Mr. Niebergall

Webquest

The Byzantine Empire was the continuation of the old Roman Empire. After Emperor Constantine created a new capital city, Constantinople, Roman power and authority shifted to the Eastern portion of the Empire. The former capital of the Roman Empire, Rome declined in importance until in the year 476 A.D. it was conquered along with the rest of the Western portion of the Empire by invading Germanic tribes. The Eastern portion of the Empire however continued another 1,000 years after the fall of the West Roman Empire. Why was the Eastern Roman Empire or the Byzantine Empire as it came to be known, outlast the West Roman Empire? What public policies did elements of the East Roman Empire follow that enabled it to survive during the Middle Ages?

Your task is to work in a group researching the various aspects of why the Byzantine Empire was able to outlast the West Roman Empire by surviving the chaos of the beginnings of the Middle Ages. Your group must create a brief ten minute presentation based on the use of the GHPPA TIPS worksheets that explain your groups aspect of Byzantine civilization that allowed it to survive the Middle Ages.

Byzantine Eastern Orthodox Religious Icon

I. Your group will follow one of the assigned aspects of Byzantine civilization that allowed it to survive for over a thousand years which includes the following:

Aspects of survival of the Byzantine Empire	Explanation of Assignment
Byzantine Emperors	What role did selected emperors play in the survival of the empire?
The Eastern Orthodox Church	What role did the Church play in the survival of the empire?
Foreign Policy	What government policies did the Byzantine government follow to survive?
The Byzantine Military	How did the Byzantine military help the empire survive?
The capital city of Constantinople	What advantages did the city have that allowed it to endure?
Byzantine Justinian Law Code	How did the law code preserve the unity of the empire?

II. Your group will use each of the following GHHPA TIPS worksheets to complete the assignment. The assignment must be completed before your group presentation is given.

Identify Problem	Identify the problem the aspect of Byzantine civilization sought to solve.
Gather the Evidence	Gather evidence of the problem that the aspect of Byzantine Civilization sought to solve.
Determine Causes	Determine the causes of the problem that the aspect of Byzantine civilization sought to solve.
Evaluate the Policy	Evaluate the Byzantine policy that allowed the Empire to survive over a thousand years.
Do a Comparative Analysis	Compare the Byzantine policy researched by your group with that of another.

III. After the completion of the GHPPA TIPS worksheets each group will then select presenters to make an in-class brief ten minute presentation on their aspect of Byzantine civilization. The group is to explain what problem their aspect of Byzantine Civilization solved and evaluate the public policy followed by their aspect of Byzantine civilization.

All groups must use the information from the resources below to complete the worksheets.

Aspects of Byzantine Empire Civilization	Internet Resources	Internet Resources	Internet Resources
Byzantine Emperors	Justinian	Heraclius	Basil
The Eastern Orthodox Church	Church Government	Patriarchs and Churches	Relations with Rome and the West
Foreign Policy	Glory of Byzantium	Survival of the East Roman Empire	Regeneration and Recovery
The Byzantine Military	Byzantine Warfare	The Byzantine Army	Greek Fire
The capital city of Constantinople	Walls of Constantinople	Geography of the City	Design of the Defense Walls
Byzantine Justinian Law Code	Law and the Emperor	Legal Activity	Elements in Justinian Law

Ruins of the walls of Constantinople

Name: ________________________

Teacher: Mr. Niebergall_

Date of Presentation: ____________

Group Number: ___________________

Criteria

Points

	1	2	3	4
Organization	Audience cannot understand presentation because there is no sequence of information.	Audience has difficulty following presentation because student jumps around.	Student presents information in logical sequence which audience can follow.	Student presents information in logical, interesting sequence which audience can follow.	____
Content Knowledge	Student does not have grasp of information; student cannot answer questions about subject.	Student is uncomfortable with information and is able to answer only rudimentary questions.	Student is at ease with content, but fails to elaborate.	Student demonstrates full knowledge (more than required) with explanations and elaboration.	____
Delivery	Student mumbles, incorrectly pronounces terms, and speaks too quietly for students in the back of class to hear.	Student incorrectly pronounces terms. Audience members have difficulty hearing presentation.	Student's voice is clear. Student pronounces most words correctly.	Student used a clear voice and correct, precise pronunciation of terms.	____
				Total---->	____

Grade of A--10-12 Grade of B--7-9 Grade of C--4-6 Grade of F--1-3

Byzantine Church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

The East Roman Empire or Byzantine Empire survived over a thousand years after the fall of the West Roman Empire in A.D. 476. The Byzantine Empire survived the turbulent era of the Middle Ages for various reasons which were part of its unique civilization. Your group has investigated an aspect of Byzantine civilization that has allowed it to survive and explained to the class its importance to global history. In the year A.D. 1453, the Byzantine capital, Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks. The last Byzantine Emperor fell fighting to defend his empire and with his end the Byzantine Empire ended its thousand year history.

Siege of Constantinople in 1453 by the Ottoman Turks

English Language Arts Performance Standards

E1c: Read and comprehend informational materials.

E2a: Produce a report of information.

Standard 2:   World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.