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Just a few of the many arches of the Colosseum in Rome. [Photo courtesy of Gay Gordon]
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On this day in 753 B.C., Romulus and Remus are said to have founded the city of Rome. Between that time and A.D. 457 (when Rome fell), the Romans built marvelous public structures, some of which still stand. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Colosseum, first known as the Flavian Amphitheater. Today, visitors flock to the Colosseum to see this amazing monument to Roman ingenuity.
Built from about A.D. 70 to 80 (or 82, sources vary in regard to the date), the Colosseum is about 187 meters (600 feet) long, 50 meters (161 feet) high, and 155 meters (500 feet) wide. It was built to seat approximately 50,000 people and featured such amenities as a canopy, or velarium, that could be spread across the top of the amphitheater to provide shade. At times (at least, according to many sources), this great facility was even flooded so that naval battles could be fought for the crowd's entertainment.
The Colosseum exemplifies two major contributions the Romans made to architecture. One is concrete, and the other is the arch. Much of the amphitheater is made of what we now call Roman concrete, a Roman invention. Although other types of concrete were used before Roman times, the Romans added volcanic ash to a mix of lime and stones or pieces of fired clay. This combination produced a strong and extremely durable material.
As far as the use of the arch goes, you would be hard-pressed to think of a building that made greater use of arches than the Colosseum--it has three levels of them! The Romans didn't invent the arch; earlier societies such as the Etruscans used it. However, like any other great society, the Romans borrowed and built on ideas from the civilizations before them. Because the Roman version of the arch could support more weight than earlier designs, the Romans were able to build on a Colosseum-size scale.
What sets the Roman arch apart from its predecessors is the keystone block, often simply referred to as the keystone, or even simpler, the key. Essentially, the keystone supports the load above it by distributing it evenly to either side of the arch.
Besides the Colosseum, arches also characterize numerous Roman aqueducts, bridges, and other public edifices. Furthermore, when it comes to building monuments to Roman heroes, there's the triumphal arch, whose name says it all!
The Colosseum is a good launching point for a study of Roman architecture and building techniques. It features not only arches, but also several different styles of columns. After learning about some of the Colosseum's architectural features, students might explore the architecture of buildings near where they live to see if any of those features are still used on buildings today. If so, do the features serve a function other than just decoration? Students might also want to compare the Colosseum with modern stadiums or amphitheaters, in both design and function.
Hand-operated elevators--to bring animals from the chambers below ground up to the arena--and the velarium (the canopy) are both innovations that the Romans devised to solve practical problems. Let students make diagrams showing how these apparatuses worked. Keeping the focus on technology, have students do research on the cranes and other building tools the Romans used. What simple machines can the students identify?
Another innovation consisted of an efficient seating system, one that is so commonplace today that you don't even think of anyone inventing it. Tickets, made of ivory, were carved with Roman numerals that corresponded to numbered entrances and seats. Besides serving as an example of Roman ingenuity, the ticket-seat system also provides an easy lead-in to studying Roman numerals. Students can see that Roman numerals constituted a number system that people used (not just for another pretty clock face). You can make a class list of all the instances of Roman numerals that students can find as they do their research. Students can also list some instances where Roman numerals are still used today--for example, as page numbers in the front of many books and as numbers designating the Super Bowls.
Building a model of a Roman arch (see the Teachers Resources section below) is a great way to see why the design is functional. Students can then answer that practical question: When taking apart an arch, why is it important not to remove the keystone first? Students can also make drawings of the different parts of the arch, labeling the parts (the keystone, the voussoirs, and the piers). Let some students study buildings that utilize the arch, and ask others to do research on aqueducts. Still others can look for information on bridges, and others on triumphal arches. For students studying physics, this is an opportunity to talk about forces, load capacity, and structural integrity.
A language arts activity on words is a super fit for this study--there are numerous arch and arc words (you can even link these two terms: a row of arches forms an arcade). Aqueduct is an interesting word to dissect. So are viaduct and Colosseum. Other words to explore include column, arena, and podium. Make a class list to which students can continue to add terms.
In regard to language arts, the creative writing opportunities are truly endless. Students can show what they have learned by producing newspapers or writing plays or journal entries. For example, let the students imagine life in the ancient city of Rome by creating a diary that might have belonged to a youthful Roman, or let them imagine themselves an apprentice for the designer of the Pantheon or the Colosseum.
