Roman Art Lesson Plan ECS EST. 2012
Evergreen Charter School
Curriculum & Instruction | Secondary Social Studies Department
SY 2026–2027
Grade: 9th Grade
Subject: World History I / Art History
Date(s): November 5, 2026 (55 min)
Unit:
Unit 3: Classical Civilizations — Power, Authority, and Imperial Expansion
Topic:
The Art and Architecture of Ancient Rome: Monuments as Political Propaganda
Learning Objective:
At ECS, the learning objective is stated in an "I can" format:
"I can analyze visual and written primary sources from Ancient Rome to explain how sculpture, architecture, and domestic art served as tools of political propaganda and reflected cultural values."
Standards Addressed:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual and visual evidence from primary sources. • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Assess point of view and purpose in historical artifacts. • C3 Framework D2.His.1.9-12: Evaluate how historical visual representations express imperial authority and civic identity.
Academic Vocabulary
Verism: Hyper-realistic portraiture valuing age & civic duty.
Materials & Resources
Primary Source Artifact Dossier (Sources A–D)
Student Handout: Artifact Analysis Matrix
Exit Ticket formative check slips
Classroom projector displaying high-res monument slides
Highlighters (green for visual details, yellow for claims)
Anticipatory Set / Hook / Activating Prior Knowledge / Do Now (5 min)
00:00 – 00:05
Hook Prompt Projected on Board: "Imagine you are the first emperor of an empire spanning 2 million square miles. Most citizens cannot read and will never see you in person. How do you convince them of your supreme strength, divine favor, and legitimacy?"
• Students jot down 2 strategies on their handout. Teacher cold-calls two students and connects answers to Roman coins, statues, and monuments: art as the mass media of antiquity .
Direct Instruction: Decoding Imperial Propaganda (10 min)
00:05 – 00:15
Teacher Modeling (I Do): Project high-resolution view of the Augustus of Prima Porta . Model the "Observe • Decode • Corroborate" protocol:
1. Stance & Youth: Idealized contrapposto, youthful face, barefoot indicating heroic/divine status.
2. Cuirass Iconography: Parthian returning military standard; Apollo and Tellus signifying peace and abundance.
3. Cupid & Dolphin: Direct lineage claim to Venus and victory at Actium; divine mandate to rule.
Check for Understanding: Why would Augustus, an ailing 60-year-old ruler, order statues depicting himself as an eternally youthful commander?
Evergreen Charter School • Lesson Plan Template 2026–2027 Page 1 of 2
Lesson Execution & Assessment Architecture
Topic: The Art and Architecture of Ancient Rome • Grade 9
Part II: Practice & Reflection
Guided Practice: Corroborating Monument with Text (10 min)
00:15 – 00:25
Collaborative Analysis (We Do): Examine Source B: Arch of Titus (Spoils of Jerusalem relief) paired with an excerpt from Flavius Josephus's The Jewish War .
Step 1: Visual Inquiry: Prompt class to spot the Menorah, sacred trumpets, and laurel crowns carried by Roman soldiers through the triumphal gateway.
Step 2: Textual Cross-Reference: Read Josephus aloud. Prompt: "How does the carving carve the author's written account directly into stone to establish Roman military superiority?"
Step 3: Synthesis Note: Students record that triumphal arches transformed violent foreign plunder into lasting civic pride and political legitimacy for the Flavian dynasty.
Collaborative Inquiry: Primary Source Investigation Stations (20 min)
00:25 – 00:45
Small Group Stations (You Do): Students work in triad teams rotating between two complementary source clusters on their analysis handout:
Cluster 1: Republic vs. Empire (Sources A & C)
Compare Republican veristic bust (wrinkled, stern, emphasizing Roman gravitas and elder wisdom) with Imperial Augustus (smooth, god-like, ageless). Why did the political shift from republic to autocracy require a complete change in artistic style?
