Rise of the Roman Empire Discussion Prompts and Pause Points 

Before the Movie:

What do you know about republics? How do they differ from an empire? (Tap prior knowledge; Make prediction)

What do you know about Julius Cesar? (Tap prior knowledge)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:23: What might be the risk of a republic having a very powerful general? (Make inferences)

Timecode 2:02: How did the government differ when inCaesar’s control than when when Rome was a republic? (Recall)

Timecode 3:02: Why would Augustus keep a government if he had all the power? (Draw conclusions)

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Rise of the Roman Empire topic. (Make connections)

Was there any way Rome could have avoided becoming an empire? (Reflect; Revisit goals)

BrainPOP recommends reading the movie description that appears on the Rise of the Roman Empire to your class or have students read independently. Then have them watch the movie once through without pausing. Then, watch it again as class, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.