Alabama Social Studies SS24.7.16b
The Standard
- SS24.7.16
- Trace the development of the Roman Empire, including the actions of Julius Caesar and the reigns of Augustus Caesar and the Five Good Emperors.
Describe the founding and development of Christianity, including the roles of Jesus of Nazareth and Paul of Tarsus, and how its spread was directly and indirectly influenced by the Roman Empire.
2024 Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Explain how Jesus's teachings and his followers' belief in his resurrection shaped the first Christian communities. Describe how Paul taught non-Jews and wrote to new churches. Explain how Roman roads, shared Greek, persecution, and later legal protection affected Christianity's spread.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can put Jesus's life, Paul's letters, Nero's persecution, and Constantine's legal protection in order. They can explain how roads helped people carry ideas between cities and how Roman policy changed over time.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think Paul was one of Jesus's original disciples or that Roman emperors supported Christians from the start. They may think Romans built roads to spread Christianity, rather than to move troops and goods.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: In four sentences, describe Jesus's role, Paul's role, how Roman roads helped Christianity spread, and how Roman policy toward Christians changed.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs dated cards for Jesus's teachings, Paul's letters, Nero's persecution, and the Edict of Milan; have them build a timeline.
Ask: How could roads built for Roman soldiers also help Paul bring Christianity to new cities?
Play a matching game with cards naming Paul, Roman roads, shared Greek, and Constantine, paired with their effects on Christianity's spread.
Give students a local bus map; ask how news could reach every stop, then compare that route network with Roman roads.
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Printable SS24.7.16b Worksheet
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