Augustus used Roman religious symbols and beliefs to strengthen his role as emperor through various means. He portrayed himself on statues as both a military leader and a priest to show his piety and leadership. Coins with his image alongside Roman goddesses suggested his divinity. Virgil's Aeneid epic poem depicted Augustus as fulfilling Rome's destiny and descending from a god, linking the past Republic to the future Empire. Through these various portrayals, Augustus presented himself as having godlike qualities to consolidate his power as emperor.

1. California Council for the Social Studies
Annual Conference
March 5, 2011
Augustus Builds a Roman Empire
A Classroom Application for Ancient Civilizations
Fran Sheppard, Albany Middle School, fsheppard@ausdk12.org
Alison Waterman, Orinda Intermediate School, awaterman@orinda.k12.ca.us
Phyllis James, Special Project Administrator for Vallejo USD, pjames@vallejo.k12.ca.us
The UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project
Department of History • 2407 Dwinelle Hall #2550 • Berkeley, CA 94720-2550
Phone: 510-643-0897 • Fax: 510-643-2353
E-mail: ucbhssp@berkeley.edu
Website: http://history.berkeley.edu/ucbhssp

2. Discussion Prompt
• How do you use primary sources to teach
history in your classroom?
• What are the challenges you face using
primary sources?
3/5/2011 2

3. California Content Standards for 6th
Grade
6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures during
the development of Rome.
•Identify the location and describe the rise of the Roman Republic, including the importance of
such mythical and historical figures as Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, Cincinnatus, Julius Caesar,
and Cicero.
•Describe the government of the Roman Republic and its significance (e.g., written constitution
and tripartite government, checks and balances, civic duty).
•Identify the location of and the political and geographic reasons for the growth of Roman
territories and expansion of the empire, including how the empire fostered economic growth
through the use of currency and trade routes.
•Discuss the influence of Julius Caesar and Augustus in Rome's transition from republic to empire.
•Trace the migration of Jews around the Mediterranean region and the effects of their conflict with
the Romans, including the Romans' restrictions on their right to live in Jerusalem.
•Note the origins of Christianity in the Jewish Messianic prophecies, the life and teachings of
Jesus of Nazareth as described in the New Testament, and the contribution of St. Paul the Apostle
to the definition and spread of Christian beliefs (e.g., belief in the Trinity, resurrection, salvation).
•Describe the circumstances that led to the spread of Christianity in Europe and other Roman
territories.
•Discuss the legacies of Roman art and architecture, technology and science, literature, language,
and law.
3/5/2011 3

4. California Content Standards for 7th
Grade
7.1 Students analyze the causes and effects of the vast expansion and
ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire.
•Study the early strengths and lasting contributions of Rome (e.g.,
significance of Roman citizenship; rights under Roman law; Roman art,
architecture, engineering, and philosophy; preservation and
transmission of Christianity) and its ultimate internal weaknesses (e.g.,
rise of autonomous military powers within the empire, undermining of
citizenship by the growth of corruption and slavery, lack of education,
and distribution of news).
•Discuss the geographic borders of the empire at its height and the
factors that threatened its territorial cohesion.
•Describe the establishment by Constantine of the new capital in
Constantinople and the development of the Byzantine Empire, with an
emphasis on the consequences of the development of two distinct
European civilizations, Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic, and
their two distinct views on church-state relations.
3/5/2011 4

5. California Content Standards for 10th
Grade
10.1 Students relate the moral and ethical principles in
ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and
in Christianity to the development of Western political
thought.
•Analyze the similarities and differences in Judeo-
Christian and Greco-Roman views of law, reason and
faith, and duties of the individual.
•Trace the development of the Western political ideas of
the rule of law and illegitimacy of tyranny, using
selections from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics.
•Consider the influence of the U.S. Constitution on
political systems in the contemporary world.
3/5/2011 5