Here are a few good books for students that explore ancient Rome. Some of these focus in on amphitheaters and technology, and others take a broad look at Roman daily life. They include:
Ancient Rome by Andrew Solway (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001)
Great Buildings: The Colosseum by Peter Chrisp (Raintree Steck-Vaughan, Austin, Texas, 1997)
100 Things You Should Know About Ancient Rome by Fiona Macdonald (Mason Crest Publishers, Brookmall, Pennsylvania, 2003)
Roman Amphitheaters by Don Nardo (Franklin Watts, New York, 2002)
The Roman News by Andrew Langley and Philip de Souza (Gareth Stevens Publishing, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2000)
The Roman Colosseum by Don Nardo (see the Classroom Resources section below)
Technology in the Time of Ancient Rome by Robert Snedden (Raintree Steck-Vaughan, Austin, Texas, 1998)
And here are two for you if you're looking for some in-depth background material:
Principles of Roman Architecture by Mark Wilson Jones (Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut, 2000)
Roman Building: Materials and Techniques by Jean-Pierre Adam (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1994).
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Nova Online: Questions about the Colosseum
Here are a series of questions that students asked during and shortly after an episode of the Nova Secrets of Lost Empires series aired in 1998. Click on the questions you or your students are curious about to find the answers, which are provided by an engineer and a classics expert.
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The Colosseum
This site is filled with interesting material about the Colosseum. In the Architecture section, numerous diagrams and photos show how the building was constucted. For something a bit different, take a look at the models, which you will also find in the Architecture section. If you are practicing your Latin, check the Other section, where you can link to a passage by Pliny the Elder that describes how amphitheaters were invented. Besides the usual history that you would expect, the History section contains a page of excerpts about the Colosseum written by famous authors. Just about every place you go on the site, you'll find intriguing information.
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Roman Architecture in the City of Rome
This site consists primarily of photos of architectural structures--such as the Colosseum, Trajan's market, and the Pantheon--and architectural features--such as walls, columns, and vaults.
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Number (XXVII) for an Entrance of the Flavian Amphitheatre
Very cool! Here is a picture of one of the numbered arches in the Colosseum.
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High-Performance Roman Cements and Roman Concretes
This site tells you everything about Roman concrete and cement you probably ever want to know.
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Dome Basics
Which came first, the arch or the dome? What is a monolithic dome? Which famous building in Washington, D.C., actually is topped by a double dome? To find the answers, and more, click on this site.
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Plants Tell Colosseum's Story
Since 1643, there have been several surveys of the plants in the Colosseum. What can the presence or absence of plants tell you? Lots. Among other things, the records show how the climate in Rome has changed.
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Roman Building
Grades 4-8. The text and the illustrations are geared to students. Students can read descriptions of Hadrian's Wall, aqueducts, and roads. Don't be taken aback when the text notes that some roads today "are in the same place as Roman ones"--the site is British. You might want students to explore the rest of the site, too, by clicking on topics listed in the left navigation bar. They will find a tutorial (written by junior high school students), a section on "fascinating and disgusting" facts, an activity involving Roman numerals, and more.
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The Romans
Grades 3-8. Like the site above, this site is also aimed at students, and it's also British--and very engaging. It provides a brief overview of life during the time of the Romans, offering information on topics such as families, technology, and the Roman army. Seven activities, focusing on, for example, Roman numerals, can be printed out for students to complete.
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Mr. Dowling's Electronic Passport--Rome
This site is well suited to students in grades 5-9. This is a very nice site that takes you from the start of the Roman Empire to Constantine and Constantinople. It touches on Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, the Latin language, and the government of Rome and its contribution to governments today. The section on Roman technology discusses roads, aqueducts, and amphitheaters, and pays special homage to the Roman sewer system.
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Daily Life in Ancient Rome
Grades 4-9. When you explore this site, it feels like you are having a lively conversation. The site provides many bits and pieces of information on Rome: What people ate for breakfast, what they wore, what schools were like, what children did for fun, and much more. its architecture. Students can easily use the numerous facts as a basis for their research. There are some very interesting links, including one that is a Roman numeral converter!
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MathsNet: Ancient Romans
(Part of an ENC Digital Dozen selection, ENC#011456) Grades 6-12 (and for this activity, also Grades 4 and 5). This is fun! Construct a virtual arch.
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The Roman Coliseum Jigsaw
Grades 5-9. First an arch (see the activity above), then an amphitheater. Students can assemble the jigsaw puzzle pieces to put together a virtual Colosseum.
