DO NOW: Want 3 Merits? Copy and complete: Want to get a perfect score on the “Lessons from Rome” letter to Obama? It might help to write 8 paragraphs. Paragraph #1: Introduction Paragraph #2: Slavery in _____________ Paragraph #3: Slavery in ____________________ (past) and exploitation in __________________ (present) Paragraph #4: Political corruption in ________________ Paragraph #5: Political corruption in ________________ Paragraph #6: Economic troubles in ________________ Paragraph #7: Economic troubles in ________________ Paragraph #8: Conclusion

Friday, October 4, 2013 Monday, October 7, 2012 SWBAT explain how the growth of slavery contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. SWBAT explain how the growth of slavery threatened the United States.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013 Wednesday, October 9, 2013 SWBAT explain how corrupt leadership contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. SWBAT explain how corrupt leadership threatened the United States.

Thursday, October 10, 2013 SWBAT explain how economic troubles contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. SWBAT explain how economic troubles threaten the United States.

“Lessons From Rome” Letter to Obama (or Romney) Due Tuesday, October 15 th How can the United States learn from the mistakes of Rome? 5 paragraphs –Paragraphs #1: Intro Example: I’m a seventh grader at Valor Academy in Los Angeles, California. In history class, we’ve been learning about Ancient Rome. The Romans made a lot of mistakes, and we’re making the same mistakes in the United States, too! –Paragraph #2: Slavery / exploitation –Paragraph #3: Political corruption –Paragraph #4: Economic troubles –Paragraph #5: Conclusion Example: I hope you take my advice to ensure that the United States does not fall like Rome. You should…

Rubric Go Above and Beyond! Body #1 and #2 Go Above and Beyond! Body #3 and #4 Go Above and Beyond! Body #5 and #6

The Decline and Fall of Rome Rome’s economy was based on ________ and __________ goods with its provinces, but Rome couldn’t afford to maintain an ________ large enough to protect the growing Empire To pay for the army, Rome decided to raise _________ When high taxes didn’t work, Rome printed more _________, but that didn’t help either… it just led to ___________. Rome still couldn’t afford to maintain the __________ To better manage the Empire, Emperor Diocletian split the Empire into _____ pieces, but that still didn’t help! The edge of the empire started to crack! The Visigoths, Vandals, and other _____________ tribes invaded the Roman Empire

Government Spending Rome –Where money went: Huge army to protect the Empire’s frontier “Bread and circuses” to prevent the poor from rebelling –Where money did not go: Internal problems like crumbling buildings, roads, aqueducts, etc. United States –Where money goes: Huge army to fight war in Afghanistan Social Security, Medicare for elderly Medicaid for poor –Where money does not go: Internal problems like collapsing cities (Detroit, Cleveland, etc.)

$3.6 trillion in total!

Defense Spending The United States spends more money on the military than the next fourteen countries combined!

Department of Defense: $700 billion Department of Housing and Urban Development: $48 billion

19% of the federal budget is dedicated to defense.

Meanwhile, cities like Detroit are just left to fall apart…

Department of Defense: $700 billion Department of Housing and Urban Development: $48 billion

Do we live in a glass house? People who live in glass houses should not throw stones! If you have flaws, you should not criticize other people. How does this apply to the situation in the United States? The United States already has tons of problems at home, yet we spend tons of money on defense.

The government spent $3.6 trillion in total! But the government collected only $2.3 trillion in taxes and other revenue…

Debt The USA is $16 trillion in debt! If you stacked up 16 trillion $1 billls, the stack would go to the moon… and back to Earth… and back to the moon… and back to Earth… and back to the moon AGAIN!!!

Debt Rome Rome did not really go into debt because they had a “solution” United States $16 trillion in debt! On the news, we’ve seen the bankrupt countries of Greece and Italy. Could we be next? How do we solve this problem?

The solution is… THE ROMAN “SOLUTION” THE DEMOCRAT “SOLUTION” THE REPUBLICAN “SOLUTION”

Inflation Rome –Instead of raising taxes or spending less, Rome made more money Nero’s coins had 90% silver content Two centuries later, coins had only 0.2% silver content –Inflation: The money was worth less, so everything cost more! A measure of wheat went from 8 drachmas to 120,000 drachmas United States –Instead of raising taxes or spending less, we keep printing money without the gold to back it up –Inflation: Now our money is worth less than ever before, so everything costs more!

As coins became worth less, soldiers demanded to be paid more.

Inflation

Exit Ticket 1 thing that surprises me 1 thing that upsets me 1 thing that scares me 1 thing that still confuses me / 1 question I still have

Homework: Letter to Obama Rough draft due Tuesday, October 15 th How can the United States learn from the mistakes of Rome? 5 paragraphs –Paragraphs #1: Intro Example: I’m a seventh grader at Valor Academy in Los Angeles, California. In history class, we’ve been learning about Ancient Rome. The Romans made a lot of mistakes, and we’re making the same mistakes in the United States, too! –Paragraph #2: Slavery / exploitation –Paragraph #3: Political corruption –Paragraph #4: Economic troubles –Paragraph #5: Conclusion Example: I hope you take my advice to ensure that the United States does not fall like Rome. You should…