6. Backwards Planning
3/5/2011 6
UC Berkeley History-Social Science Project
Cycle of Instruction

7. OUR PREMISE
Knowledge of the
Discipline:
History Content
Process of Historical
Investigation
Knowledge of
Discipline-Specific
Literacy Skills:
Building Academic
Literacy through
History
Improving Student Achievement
3/5/2011 7

8. BACKWARDS PLANNING CYCLE OF INSTRUCTION
Step 1: FRAMING INSTRUCTION
• TOPIC/ ISSUES
•MATERIALS
•STANDARDS
•FOCUS QUESTION./ Teaching Thesis
Step 2: Map the Lessons
•Accessible steps
•Focus question for each lesson
• SKILLS: reading, writing, and
discipline-specific analysis skills
Step 4: Design the Assessment(s)
•Writing prompt
•Expectations for students
•Rubric or scoring guide
Classroom
Application
Step 5: Instruction, Learning, Practice
•Reading and writing strategies
•Oral language and critical thinking skills development
•Content Acquisition
Model - Guided practice - Independent Practice
Step 6: Administer the Assessment
•Have students complete the assessment
•Use the rubric
•Provide feedback
Step 7: Analyze the Data
•Analyze student work to plan instruction
•Do protocol with colleagues
•Revise or re-teach as needed
•Revise unit for future use
Adapted from Michelle M. Herczog, Consultant,
History/Social Science,
Los Angeles County Office of Education
Step 3: Identify Challenges and Opportunities to
Increase Understanding of Content
•Unlocking text and content
•Analyzing historical argument
•Writing to a focus question
PLANNING
STRATEGIES
ASSESSMENT
INSTRUCTION
REFLECTION
Follow up
3/5/2011 8

9. Planning Goals
Identify challenges of and opportunities for teaching
reading, writing, and historical analysis skills within
the content standards framework by:
–Using focus questions to plan and frame content, reading
and writing instruction, and assessment
–Establishing a teaching thesis to determine the scope of
instruction
–Introducing instructional strategies for teaching reading,
writing, and historical analysis skills within the content
standards framework
3/5/2011 9

10. Unit Focus Question: (Getting at the heart of the matter--Unifying a broad range of information)
Unit Teaching Thesis: (A concise answer to my Unit Focus Question)
Unit Assessment: How will students express their learning? How will we measure student learning?
What do the students need to know to answer the focus question?
Lessons
Lesson 1 Lesson 2 Lesson 3 Lesson 4 Lesson 5 etc.
Lesson Focus ? What will students need to know?
Materials What resources will students use to access the information/content?
Skills What literacy and thinking skills will students need?
Activity How will students interact with the materials/content?
What reading and writing strategies will help students accomplish these tasks?
What vocabulary knowledge is needed?
Lesson Assessment How will students express their learning? How will we measure student learning?
Planning Strategically
3/5/2011
10

11. 11
Designing a Focus Question
Criteria for Focus Questions
• Provides a focus for student learning on a standards-
based issue
• Creates connections among the issues and topic
• Requires students to utilize critical thinking and
writing skills
• Elicits an explanation or argument that will be used to
generate a thesis statement supported by evidence
(i.e. how, why and what role questions do this)
• Elicits more than one answer
3/5/2011

12. 12
Writing a Teaching Thesis
• Focuses on the significance of unit/lesson
• Answers the Focus Question
• What you want the students to know
• Establishes learning goal
• Directs assessment
Note: Take into account whether students will be able
to get this information from the materials and texts
you have planned for the unit or lesson.
3/5/2011

