Creator: Stanford University | visit site
Grade Range: 6 - 11
What if you could plan a trip to Ancient Rome in the year 200? This geospatial model of the Roman World allows you to choose among major Roman empire urban centers and plot the most efficient course of travel. The map takes into consideration the geography and terrain, the season, the weather, the mode of transportation (boat? on foot?) and whether we want to get there quickly or cheaply. An experience like the old "Oregon Trail" software on steroids allows you to experience travel in the Ancient Roman Empire and to understand the pressures and challenges the growing Empire experienced in trying to govern such a large area.
In the Classroom
There are a lot of complexities involved in plotting a route between two cities, but the interface is pretty intuitive, and students with enjoy playing "what if" with the various possibilities. Once they get the hang of it, challenge individual students or groups to see who can make it from start to finish most quickly or cheaply. What happens if you start in the Winter? or the Fall? And of course, how did these challenges affect the real Roman Empire and its citizens? If individual computers aren’t available, plot your travel as a class on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Include this in Latin or world history class to make Roman civilization more "real."
At Home
For those who enjoy role playing or map-based strategy games, this site allows you to test hypotheses about travel or compete against friends or siblings to discover the challenges of cross country travel in Ancient Rome. What a great discussion topic over dinner!
Tags
maps, rome, transportation, romans,
Subjects
Geography (US/World), History & Culture: Ancient, History & Culture: Europe, Latin, Social Studies, Social Studies,