Roman Games Religion

Unit Context

Lesson 13 of 25 in the unit "Exploring The Roman Games" for year 11 students with mild intellectual disabilities and autism, following the NSW Department of Education syllabus for Social Sciences – History. Content pitched at around Year 9 level for accessibility while maintaining intellectual challenge appropriate for life skills learners.

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Learning Intentions

• Students will understand the religious significance and rituals associated with the Roman Games.
• Students will explore how religion influenced the social and cultural practices of entertainment in ancient Rome.

Success Criteria

• I can identify key Roman gods and describe their role in pre-game rituals.
• I can explain the connection between religion and public entertainment in ancient Rome.

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NSW Curriculum Links

• History Stage 5: The Ancient World - Investigate historical periods in ancient societies including religious beliefs and social practices.
• Focus on Historical Knowledge and Understanding: Ancient Societies and their beliefs, values, and customs.
• Developing questions, using sources, and explaining historical concepts with support related to ancient societies.

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Lesson Duration

60 minutes Class size: 5 students

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Materials Needed

• Visual aids: Images of Roman deities (e.g., Jupiter, Mars, Minerva)
• Short video clip about Roman religious ceremonies before games (max 3 minutes)
• Printed simplified source excerpts describing rituals before games
• Whiteboard and markers or digital whiteboard
• Worksheet for written responses with sentence starters and vocabulary prompts

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction & Warm-up (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief discussion: "What do we know about gods or religion in ancient times?"
• Show images of key Roman gods linked to the games: Jupiter (king of gods), Mars (god of war), Minerva (wisdom and strategic warfare).
• Explain that before the games started, Romans believed they needed to ask their gods for protection and success - linking this to respect and tradition.

2. Video & Guided Discussion (12 minutes)

• Watch a short 3-minute video showing a Roman religious ceremony before the games.
• Teacher-led questioning post-video:

• Why do you think people wanted to pray or offer thanks before the games?
• How might asking the gods help the gladiators or organisers?
• Can you think of any modern traditions that are similar?

• Use visual prompts to support understanding and encourage verbal answers.

3. Source Exploration & Group Reading (15 minutes)

• Provide each student with a simplified excerpt describing a specific ritual (e.g., a sacrifice to Jupiter, invocation of Mars).
• Read aloud as a group, stopping to check understanding and discussing key points.
• Highlight new vocabulary such as "sacrifice", "offering", "ritual", and use visuals/icons alongside.
• Together, create a mind map on the board linking religion and entertainment in Roman society.

4. Class Discussion & Personal Reflection (10 minutes)

• Discuss how religion was important not just for the games but for community bonding and tradition.
• Prompt students to share ideas: How does faith or belief influence entertainment or sport in today's world?
• Allow students to relate this to their own experiences or known cultural practices.

5. Written Activity (10 minutes)

• Students complete a worksheet:

• Match Roman gods to their roles.
• Write a simple sentence about why Romans performed rituals before games, using sentence starters (e.g., "Romans believed that...","They prayed to...").

• Teacher provides individual support with writing as needed.

6. Conclusion & Exit Reflection (3 minutes)

• Recap the lesson’s key ideas: Religion and the Roman Games were closely linked through rituals and respect for gods.
• Ask each student to share one thing they learned or found interesting.
• Set a small reflective question as a prompt for next lesson: "What might happen if they didn’t pray before the games?"

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Differentiation & Support

• Use multisensory teaching: visual prompts, oral reading, collaborative brainstorming.
• Simplify language without diluting concepts; use sentence starters and guided responses.
• Allow extra processing time for discussion.
• Encourage all students to participate verbally even if writing is challenging.
• Provide scaffolding during reading and writing tasks.

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative assessment through participation in discussion and group reading.
• Written task on worksheet to check understanding of religious roles and rituals.
• Anecdotal notes by teacher observing student's ability to explain religious significance in their own words.
• Feedback to be encouraging and aimed at building confidence in connecting history to broader cultural ideas.

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This lesson integrates historical inquiry aligned to NSW History syllabus for Stage 5 using accessible content and supports students with mild intellectual disabilities and autism. It balances factual learning about Roman religion with critical reflection about the role of faith in entertainment, enabling deeper engagement through discussion and personal connection.