Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Byzantine Empire - History 1&2, Explorers & Trailblazers

The term Byzantine is used to refer to the Eastern half of the Roman Empire after it was divided. The peak of the Byzantine Empire occurred after 527 during the Justinian Dynasty. Justinian I (Justinian the Great) took on many projects including reviewing all of the existing Roman laws re-writing them into a single book often called the Justinian Code. Under his rule the empire gained territory and maintained peace through tribute pay-outs to the Persians. This caused them to continually increase taxes, eventually leading to discontent among the people.
 In class activities:

  • Learned about Justinian's origins as a peasant
  • Discussed the influence of the Demes, chariot racing teams who had great political power
  • Divided ourselves into blue and green parties, and discussed what would happen if we only took care of the people on our side
  • Literally stitched Rome back together, showing how Justinian attempted to rebuild Rome
  • Wrote our own book of laws
  • Watched portions of a cartoon explaining Justinian's influence
Optional lesson extension activities:
  • Read history card MA - 7 and discuss the topic of Islam with your family
  • Practice your timeline
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