When in Rome - Shop!

A WebQuest for 6th Grade Social Studies

I. Introduction

Are you into cosmetics, books, clothing, jewelry?
Do you like to shop at your local mall? WalMart? Target?

It's the year 158 A.D. and you are entering a Roman marketplace. What would you find for sale? What's around the next column? Does it look like your neighborhood mall? After completing this WebQuest you'll know the "ins and outs" of a Roman marketplace!

II. Task

You will create a store that reflects the merchandise, décor, and the physical elements of a Roman marketplace. Assuming the roles of store manager, buyer, and architect, your group must design a floor plan, purchase merchandise, and market your merchandise. Your final product will be judged by how well it accurately depicts a specific aspect of a Roman marketplace and the daily life of ancient Roman civilization. After completing the store, you will compare and contrast a Roman marketplace to the malls of today.

III. Process

The group will create a typical Roman store. The group should review the project grading rubric to determine how to receive a high score. In general, all items must be created on time, be complete, and demonstrate quality work. Use the attached worksheet to help guide your research. After receiving the type of store from the teacher, each group member needs to choose one of the three following roles:

The Architect

The architect is in charge of designing the store. The most important job of the architect is to create a store which looks like a typical Roman store, for example, your store cannot float, be made of plastic, have computers etc... and should demonstrate Roman architecture. The store model must range in size from an approximate size of 2X2 to 4X4. Finally, the architect must consider what the store is selling in the design creation and he/she should confer often with other group members.
The architect should first research common Roman building methods and designs. Next, a detailed drawing of the store should be created and presented to the teacher before creating the model. After receiving teacher approval, the architect may start creating the model.

Forum Romanum - Exploring an Ancient Market Place
Roman Building
Daily Life
Food Shop in Pompeii

Roman Forum
Trajan Market

The Buyer

The buyer is in charge of creating Roman items to sell in the store. The most important job of the buyer is to stock the store with Roman items which match the store's theme. The buyer must create the actual model items using materials from the time which typical Romans would want or need. The buyer must be in constant communication with other group members, especially the architect, so that their model items match the store's theme.
The buyer should first research common Roman items which would be sold in a typical Roman store. Next, the buyer should create and present to the teacher a list of ten items to sell in the store. The buyer should consider how to make each of the ten items. After receiving teacher approval, the buyer should begin to make the store items. (A minimum of five items is required however, additional quality items will score higher on the project rubric. Check the rubric.)

Forum Romanum - Exploring an Ancient Market Place
Daily Life
Roman Food Industry
Food Storage

Food and Recipe Sites
Ancient Roman Food
Poor Roman's Menu
Antique Roman Recipes
You Eat What You Are

Clothing and Textiles
Make Your Own Roman Sandals
Preparation of Finished Cloth
Ancient Roman Clothing
Roman Clothing II
Designing Roman Clothing
Dressing a Roman Soldier

Jewelry
Ancient Roman Jewelry
Reproductions of Roman Jewelry

Books/Writing Shop
Roman Libraries
Roman Writing Materials
From Scroll to Bound Book
Roman Writing Materials II

The Store Manager

The store manager is in charge of "running" the store. The most important job of the store manager is run the store in a "Roman" way. The store manager must create media product such as an advertisement, map, daily schedule, or another product approved by the teacher. You must be able to depict Roman culture as it relates to your store. The store manager must be in constant communication with other group members to know what merchandise is in the store and how to sell it!
The store manager should first research money, daily life and the customs which surround their typical Roman store. Next, the store manager should make a rough draft of the product you will use to present this information. You must incorporate Roman numerals into your product. The store manager should keep in mind when customer traffic is at its height, names of Roman currency, the clientele, etc. After receiving teacher approval, the store manager should create the product.

Forum Romanum - Exploring an Ancient Market Place
Daily Life
Ancient Roman Food
Poor Roman's Menu
Roman Forum
Trajan Market
You Eat What You Are
Shopping List

Group members should be in constant communication since they need information from each other throughout the project. Also, the group should review the grading rubric often and meet with the teacher to determine if their project is moving in the correct direction.

Oral Presentation

After the group finishes their individual tasks and finishes their store, they should prepare their oral presentation. The presentation should include all group members and should highlight the tasks of each person. For example, the architect should give a tour of the store, explain the design, indicate what it would be made of and where the store would be located. The buyer should explain each of the store items, how a typical Roman would use them and what they would be made from in ancient times. The store manager will display and explain the store's advertisements, the cost of each store item and when the store would be at its busiest. An exemplary presentation will include costumes, Roman speech, or other elements that enhance the Roman environment. The information presented must be historically accurate.

The presenters should use correct grammar and diction, superior voice projection, and make several attempts to engage the audience.

Public Speaking Tips
Calming Your Speech Nerves

The Final Paper

After all groups have presented the information about their stores, the stores will be combined to create a Roman Mall. After reviewing the mall and the classes presentations, each student will independently write a paper comparing and contrasting a mall in Roman times to the malls of today. Students should reflect on the types of merchandise sold, store layout, advertisements etc... in their papers. Superior papers will contain more than three comparing and contrasting examples, use support from class presentations, and contain no grammatical or spelling errors.