13. 13
Model Unit Plan
Unit Topic Growth and Strengthening of Roman: Republic to Empire
Content
Standard
History-Social Science 6.7 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and
social structures during the development of Rome.
Analysis Skills HI 3 Explain the sources of historical continuity and how the combination of ideas
and events explains the emergence of new patterns.
Analysis REPV 4 Students assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources & draw sound
conclusions from them.
Text/Sources Roman statues, coins, Virgil’s Aeneid. Appropriate textbook pages.
Unit Focus
Question
How did Rome expand from a tiny republic in central Italy to a thriving center of a vast empire that
encircled the Mediterranean Sea and included most of Europe?
Lesson
Teaching
Thesis
Augustus manipulated Roman religious symbols and beliefs to portray himself not only as a model
Roman citizen, but also as a man with godlike qualities – perhaps one sent by the gods to serve
Rome. He used public statues to portray himself as both an idealized military leader and a priest; he
used images of himself on coins to suggest his divinity; and he appears in Virgil’s epic poem the
Aeneid as the fulfillment of Rome’s destiny and the descendant of a god.
Lesson Focus
Question
How did Augustus use Roman religious symbols and religious beliefs to strengthen his role as
emperor?
Activity Analyze primary sources (artifacts and text passage)
Lesson
Assessment
Students will answer the lesson focus question by writing a paragraph with a thesis statement, two
or three pieces of supporting evidence, and a conclusion. Advanced students will include analysis
in addition to specific evidence.
3/5/2011

14. 3/5/2011 14
Ancient Rome Unit Focus Question:
How did Rome expand from a tiny
republic in central Italy to the center of
a vast empire that encircled the
Mediterranean Sea and included most
of Europe?
http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=social_reform_and_civil_war

15. 3/5/2011 15
Caesar Augustus Lesson Focus Question:
How did Augustus use Roman
religious symbols and beliefs to
strengthen his role as emperor?

16. portraits of Caesar and Augustus compared
3/5/2011 16

17. Two statues
of Augustus
left: in military
dress
right: as
pontifex
maximus
3/5/2011 17

18. typical coin of Roman Republic:
left: bust of goddess Roma; right: Dioscuri on horseback
silver, 190 BC
3/5/2011 18

19. Octavian coin series 1:
top: portraits of Octavian
bottom, from left to right: goddesses Pax (Peace), Venus, Victoria (Victory)
3/5/2011 19

20. Octavian coin series 2:
top: portraits of Pax, Venus, and Victoria
bottom: Octavian addressing army; giving signal to attack; triumphal statue
3/5/2011 20

21. 3/5/2011 21
Roman Statue.
How is Caesar Augustus
being portrayed?:
Observations: (What do you see here? Use bullet
points and describe each of these statues as
evidence of Caesar Augustus’ portrayal.)
Statements: (Revise and combine your observations into
sentences, summarizing your evidence.) What is the statue
trying to tell the viewer about Caesar Augustus?
Caesar Augustus
-
-
-
-
-
-
This statue shows Augustus as __________________
___________________________________________________
The evidence of that is __________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________________
This portrayal is important because
____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Roman Artifact Notes Name ______________________
Focus Question: How did Caesar Augustus use Roman religious symbols and beliefs to strengthen his role as emperor?

22. 3/5/2011 22
Roman coins changed when Caesar Augustus was emperor.
How do the changes in Roman coins show Caesar Augustus’
role being portrayed?
Observations: (What do you see here?
Use bullet points and describe each of
these sets of coins as evidence of how
Caesar Augustus wanted to be seen.)
Statements: (Restate and combine your
observations as sentences, summarizing your
evidence.) What messages are the coins trying to
tell the viewer?
Typical Roman Coin, silver, 190 B.C. (Republic)
(goddess Roma on front, Dioscuri on back)
-
-
-
-
This coin shows ____________________________
________________________________________________
and tells us that ____________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Octavian (Augustus) coin series, top: portraits of goddesses: Pax,
Venus, and Victoria, bottom: Octavian addressing army; giving
signal to attack; triumphal statue (Ca. 30 B.C.) Empire
-
-
-
-
-
These coins show __________________________
________________________________________________
and are important because ____________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

23. Aeneid Excerpt
3/5/2011 23
This is the man, this is him, whom you have often heard
promised:
Augustus Caesar, descendant of a god, who will again
establish
The golden ages which once reigned in the field of Latium
[original area where Rome was founded]
Under Saturn of old, and who will carry forward empire
Over the Garamantes (Libyans) and Indians (southeast
Asians)…
-Virgil, The Aeneid, book VI, lines 790-796
Excerpt from A. Wallace-Hadrill, Augustan Rome, (London: Bristol Classical Press, 1993), 92
WRITTEN BETWEEN 29 – 19 BCE