Cluster 2: Public vs. Private Power (Sources B & D)
Compare monumental triumphal reliefs with Pompeian domestic frescoes and the Alexander Mosaic. How did wealthy Roman elites use private art to project elite status, Greek cultural taste, and imperial loyalty inside their villas?
Teacher Role: Circulate with clipboard rubric, probe low-participating groups with scaffolding questions, and stamp completed matrix columns.
Closure / Formative Exit Ticket (5 min)
00:45 – 00:50
Students independently complete the half-sheet exit ticket directly evaluating the "I can" objective: "Select one Roman artwork analyzed today. Identify one visual symbol and explain how that symbol communicated a specific political or cultural message to Roman viewers."
Differentiation & Accommodations
ELL / Multilingual: Handouts feature labeled icon callouts, side-by-side vocabulary glosses, and sentence starters ("The artist includes ___ to make viewers believe ___").SPED / IEP: Visual matrix pre-populated with 1 modeled row; paired heterogeneous buddy reading for text excerpts.Extension / Advanced: Compare Augustus's divine claims to modern civic monuments (e.g., Mount Rushmore or Lincoln Memorial).
Checks for Understanding & Assessment
Formative CFU 1: Cold-call check during Direct Instruction on purpose of idealized imperial portraiture.Formative CFU 2: Rubric-graded station artifact matrix assessing evidence citation.Summative Alignment: Exit ticket scored on 4-point scale evaluating primary source analysis and historical synthesis.
Evergreen Charter School • Lesson Plan Template 2026–2027 Page 2 of 2
Roman Art Source Dossier Primary Source Evidence Dossier • Unit 3
Roman Art as Political Power: Sources A & B
Imperial Propaganda
Source A Augustus of Prima Porta (Imperial Sculpture, c. 20 BCE – 14 CE)
Vatican Museums, Rome • White Parian Marble (Originally Painted)
Visual Iconography Key
1. Ageless Youth: Depicted as a vigorous, idealized 30-year-old general, though Augustus was over 60 when commissioned.2. Orator's Gesture: Right arm outstretched (*adlocutio*), demanding silence and addressing the Roman army/Senate.3. Cupid on a Dolphin: Placed at his right ankle. Symbolizes Venus (ancestor of Julian family) and the naval victory at Actium (31 BCE).4. Bare Feet: In Greco-Roman art, only gods and fallen heroes were shown barefoot; marks semi-divine status.
Excerpt: Res Gestae Divi Augusti ("The Deeds of Divine Augustus", c. 14 CE) Section 29
"I compelled the Parthians to restore to me the spoils and standards of three Roman armies, and as suppliants to seek the friendship of the Roman people. These standards I deposited in the inner sanctuary of the temple of Mars the Avenger... The temple of Janus Quirinus, which our ancestors ordered to be closed whenever there was peace throughout the entire empire of the Roman people on sea and land, was closed three times while I was princeps."
Connection to Cuirass (Breastplate): The center of Augustus's sculpted chest plate depicts a defeated Parthian soldier returning the lost Roman eagle standards to a Roman officer, visually proving Augustus restored Rome's divine military honor.
Source B The Arch of Titus: Spoils of Jerusalem Relief (Triumphal Arch, c. 81 CE)
Via Sacra, Roman Forum • Pentelic Marble High-Relief
Visual Iconography Key
1. Sacred Spoils: Roman soldiers carry the sacred seven-branched Menorah and silver showbread trumpets plundered from the Temple of Jerusalem (70 CE).2. Laurel Wreaths: Soldiers are crowned with laurel, the classical symbol of divine military victory and Roman triumph.3. Dynamic Motion: Carved in varied depth relief; figures march into an illusory triumphal portal, placing the viewer inside the actual parade.
Excerpt: Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War (Book VII, c. 75 CE) Eyewitness Account
"It is impossible to describe the multitude of the shows... for all the wonders that the most wealthy men could assemble were brought out to display the greatness of the Roman empire. But for all the spoils, those taken from the temple of Jerusalem made the greatest figure of them all; that is, the golden table of weight many talents; the candlestick also, that was made of gold... and last of all the spoils, was carried the Law of the Jews."