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Building Big: The Labs
(Part of an ENC Digital Dozen selection, ENC#018205) Grades 5-12. The excellent interactive demonstrations provided on this site will help students understand four areas of construction: materials, shapes, forces, and loads. Within those areas, the students can learn about arches (the Shapes Lab) and concrete (the Materials Lab).
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How Many Geometric Shapes Can You Find in Tweed Courthouse (New Headquarters of the New York City Department of Education)?
Grades 5-9. This site is evidence that arches are not just found in Rome. Students can examine the Tweed Courthouse in New York City to find lines, rays, points, segments, angles, triangles, and more. As an extension, you might want to provide students with (or have the students find) a picture of a Roman structure, and ask them to look for examples of those same geometric concepts.
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Walking Tour
Grades 6-12. Students can amble through the Colosseum in this virtual tour. Before beginning, be sure to point out the instructions that tell you how to maneuver through the photographs.
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Simple Machines
(An ENC Digital Dozen selection, ENC#018950) Grades 4-9. If you are integrating the study of simple machines into your lessons, this is a great site for students to use. It's interactive and fun and filled with good, but not overwhelming, information. In the section on finding simple machines, students are shown a picture of a lawn mower, which they can observe from different angles to help them find the six simple machines that the mower contains.
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Bridging the Gap
Here is a very nice activity on bridges. See especially the Arch Bridge.
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Sample Plan of a Roman House
Grades 6-12. This is a great site! Students can click on any room in the plan--for example, the kitchen (the culina) or the study (the tablinum)--and see a photograph of the room. The photo is accompanied by a description of the room and explains some of the items pictured. In the description, you can click on terms to see close-ups of the items.
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Science in ancient Rome
 Date: 1998 Grade(s): 4 - 7 Cost: $8.95 ENC#: 016294
This book provides information for both student and teacher. Stressing the practical approach the Romans took toward science, it describes advances in architecture, including barrel vaults and cross vaults. Other interesting topics include metal working, medicine, and the Julian calendar.
(For more details see ENC Record)
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The Roman Colosseum
Date: 1998 Grade(s): 6 - 9 Cost: $27.45 ENC#: 012396
Here you will find good information and good pictures, in particular the diagram showing how the velarium worked.
(For more details see ENC Record)
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Geometry in architecture
 Featured in ENC Focus
Date: 1984 Grade(s): 7 - Post-Sec. Cost: Out of Print ENC#: 007847
True, this book is out of print, but it's worth trying to locate at the library. According to the author, "geometry would be a 'dead language'"--reserved just for classroom study--if it weren't for architecture. To show that geometry thrives outside the classroom, the author explores the relationship of geometric forms to the art of architecture and design. Although a bit technical, even a novice can appreciate the author's observations as he examines structures and their myriad shapes, from polygons, to rectangles, to prisms and antiprisms, to domes and hemispheres. Furthermore, if students are looking for pictures of geometric shapes in the real world, this is an excellent resource.
(For more details see ENC Record)
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Architecture
Featured in ENC Focus
Date: 1996 Grade(s): 4 - 6 Cost: $25.95 ENC#: 010254
The book contains instructions for making a Roman arch out of Styrofoam.
(For more details see ENC Record)
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Ancient science: 40 time-traveling, world-exploring, history-making activities for kids
Date: 2003 Grade(s): 4 - 7 Cost: $12.95 ENC#: 027526
If you're teaching ancient history, take a look at this book. It presents a number of good activities related to early civilizations. For ancient Rome, the activity is on bridges and arches, and it's nice and simple and to the point. The only materials required are several stacks of books, cardboard strips, and some plastic figures.
(For more details see ENC Record)
Find more materials by searching Curriculum Resources on ENC Online using these terms: Archaeology, Architecture, Bridges, or Buildings.
Realizing that there are many ways to use this Classroom Calendar entry, we chose these standards because they relate to the entry, in full or in part. If you want to explore the standards further, please use the link(s) provided.
Connections to NCTM Standards
Connections: Recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics
Geometry: Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships
Number and Operations: Understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems
Connections to NSES
Content Standard E: Science and Technology: Understanding about science and technology (5-8)
Content Standard E: Science and Technology: Understanding about science and technology (9-12)
Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives: Science and technology in society (5-8)
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Kim Irving
Contributing Teacher
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First posted: 3/31/2003
Last modified: 3/11/2004 |
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