As this is a brief overview question, without time for much independent research, pupils are introduced to a series of ideas which they have to comprehend, illustrate and then see if they can spot the links between the various factors.
Learning objectives
- Pupils are able to list at least 3 valid reasons why the Roman Empire suddenly came to an end
- Some can progress to making links between them e.g. costs of running empire and need to increase taxation, or use of barbarians in army and impact on morale.
Step 1
Introduce slide 1 which has been custom animated to encourage pupils to speculate as each section is revealed. This slide shows the Barbarians looting and pillaging the treasures of ancient Rome, including the toppling of statues of emperors. Raids on the empire from the east had been happening for a couple of hundred years but came to a head in the 4th century the time this picture describes. So was the only reason the Roman Empire fell because of invasion? This is what the pupils are now going to explore.
Step 2
This is pretty straightforward. Go through slides 3 to 9 and make sure pupils have grasped the
