{map from the David Rumsey Map Collection}
As we march along in time through Ancient Rome, we now find ourselves firmly planted in the Roman Empire, which began with its first emperor, Augustus Caesar. Let’s look at a few mix-ins for this time period, including daily life in the Roman Empire.
We’d like to remind our parents that these videos and links are completely optional – please feel no pressure to fit them into your home days! If it’s one more overwhelming thing to do, please pass these right on by and focus on your grid assignments. But if you have extra time or want some productive “screen time” options for your kids, these can be a great supplemental source of learning. You also don’t have to explore them this week – come back to them at any time!
VIDEOS:
A Tour through Ancient Rome in 320 C.E. – A video simulation/virtual tour of Ancient Rome. This is pretty cool!:
Getty Villa Tour – Many of our families have been to the Getty Villa, which houses collections of antiquity from Ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria. We strongly recommend you go if you haven’t been! But here’s a quick video tour of the museum and info about how it was created:
Augustus Caesar Biography – A quick mini-bio:
Augustus, 2000 years after his death, still has impact on Rome – Find out about the lasting impact Augustus had on Rome:
Life in Ancient Rome – This is a little dated, but a nice video aimed at elementary school kids. Feel free to skip the intro, to about 1:10 in the video:
Four sisters in Ancient Rome – A TED-Ed video (disclaimer: there is a quick shot of mild partial nudity in this animated video, when talking about the Roman baths – if you want to preview it, it’s around 3:25):
A glimpse of teenage life in Ancient Rome – Another video from TED-Ed (similar to the video above, there’s a bit of bare skin when talking about the Roman baths):
Virtual Roman House – An animated, 3D reconstruction of a typical Roman home:
The Making of a Roman Silver Cup – Here’s an interesting video from the Getty Museum showing how the Romans made exquisite silver objects such as this ornate cup:
The Roman Aqueducts – Learn about how the Ancient Romans constructed their numerous aqueducts:
The Roman Roads – A quick look at the famous Roman roads, and how they were built:
Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine – A Khan Academy video that takes a detailed look at Roman architecture:
Sunday on the Appian Way – A lovely video from the Travel for Kids channel on YouTube. Just for fun, also check out their Cats of Rome video!
Growing up Roman – A quick video about families in Ancient Rome.
Looking for a place to live in Ancient Rome? – Another video from the same website as above.
Empires – Season 1 is about the Roman Empire and it’s available to stream for free with Amazon Prime. Rated TV-PG. You can also find them on YouTube here.
WEBSITES:
Roman Empire app for iPad – An educational app (for purchase) from Kids Discover.
Interactive map of the Roman Empire at its height
Land of the Romans – Explore another interactive map of the Roman Empire.
Rome: Ancient Supercity – This is a fun graphic to look at and learn from.
Augustan Family Tree – A nice visual of the dynasty of Augustus.
Examine a coin with a portrait of Augustus.
Ancient Rome Daily Life Q&A – From Mr. Donn
Romans: Family and Children – Here’s the BBC website for kids that we often link to. This section is about family life. Read the info and check out the photos, fun facts, and the quiz!
Romans: Leisure – Another section of the website above.
Romans: Technology – One more section from the BBC.
Roman Street game – What doesn’t belong? Play this fun game after you think you know about life in Ancient Rome. (Read the instructions then click on “Roman Street” to start the game.)
Emperor of Rome game – from PBS
Emperor Augustus Walk the Plank game – This website requires you to sign up, but it’s free.
Roman Mosaic – See how mosaics were made and try the activity to make one of your own!