Organizing a Paper
Proofreading Tips
Word Selection
Writing checklist

IV. Evaluation

Your grade will be a combination of your individual work and your group's presentation.

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplary 4
Model of Shop	1) Shows no evidence of Roman architecture. 2) Model is not correct size. 3) Shows no effort or attention to detail	1) Some evidence of Roman architecture. 2) Model is not correct size. 3) Shows some effort or attention to detail.	1) Adequate evidence of Roman architecture. 2) Model is correct size. 3) Shows acceptable effort and some attention to detail	1) Exemplary evidence of Roman architecture. 2) Model is correct size. 3) Shows exemplary effort and attention to detail
Products	1) No appropriate Roman products included. 2) No theme is present 3) Shows no effort or attention to detail	1) Less than 5 appropriate Roman products included. 2) Theme is partially present in objects 3) Shows some effort or attention to detail.	1) 5 appropriate Roman products included 2) Theme is consistent in most objects with one or two exceptions. 3) Shows acceptable effort and some attention to detail.	1) More than 5 appropriate Roman products included. 2) Theme is consistent in all objects. 3) Shows exemplary effort and attention to detail
Store Management	1) Product does not resemble media used in ancient Rome. 2) The content shows no knowledge of Roman culture. 3) Roman numerals are not present. 4) Shows no effort or attention to detail	1) Product partially resembles media used in ancient Rome 2) The content shows some knowledge of Roman culture. 3) Roman numerals are used but are incorrect. 4) Shows some effort or attention to detail.	1) Product clearly resembles media used in ancient Rome. 2) The content shows acceptable knowledge of Roman culture. 3) Roman numerals are used correctly. 4) Shows acceptable effort and some attention to detail.	1) Product is created so that it clearly resembles media used in ancient Rome. 2) The content shows exemplary knowledge of Roman culture. 3) Roman numerals are creatively used. 4) Shows exemplary effort and attention to detail
Oral Presentation Content	1) Group includes no elements such as costumes, Roman language use, and no modern slang or idioms. 2)Information is inaccurate.	1)Group includes one relevant elements such as costumes, Roman language use, and no modern slang or idioms. 2)Information is partially accurate.	1) Group includes two relevant elements such as costumes, Roman language use, and no modern slang or idioms. 2)Information is historically accurate.	1) Group includes multiple relevant elements that enhance the presentation such as costumes, Roman language use, and no modern slang or idioms . 2)Information is historically accurate and goes beyond the required research.
Oral Presentation Mechanics	1) Voice inaudible. 2) Grammar and diction flaws detract from presentation. 3) No strategies are used to engage audience.	1) Voice projection needs improvement. 2) Grammar and/or diction needs improvement. 3) Few strategies are used to engage audience.	1) Sufficient voice projection. 2) Grammar and diction is acceptable. 3) Some strategies are used to engage audience.	1) Superb voice projection 2) Grammar and diction is outstanding. 3) Several strategies are used to engage audience.
Analytical Paper	1) Paper contains only one comparative or contrasting idea. 2)Comparative/ Contrasting ideas are not supported with specific examples from the class presentations. 3) Spelling and grammar errors make paper unacceptable.	1) Paper contains less than three (six total) comparative and contrasting ideas. 2)Comparative/ Contrasting ideas are supported with few specific examples from the class presentations. 3) Many grammatical or spelling errors.	1) Paper contains three (six total) comparative and contrasting ideas. 2)Comparative/ Contrasting ideas are supported with some specific examples from the class presentations. 3) Some grammatical or spelling errors.	1) Paper contains more than three examples of (six total) comparative and contrasting ideas. 2)Comparative/ Contrasting ideas are supported with several specific examples from the class presentations. 3) No grammatical or spelling errors.

V. Conclusion

If you demonstrate strong effort and accurately complete the project with all of its tasks, you will gain an understanding of the Roman marketplace and how the ancient commercial environment compares to retail outlets of today. You also will have received practice in public speaking and in improving your writing skills. Hopefully, besides completing the activity for a grade, you will have had a little fun!

VI. Credits & References

The creators of this WebQuest would like to thank the following sources of graphics:

Stone line and up arrow obtained from this site:
http://www.hulamall.com/hawclip/

Animated Roman Figure from site: http://aol.animfactory.com/af_people_m_z_roman_toga_variant_page_roman_speaker.html

Silver Spear from site:
http://aol.animfactory.com/af_dividers_misc_page_aa.html

Marble Background from site: http://www.allfree-clipart.com/cgi-bin/imageFolio3.cgi?direct=backgrounds/marbles

Table background from site:
http://www.coolarchive.com/backgrounds.cfm

"We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original authors' names are retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author's name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date). If you do modify it, please let me know by Email JSchweighoffer@wallingford.k12.ct.us and provide the new URL."

Last updated on XVI August MMII . Based on a template from The WebQuest Page