24. 3/5/2011 24
again…
carry forward …
Overall Evidence:
-
-
-
________________
________________
________________
Augustus
Descendant of a god
Aeneid Graphic OrganizerVirgil, The Aeneid, book VI, lines 790-796, Excerpt from A. Wallace-Hadrill, Augustan Rome, (London: Bristol Classical Press, 1993), 92
________________
________________
________________
Overall Evidence:
-
-
-

25. 3/5/2011 25
again…
carry forward…
Overall Evidence:
1. Coin: Roman Republic depicting
Roma and the Dioscuri
2. Virgil’s Aeneid
Overall Evidence:
1.Statue of Augustus as pontifex
maximus (as a priest)
2.Augustus/Roman goddess coins
3. Virgil’s Aeneid
-again establish a golden age
- once reigned in the field of Latium
[original area in which Rome was
founded]
-Saturn of old
-carry forward the empire
-over the Garamantes [Libyans] and
Indians [southeast Asians]
Augustus
Descendant of a god
Aeneid Graphic Organizer – KEYVirgil, The Aeneid, book VI, lines 790-796, Excerpt from A. Wallace-Hadrill, Augustan Rome, (London: Bristol Classical Press, 1993), 92
The Past
Roman Republic
The Future
Roman Empire

26. 3/5/2011 26
Basic Thesis & Evidence Paragraph OutlineFocus Question: How did Augustus use Roman religious symbols and religious beliefs to strengthen his role as
emperor? Give at least two examples.
Thesis statement: Augustus used religious symbols and religious beliefs to strengthen his role as emperor by showing
himself as a man with godlike qualities.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence #1: One way Augustus strengthened his power was by the use of
___________________________________________
which showed __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence #2: Another way Augustus strengthened his power was through
____________________________________________
showing ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Evidence #3: And finally, Augustus’ power was strengthened by
____________________________________________________
This shows that __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Concluding statement: In conclusion, ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

27. 3/5/2011 27
Basic Thesis & Evidence Paragraph Outline - KEY
Augustus used religious symbols and religious beliefs to
strengthen his role as emperor by showing himself as a man with
godlike qualities. One way Augustus strengthened his power was
by the use of statues which showed him as a priest. Another way
Augustus strengthened his power was by having coins printed with
his face on one side and Roman goddesses on the other (or by
showing him in his jobs as emperor on one side and the other side
were the faces of the Roman goddesses.). And finally, Augustus’
power was strengthened by the poem Virgil wrote, The Aeneid.
[This shows that] Virgil wrote about Augustus connecting the past
Republic to the future of the Roman Empire. In conclusion,
Augustus was seen as a strong Roman emperor because the ancient
Roman people saw him in a variety of places carrying out the
religion of the Roman Republic.

28. Advanced Thesis & Evidence Paragraph Outline
3/5/2011 28
Focus Question: How did Augustus use Roman religious symbols and religious beliefs to strengthen his role as emperor? Give at least two
examples.
Thesis statement: Augustus used religious symbols to strengthen his role as emperor by __________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Specific Evidence #1: One way Augustus _______________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Analysis: This showed ______________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Specific Evidence #2: Another way Augustus ____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Analysis: This showed ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Specific Evidence #3: And finally, Augustus
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Analysis: This showed ______________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Concluding statement: In conclusion, _________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note: Basic version omits analysis. More advanced version could include more generalized examples with specific evidence and analysis to
support or elaborate upon the generalizations. See example below.

