
Citizenship Rights & Legal Protections
Economic Opportunity (land ownership, army positions)
Stability during Pax Romana
“Which of these benefits would matter most to you?”
“How might these benefits help Rome keep control over so many provinces?”
“Why would conquered people agree to join Rome willingly?”
Explain each benefit with examples.
Link student Do Now responses to Roman incentives.
Clarify vocabulary and use visuals.
Listen, take notes, and ask clarifying questions.
Identify benefits that stand out to them.
Assessment During Instruction:
Cold calling for responses.
Observation of notetaking.
Verbal checks for understanding.
How will you give students the opportunity to practice so you can provide feedback?Â
How will students apply what they have learned?
How will you determine if students are meeting the intended learning objectives?
Students complete a Benefits Organizer in pairs:
Teacher circulates, offering sentence starters:
“This benefit is important because…”
“One example from the lesson is…”
Provide support to struggling learners.
Record accurate reasons and evidence.
Quality of explanations during pair work.
How will you end the lesson?
Exit Ticket:
Name one benefit of joining the Roman Empire and one reason why that benefit helped Rome grow stronger.
Teacher collects tickets to assess whether objectives were met.
Differentiation/ Planned Support
How will you provide students access to learning based on individual and group needs?
How will you support students with gaps in the prior knowledge that is necessary to be successful in this lesson?
· Step-by-step explanation.
Groups of students with similar needs:
· Struggling learners: sentence frames, chunked instructions.
· Advanced learners: extension question about unequal benefits.
One-on-one prompting as needed.
Opportunities to verbally process ideas before writing.
Students with IEP’s or 504 plans:
· Modified writing expectations if necessary.
· Word bank with key vocabulary.
· Visual supports and additional printouts with key terms, phrases, vocab, and visual supports.
Strategies for responding to common errors and misunderstandings, developmental approximations, misconceptions, partial understandings, and/or misunderstandings:
· Provide clarifying examples.
· Use guiding questions.
· Reinforce that Rome used both force and incentives.
How will you structure opportunities for students to work with partners or in groups? What criteria will you use when forming groups?
Individually during Do Now assignment.
With partners during guided practice.
Individually during writing and exit ticket.
Pair stronger readers with emerging readers.
Ensure balanced participation.
Consider behavior and social compatibility.
What might not go as planned and how can you be ready to make adjustment?
Students struggle with writing component → provide sentence frames
Time runs short → complete paragraph for homework
Students overly focus on Roman violence → redirect toward lesson’s focus on incentives
Theoretical Principles and/or Research–Based Best Practices
Why are the learning tasks for this lesson appropriate for your students?
Activating prior knowledge increases engagement and comprehension.
Graphic organizers support information processing (Marzano, 2001).
Writing-to-learn strategies deepen historical reasoning.
Cooperative learning increases access for mixed-ability groups (Vygotsky).
What materials does the teacher need for this lesson?
What materials do the students need for this lesson?
Roman Empire benefits chart
Academic Language Demand(s):
What language function do you want students to develop in this lesson? What must students understand in order to be intellectually engaged in the lesson?
Explain historical reasoning and justify a claim.
What content specific terms (vocabulary) do students need to support learning of the learning objective for this lesson
Empire, Citizenship, Infrastructure, Trade Network, Pax Romana, Province
What specific way(s) will students need to use language (reading, writing, listening and/or speaking) to participate in learning tasks and demonstrate their learning for this lesson?
· Listening during instruction
 Speaking during pair discussion
 Writing in persuasive paragraph
 Reading organizer and vocabulary
What are your students’ abilities with regard to the oral and written language associated with this lesson?
Mixed ability: some require language scaffolds
Some may struggle with academic vocabulary
How will you support students so they can understand and use the language associated with the language function and other demands in meeting the learning objectives of the lesson?
Describe the tools/procedures that will be used in this lesson to monitor students’ learning of the lesson objective(s). Attach a copy of the assessment and the evaluation criteria/rubric in the resources section at the end of the lesson plan.
Description of assessment
Modifications to the assessment so that all students could demonstrate their learning.
Evaluation Criteria - What evidence of student learning (related to the learning objectives and central focus) does the assessment provide?
Extra time, verbal option.
Shows activation of prior knowledge.
Chunked steps, partner support, classroom cooperation.
Identifies benefits and explains importance.
Sentence frames/chunks, and reduced length option.
Claim along with two benefits and your reasoning.
States accurate benefit and explanation.
To be completed after the lesson has be taught
(To be completed after teaching)
What instructional changes do you need to make as you prepare for the lesson tomorrow?
(To be completed after teaching)
If you could teach this lesson again to this group of students what changes would you make to your instruction?
Whole class: (To be completed after teaching)
Groups of students: (To be completed after teaching)
Individual students: (To be completed after teaching)
Why will these changes improve student learning?Â
What research/ theory supports these changes?
(To be completed after teaching)
Attach each assessment and associated evaluation criteria/rubric.
[1] The lesson plan template is intended to be used as a formative process prior to a candidate’s submission of edTPA materials. The template offers an opportunity for candidates to practice documenting their thinking when planning lessons leading up to the learning segment they will teach for edTPA. Lesson plans with this level of detail are not necessary and should not be submitted as part of edTPA. It is intended to prepare candidates to articulate their thinking and justification for plans when responding to the Planning Task commentary prompts
[2] The prompt provided here should be modified to reflect subject specific aspects of learning. Language here is mathematics related. See candidate edTPA Resource Library for the “Making Good Choices” and “Rubric Progression” documents for subject specific components.
[3] The prompt provided here should be modified to reflect subject specific aspects of learning. Language here is mathematics related. See candidate edTPA Resource Library for the “Making Good Choices” and “Rubric Progression” documents for subject specific components.
