The Story of Rome is the third in a series of books on ancient cultures geared for middle school students (grade 5-8). It can serve as the basis of a year's course or a shorter unit study.
It begins with the legend of Romulus and Remus and ends with the dethronement of the Emperor Romulus Augustulus in A.D. 476. It depicts the evolution of Roman civilization from a small cluster of villages along the Tiber to a vast empire, all the while focusing upon the more succulent details of day-to-day life in an effort to make Rome "come alive" for middle school readers. An emphasis is placed upon vocabulary, particularly the Latin roots from which so many of our English words are derived. At the end of every chapter are questions to help the student review what they just read. "Ideas to Think About" provide material for further discussion and/or enrichment activities, while "Projects" include suggestions for independent or group research assignments. The books listed in "Suggested Readings" are excellent resources for research projects, and their colorful illustrations are very useful for enriching class discussions. I recommend that a number of these books be available to students in the classroom throughout their study of Rome.
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