29. Advanced Thesis & Evidence Paragraph Outline
3/5/2011 29
Augustus used Roman religious symbols and religious beliefs to strengthen his role as
emperor by portraying himself as a man with godlike qualities and god-given authority.
One way Augustus did this was by having statues made of him as a priest. This showed that
he was pious, a Roman virtue. Another way Augustus strengthened his role as emperor was
that he had coins minted with his image stamped on them. This practice [or This]
encouraged his people to view him as godlike because Roman practice during the Republic
was to mint coins with images of gods on them. Augustus followed the practice begun by
Julius Caesar of minting coins with his picture on them. Later, Augustus minted coins with
a goddess on one side, and with Augustus’s head on the other. Romans who used such
coins all over the empire saw their emperor as more than a mere man. And finally,
Augustus’ power was further strengthened by Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid. These
passages said [showed] that “Augustus Caesar, descendant of a god…will once again
establish the golden ages which once reigned…and will carry forward empire…” (6.791-5).
In conclusion, although we cannot be certain that Augustus authorized Virgil’s portrayal of
him in this way, we can say that Augustus used this important literary work, along with
other aspects of Roman culture, to strengthen his position as emperor by presenting himself
as a virtuous and godlike man sent to save and extend Roman power.

30. 3/5/2011 30
Analytical Paragraph Terminology
THESIS (T) or
Topic Sentence (TS)
This is often the first sentence in a paragraph. It must answer the
question or prompt and be the main idea of the paragraph. It has a subject
and an argument, claim, or position. It does for a paragraph what a thesis
does for an essay.
EVIDENCE (EV) or
CONCRETE DETAILS (CD)
These are the details that form the backbone or core of the paragraph.
These are the FACTS, EXAMPLES, or SUPPORT. They provide the
proof for the thesis. They can be generalizations.
SPECIFIC EVIDENCE (SEV)
CONCRETE DETAILS (CD)
The specific evidence builds upon the evidence sentence by providing
greater detail or a concrete example. These are often NUMBERS,
STATISTICS, QUOTATIONS, or DETAILS. These are needed to
support the generalizations and really prove the thesis.
ANALYSIS (AN) or
COMMENTARY (CM)
This is the analysis, reasoning or commentary about the evidence and
specific evidence. This is the EXPLANATION, INTERPRETATION,
EVALUATION, or INSIGHT. This answers the question: “So what?”
or “Why is this significant?”. They ensure the specific evidence,
especially quotations, will be analyzed, not just dropped into the
paragraph. The analysis sentence should forge the link between the
evidence and the thesis.
CONCLUDING SENTENCE
(CS)
This is the last sentence of the paragraph. It often restates the thesis
without using key words. It also reviews what has been proven in the
paragraph and reconnects it to the thesis. It gives a completed or finished
feeling to the paragraph.

31. 3/5/2011 31
WHEN & WHERE
Place and Time: Where and When was it published?
Historical Context: What was going on during this event or era/period?
WHO
Author: background, sex, race, social class, education;
credibility; expertise. What is his/her perspective?
Audience: Who is the intended audience?
OBSERVATIONS
DESCRIPTION OF SOURCE
What I see…
Evidence of...
MEANING
What the objects, words, etc. mean
MESSAGE/ARGUMENT
The author is trying to tell me…
QUESTIONS
I wonder…
My reaction to the source is…
ANALYZING A PRIMARY SOURCE
Focus Question: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Title of Source: ____________________________________ Author: ___________________ Genre (letter, cartoon, photo?): ________________

32. 3/5/2011 32
APPLYING THE SOURCE
I think I can use this source in my essay because…
WRITING USING THE PRIMARY SOURCE
Focus Question: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________ tells us that _____________________________________________________
(title of source OR author) (author OR subject)
thought _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(the primary source’s message, what it is trying to tell me)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
because __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(evidence in the primary source)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
This primary source relates to the focus question because ___________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
IDENTIFYING THE MAIN IDEA
Looking at your observations of the primary source, what is the main idea or message of the source?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
________________________________________________________________________________________________
_
________________________________________________________________________________________________
.

33. 3/5/2011 33
Discussion Prompts
• How do you think you might be able to
implement these strategies in your
classroom?
• How might you adapt one of these
strategies to meet your students’ needs?