Virginia SOL 3.8.e

Social Studies3rd Grade

The Standard

identifying and explaining the architecture and its influence in the world

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify Roman arches, domes, roads, aqueducts, and large public buildings. They explain how these designs shaped later buildings and public works.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students correctly match Roman structures with their uses. They can point to a modern stadium, bridge, road, or government building and explain the Roman influence.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think aqueducts were only bridges or that arches were only decorations. They may also label every building with columns as Roman or think influence means an exact copy.
How to Assess It: Show pictures of a Roman aqueduct and a modern bridge. Ask students to name one shared feature and explain how the Roman design influenced the newer structure.

Lesson moves

Build an arch with foam blocks, then remove the center support and test how much weight the arch can hold.
Write two sentences answering: Which Roman structure still affects our lives most, roads, aqueducts, stadiums, or government buildings?
Play a card sort matching Roman structures to their purposes and to modern examples with similar features.
Examine a photo of the Virginia State Capitol and circle features that resemble ancient Roman public buildings.

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