A Walk Through History: Mideavel Civilizations - 7th Grade

By Dr. Marie Sontag

For best results, teachers should present A Walk Through History: Mideavel Civilizations in short segments as they cover each event in class. Have the students visualize the classroom as a map of the world. 

  Timeline 1 - Pax Romana

Key Words
Hand Motions

1. Julius Caesar, Dictator

1. Make a fist and strike your chest with it as you say #1.

2. Augustus, 1st Emperor

2. Raise your right hand as you point with your index finger and say #2.

3. Jesus Christ

3. Stretch out your arms as if on a cross. Point out that the first letters of each name is JC, the same as the first letters of the next key words.

4. Julio-Claudian Emperors

4. Hold a thumb up, then a thumb down to indicate two of them were good emperors, two were bad emperors.

5. Disorder

5. Pull up two strands of hair as if your hair is standing up because of the disorder of chaos after the J-C emperors.

6. Vespasian

6. Hold up a "V" sign for the name, Vespasian, and as a a victory sign, because of all the things he accomplished.

7. The 5 Good Emperors

7. Hold up 5 fingers.

8. Trajan

8. Hold arms out pointing your index fingers to show that Trajan expanded the empire.

9. Hadrian

9. Hold arms out, but touch hands together in front of you with arms extended, to show that Hadrian limited the empire to make it more manageable.

10. Pax Romana, A.D. 180

10. Make a peace sign with two fingers, and make an arch in front of you from left to right to show that the years you just reviewed were the Pax Romana years, and that they ended after A.D. 180.

Timeline 2 - The Fall of Rome

1. Julianus buys the throne

1. Rub thumb and index fingers together by your neck, like you are fingering a necklace as you say "Julianus" (jewelry sounds like Julian). Then form a crown with thumb and index fingers on your head as you say "buys the throne".

2. Severans rule - life was cruel - no leadership, no food, no money

2. Point index finger out as you say "no leadership", put hand to mouth for "no food, and pretend to pull a pants pocket inside out for "no money".

3. 22 emperors in 50 years

3. Make motions like rock, paper, scissors as you hold out your right hand's index finger and and middle finger above your left handed fist (like scissors) and tap it twice for "22". Then tap your right hand once on your left fist, with five fingers extended (like paper), as you say "fifty", then form a fist with the right hand as you tap it on your left hand as you say "years".

4. Diocletian - rule divided by 4

4. Extend right hand with fingers out, giving a "karate" chop as you say "rule", then turn wrist to the left as you say "divided by 4".

5. Constantine - capital moved to Constantinople

5. Point to the right, indicating that Constantinople is to the right of Rome on the map.

6. Theodosius - two empires: East and West

6. Hold up the index fingers of each hand and when you say "East", point the right hand to the right, and when you say "West", point the left index finger to the left.

7. Odoacer, Rome falls by the wayside

7. Brush your right hand off .

8. A.D. 500, The rise of the Byzantine Empire

8. Hold left hand palm facing up at your waist, and slowly raise it from the middle of your body as you say "...of the Byzantine Empire (because, when talking about Rome, Constantinople and Arabia, Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire is in the middle).

9. A.D. 600, The rise of Islam

9. Hold the right hand palm facing up at your right, and slowly raise it up from the right of your body (the left hand is still raised), as you say "The rise of Islam".

Timeline 3 - The Rise of Islam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

Last updated 9/24/10

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