discussion board questions

HIST 114, Spring 2021

Source Assignment 3: World History on Film

DUE Friday 4/16 by 11:59pm, upload to Blackboard

Background: Documentary film is often used to cover historical topics. A documentary film, like Meet the Romans, is a secondary source--it gathers information from primary and secondary sources, to give an account of a historical topic. In this assignment, you’ll consider history on film, and how it portrays the past.

Sources: Episode 1 of the documentary Meet the Romans with Dr. Mary Beard (49 minutes) Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AUNe61Kyigc

Textbook Chapter 7 pages 312-321 (on imperial Rome)

Instructions: Read the textbook section and watch the video Meet the Romans, and use them to answer the following questions. Responses must be your own work, and written in sentence/paragraph format. Write as much as you need to answer questions fully.

NOTE: You can answers the questions on this document, or write up your answers in a separate one

1. Watch the first 5 minutes of the film. Write at least one full paragraph (5-8 sentences) summarizing the information from the two bullet points below:

· How does Dr. Beard introduce the history of imperial Rome? Make note of the topics and perspectives she says she’ll focus on in the film.

· Tell me what you see visually (where is she, what’s being filmed)—do you think the visuals in this intro section help get her point across? Explain your answer.

2. This documentary is filmed in Rome and showcases many artifacts from the Romans to get at what life was like in a city that, even in ancient times, was very international and diverse.

· What are some of the sources Dr. Beard uses in the film to learn about life in Rome? Choose two examples from the film that caught your interest, and discuss how Dr. Beard uses the locations/artifacts of Rome to give insight into its people/society. (write at least 3-5 sentences on each)

3. Compare how this documentary film and your textbook reading (Chapter 7 p. 312-321) portray the Roman Empire.

· First, review the textbook reading, and the main topics it focuses on (look at the titles of sections, the “core objectives” and definitions in the margins).

· What did you find more useful for learning about Rome: the reading, the film, or both together? Explain your answer in at least 5-8 sentences.

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