My Ideal Social Studies Elective Course

 

It All Leads Back to Rome (But With a New Twist)

 

Rome and it's various iterations remain perhaps the most commonly depicted ancient civilization in our cultural landscape and most students, even if they haven't paid attention in history class, would probably be able to rattle out at least a few facts about gladiators or crazy emperors if they were asked. However I would make the argument that much of the Roman history that is actually relatable and important for our modern context tends to be overshadowed by the flashier and more grandiose aspects that fill the movies and textbooks. 

I would like to teach a Roman History electives class that focused on subjects like the reforms of the Gracchi brothers which were instrumental in the social class struggles of the early Republic, the complex and multicultural Mediterranean world created by the Roman Empire, and the lasting impacts on not only Europe but also the Middle East and other cultures. Using these aspects of Roman history students could examine their similarities with modern day issues and also look at it through a new lens that prioritizes a human perspective that is more relatable to students. 

Why This Subject? 

Reason #1: Content, content, and even more content! One of the great things about the general popularity of Roman history is the vast deluge of video, games, and other media content that can be found throughout the internet or educational spaces. This also even helps with the less discussed parts of Roman history that I would like to cover in this hypothetical electives course. From a practical teaching perspective this is a great asset as I could pull from multiple different sources for my lessons and can spend more time structuring the lesson instead of creating the content myself. 

Example

One of the pieces of media I could see myself using in this course is the Youtube channel Overly Sarcastic Productions which produces high quality, relatable, and engaging content through the use of humor and graphics that would be especially appealing to a younger generation. Another reason I would use this content as well is the unique perspectives the channel offers by talking about Roman society and the social or cultural challenges faced by it rather than just military campaigns. 

Reason #2: One of the most interesting aspects of history to me is the way that you can flip something about history that you think you already know by looking at it through a new lens or perspective. Much of popular Roman history often focuses either on the wild antics of Emperors or the various  conquests done by the legions which are interesting but I have always felt that the more compelling stories are always one to remind us that despite the vast time difference humanity still fundamentally remains the same. 

People still struggle to get by and take care of their families, they still love and hate with equal intensity, and they still feel the same emotions as we do now which can be a powerful connection with the past. I would like to teach a history perspective on Roman history that makes students see similarities in our past with the modern era and to look at this history through a more human perspective instead of simply looking at the lives of a few great Roman men. 

Why Would Students Enjoy It?

Reason #1: One of the easiest ways to lose a classroom's interest is to try and teach them something that they already know. Due to the widespread knowledge of Roman history I think that a conventional approach would lose a lot of students as it would be the same review of wars and emperors that they perhaps already know from their own experiences. 

By switching the focus from military and great man history to a perspective based on social conflicts and the multicultural world created by the expansion of Roman society  students can learn about this familiar history in a new way that makes it more exciting and engaging. 

Reason #2: While they may find it entertaining most students would probably argue that the exploits of emperors and gladiators don't really have an impact on their daily lives. If you're lucky students will maybe mention the link between the government structure of the Roman Republic with the modern American one but even then the connection is still mostly detached from the modern issues that they face in today's society. 

Switching the historical lens in this way opens up so many new avenues for students to find new ways to think about and explore Roman history while also considering the lessons it has for our modern struggles. Students could compare the current rising wealth inequality in our current age with a similar trend in the Roman Republic and how early Roman society was torn between the struggles for reform and the societal conflicts caused by their struggles with wealth inequality. 

Another way of looking at it could be comparing the rise of globalization in creating a more interconnected world culturally and the way in which the Roman expansions around the Mediterranean created this new space in which many different cultures intermingled and developed together. Using this new lens of history students will hopefully feel more engaged as they look deeper into Roman society and understand the similarities between the issues of the past and our modern day struggles. 

Example

While this is not an example I would probably use in my classroom due to the subject material in it the tv show Rome from HBO portrays how the approach of looking at history through the eyes of common people can be entertaining and relatable. The show achieved success partially due to the journeys of the two main characters who were lower class legionnaire soldiers as they navigated the turbulent times of the late Roman Republic and found love, started a business, and managed family drama alongside all the political drama of that time. The approach of showing the average lives of Roman citizens turned out to be very compelling to audiences as they could relate to the struggles of trying to get through the day and dealing with friendships or families despite the differences between society then and our modern day. 

While I doubt that I will ever get the chance to teach this specific topic in an electives course I hope to take the ideas of making history more relatable to students by also looking at the average lives of people during times in history to both engage students and also have them learn in a new interesting way. But until then I'll keep thinking of Rome.......