Political Function: Emperor Domitian erected this arch following Titus's death to deify his brother and remind Roman plebeians that the Flavian dynasty funded public wonders (including the Colosseum) with foreign conquest wealth.
Evergreen Charter School • Ancient Roman Visual Culture Dossier Page 1 of 2
Primary Source Evidence Dossier • Unit 3
Republican Identity & Domestic Luxury: Sources C & D
Civic & Private Spheres
Source C Veristic Portrait Bust of a Roman Patrician (c. 75 – 50 BCE)
Torlonia Collection / Otricoli • Roman Republican Marble
Visual Iconography Key
1. Deep Wrinkles & Furrows: Forehead creases and crows-feet intentionally exaggerated to advertise decades of arduous public service to the Republic.2. Sunken Cheeks & Baldness: Rejection of youthful Greek beauty in favor of stern, uncompromising Roman *gravitas* (seriousness) and *severitas*.3. Ancestor Veneration: Kept in household shrines (*lararia*) and carried in public funeral parades by family heirs.
Excerpt: Polybius, The Histories (Book VI, c. 150 BCE) On Roman Funerals and Ancestor Masks
"Whenever any illustrious man dies, he is carried in procession into the forum... After the funeral ceremonies, the mask or likeness (*imago*) is set up in the most conspicuous spot in the house, enclosed in a wooden shrine. This likeness is a mask made to resemble the deceased with extraordinary fidelity in shape and complexion... To a young Roman with ambitions for noble renown, what sight could be more inspiring?"
Republican Political Context: In the Roman Republic, senators ruled collectively without a monarch. Authority was earned through age, lineage, and demonstrated civic duty; wrinkles were literal badges of democratic leadership.
Source D Alexander Mosaic & Villa Frescoes (Pompeii, c. 100 BCE – 79 CE)
House of the Faun, Pompeii • Floor Mosaic of 1.5 Million Stone Tesserae
Visual Iconography Key
1. Alexander vs. Darius III: Depicts the decisive Battle of Issus. Alexander charges forward bareheaded and fearless while Persian King Darius flees in panic.2. Illusionistic Depth: Advanced foreshortening of horses, cast shadows, and reflections on shields show mastery of Greek painting.3. Domestic Exhibition: Placed in the *exedra* (greeting hall) of an elite private villa where guests dined and conducted business.
Excerpt: Pliny the Elder, Natural History (Book XXXV, c. 77 CE) On Private Art Collections & Greek Influence
"Painting was formerly a most noble art, courted by kings and peoples... But now luxury has usurped its place, and people value only marble slabs brought from distant lands and gold-covered walls. Yet our ancestors deemed it noble to display images of their own heroic conquests and adopted the finest Hellenic masterpieces into the rooms of their dwellings to educate their youth in courage."
Social Meaning: Wealthy provincial Romans used expensive Greek-themed floor mosaics and mythological wall frescoes to broadcast their cultural sophistication (*humanitas*), wealth, and allegiance to imperial power.
Evergreen Charter School • Ancient Roman Visual Culture Dossier Page 2 of 2
Roman Art Analysis Handout Evergreen Charter School • 9th Grade World History
Roman Art as Political Power: Primary Source Investigation
Name:
Period:
Date:
Score:
Objective
"I can analyze visual and written primary sources from Ancient Rome to explain how sculpture, architecture, and domestic art served as tools of political propaganda and reflected cultural values."
Part 1: Activating Prior Knowledge • The Ruler's Dilemma (Do Now)
3–5 Minutes
Prompt: You are Rome's first emperor, ruling over 50 million people who speak dozens of languages and live thousands of miles away. How do you make them respect and obey you without ever meeting you? Propose two visual strategies:
Strategy 1 (Public Statues / Monuments):
Strategy 2 (Symbolism & Messaging):
Part 2: Deconstructing Imperial Power (Sources A & B)
Source A: Augustus of Prima Porta & Res Gestae Sculpture & Text
1. Iconography: Identify two visual details on the statue (e.g., Cupid, breastplate, bare feet) and explain what claim Augustus is making about his right to rule:
2. Corroboration: How does the excerpt from Augustus's Res Gestae support what is carved on his breastplate regarding the Parthians?
