During the past week, four different experts from the greater Boston area received mysterious e-mail messages. An Anthropologist with expertise in ancient cultures received information concerning a recent discovery of jewelry in the Forum. A Political Scientist received information about an unearthed scroll which documented the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. A Mythologist learned that a vase which depicted a unique Roman religious scene was discovered in a temple. And an Architect learned about an ancient plan for an aqueduct detailing the water supply to an ancient Roman city. Each of these professionals were summoned to a special meeting at the Worcester Art Museum. Selected to represent our country on this top secret mission, these four will join an international team of experts who are Unearthing the Lost City of ABurbe-Suburbe.

Assemble your team and assume a role. Your assignment is to create a miniature model of the ancient Roman City: ABurbe-Suburbe.

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By the end of this task you will have used all the available resources (print, video, Internet) to investigate what is known about ancient Roman cities. You will apply this knowledge to recreate another fictitious ancient city (ABurbe-Suburbe). Your recreation will include:

• a founder,
• the founder's legend,
• and, an authentic representation (building design and layout) of the city.

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Roman Print Resources (obtain from Latin teacher):

Abrams, Harry. Pompeii: The Day a City Died, Thomas and Hudson LTD, New York,1992.

Boak and Sinnigen. History of Rome, MacMillan, New York, 1965.

Boethius, Axel. Etruscan and early Roman Architecture, Penguin Books, New York, 1978.

Bondanella, Peter. The Eternal City, University of North Carolina Press, 1987.

Bonechi (Ed). Pompeii, Fiorenze, 1977.

Casson, Lionel. Daily Life in Ancient Rome, American Heritage Publishing Co, New York, 1975.

Colasso, Robert. The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony, Knopf, New York, 1993.

dell'Orto, Luisa Franchi. Ancient Rome, Scala, Firenze, 1982.

MacKendrick, Paul. and Grant, Michael, History of Rome, Faber and Faber, Boston, MA 1979.

Marx, Walter. Claimed by Vesuvius, Independent School Press, Wellesley, 1979.

Saylor, Steven. The Venus Throw, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1995.

The Mute Stones Speak, Norton and Co., New York, 1983.

The Land of the Etruscans, Scala, Firenze, 1985.

Veyne, Paul, (Ed). A History of Private Life, Belknap Press, Cambridge, 1987.

Vitruvius. The Ten Books on Architecture, Dover Publications, New York, 1980.

Weller, Mortimer. Roman Art and Architecture, Thomas and Hudson, London, 1964.

Williams, John. Augustus, Viking Press, New York, 1972.

Video (obtain from Latin teacher):

All Rome,VHS, N.T.S.C. MA.PIR, Roma

McCauley, David, Roman City,PBS video, VHS,Turner Home Entertainment,Atlanta, 1995

Rome and Pompeii, Questar Video,Inc., Chicago, 1994

Roman Internet Resources:

Welcome to RomanSites A catalog of websites on Roman antiquity. RomanSites is essentially a bibliographical resource; but its parent site LacusCurtius (currently about 300 pp) is in its own right one of the main Roman resources on the Web.

The Forum Romanum is a site developed by students in the Netherlands for the ThinkQuest Contest. It is a great site to learn about life in ancient Rome. Use the menu bar at the bottom to access different topics. The Forum is a clickable image.

VRoma A Virtual community for Teaching and Learning Classics: many valuable links can be found here.

Washington State University maintains a site for Internet resources, Roman Internet Resources.

The Pompeii Forum Project is an interdisciplinary collaborative research venture sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of Virginia, and private contributors. Click on "Notes for Teachers and Students" to read Latin Text and see QuickTime Movies and QuickTime VR 2.0.

The Romans: history of the Romans

Daily Life in Ancient Rome find out what it was like.

Amphitheaters

Theaters

Roman Mythology from The Encyclopedia Mythica

The Perseus Project: Mostly Ancient Greece resources but may give you some ideas.

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Who were the Romans? What made their civilization unique? How did everyday life impact the structure of their cities? What unique architectural designs did they invent? How did they use these new designs to establish components of their cities?

Recreating an Ancient Roman city may seem like an impossible mission, but like any team faced with a difficult challenge you will:

1. Collaborate.
2. Give 100% effort to the group.
3. Research, Research, Research.
4. Divide the task into sub-tasks.

Following these guidelines will help ensure success.

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1. Each person in the group will pick a role to play

1. Anthropologist
2. Mythologist
3. Political Scientist
4. Architect

2. Once you've picked a role to play, each member should click on your title to read about your individual profession. Remember each role relates to the other members of this special team.

3. Begin to develop the plan for the city of ABurbe-Suburbe by researching the Ancient Roman sites. Remember you are collecting and analyzing the information according to your area of expertise. Complete the graded questions using the web sites.

4. Write a one page report detailing how an Ancient Roman city was influenced by your discipline.

5. Create a group report that assimilates the four disciplines and documents the various influences affecting the layout of an Ancient Roman city. Submit the individual reports and the group report to the teacher.

6. Draw a blueprint of your city. Use geometric shapes to represent the structures. Strive for a consistent scale. Label types of buildings and indicate the buildings' usage. The group will submit one blueprint of the city. *Note this blue print will form the basis of your 3D model. Keep this in mind when you develop the scale of the city used in the blueprint.

7. Final project: create a 3D model of the city. Each member of the group will be responsible for making two buildings related to his/her profession. Please make your choices from the following:

• Amphitheater
• Aqueduct
• Arch
• Bath Complex
• Circus
• Forum
• House
• Palace
• Temple
• Theater

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Check the timeline for due dates.

This project will be graded according to the following criteria:

• Graded Questions: You are expected to provide accurate, detailed answers = 10%

• One Page Report: Your report should indicate how well you have developed your role and determine how you will combine it with the work of your group to accomplish your objectives. It should specifically delineate how you intend to incorporate your findings to create this city. = 15%

• Group Report: You will be expected to synthesize the information you have collected into a cohesive piece from which you will be able to work to design your city. = 20%

• Blueprint: Your blueprint must reflect careful and precise planning. Be sure to clarify any building’s use. = 25%

• 3D Model: The buildings that you create ( you are each responsible for two) must be authentic reproductions that reflect your understanding of Roman art and architecture as you describe them from your respective roles. Please include the founder and legend information about your city with your model. = 30%
(Keep in mind that the model will be submitted the Worcester Art Museum)

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Done properly, this project should clearly demonstrate your understanding of how an ancient city not only was constructed but how and why it was so functional. (Remember that form follows function.) An observer has to be able to determine what inspired the creation of your city and why it was built in the particular way that you have chosen.

As learners, you will have focused your individual talents on accomplishing a collaborative task that none of you could have completed on his/her own. Why did you choose the buildings that you did? And if you could, what others would you have added and why? What struck you as particularly unusual about something that you read or discovered? What do you think a Roman might think of a modern city like New York or Chicago?

As an extension, you may want to learn more about these four occupations. For each occupation, the following Internet sites will teach you more about careers in these areas.

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