Source B: The Arch of Titus & Josephus's Account Triumphal Architecture
3. Audience & Message: Why would Emperor Domitian carve an eyewitness scene of the Jerusalem spoils inside a massive archway in the center of Rome?
4. Historical Perspective: Compare the Roman relief to Josephus's written description. What does this relief celebrate, and what does it omit about the conquered people?
Evergreen Charter School • Student Investigation Handout Page 1 of 2
Part 3 & Part 4: Comparative Inquiry & Synthesis
Republic, Empire & Domestic Identity
Name:
Part 3: Republican Values vs. Elite Domestic Luxury (Sources C & D)
Source C: Verism & Polybius
Why did Roman Republican senators want to be sculpted with wrinkles, warts, and baldness instead of looking like youthful gods? Use the term gravitas :
Source D: Alexander Mosaic & Pliny
Why would a wealthy Pompeian homeowner spend huge fortunes on a floor mosaic depicting a Greek king's victory? What status did it project?
Artifact Comparison Matrix • Roman Art Across Three Spheres
Category
1. Republican Verism (Source C)
2. Imperial Monument (Source A/B)
3. Domestic Villa (Source D)
Primary Audience:
Roman citizens, family heirs, voting assemblies
All Roman subjects, soldiers, conquered nations
Private dinner guests, political clients, peers
Visual Style:
Realistic, wrinkled, elderly, modest
Idealized, heroic, divine, monumental scale
Intricate, dramatic, Greek mythological influence
Core Message / Value:
Wisdom, loyalty to Senate, public sacrifice
Unchallenged authority, military victory, Pax Romana
Wealth, cultural refinement, patrician status
Part 4: Mastery Synthesis • CER Written Argument
I Can Assessment
Prompt: Write a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning response addressing our objective: How did Roman leaders use visual art or architecture as an instrument of political power and propaganda? Cite specific visual evidence from at least one visual artifact and quote/reference at least one paired text .
Rubric: • Clear Claim (1 pt) • Visual Detail Cited (1 pt) • Primary Text Quoted (1 pt) • Historical Reasoning (1 pt) Total: 4 / 4 Pts
Evergreen Charter School • Student Investigation Handout Page 2 of 2
Roman Art Exit Ticket Evergreen Charter School Exit Ticket
Ancient Roman Art & Propaganda: Daily Mastery Check
Name: Period:
Learning Objective: "I can analyze Roman primary sources to explain how art served as political propaganda."
Confidence: 1 2 3 4
1. Select ONE artwork analyzed today (e.g., Augustus of Prima Porta , Arch of Titus , or Veristic Patrician Bust ). Name the artwork and identify ONE visual detail or symbol:
2. Explain how that visual detail served as political propaganda or communicated Roman cultural values to ancient viewers:
Criteria: • Specific Artifact & Detail (1 pt) • Accurate Political/Cultural Meaning (1 pt) • Historical Evidence (1 pt)
Teacher Score: / 3
Cut Here • 2 Tickets Per Page
Evergreen Charter School Exit Ticket
Ancient Roman Art & Propaganda: Daily Mastery Check
Name: Period:
Learning Objective: "I can analyze Roman primary sources to explain how art served as political propaganda."
Confidence: 1 2 3 4
1. Select ONE artwork analyzed today (e.g., Augustus of Prima Porta , Arch of Titus , or Veristic Patrician Bust ). Name the artwork and identify ONE visual detail or symbol:
2. Explain how that visual detail served as political propaganda or communicated Roman cultural values to ancient viewers:
Criteria: • Specific Artifact & Detail (1 pt) • Accurate Political/Cultural Meaning (1 pt) • Historical Evidence (1 pt)
Teacher Score: / 3
