Toga, Toga, Toga! at NCHS

students took part in a simulation of Ancient Rome.

Along the way they were required to manage the number one fear people have: public speaking. As comedian Jerry Seinfeld once noted “people would rather be
dead in the casket than give the funeral eulogy," and as a result, embedded throughout NCHS Social Studies classes significant amounts of public speaking are required.

By some estimates 80% of all high school students go on to sell something for a living. Public speaking is therefore a critical skill to master.

With a Masters of Philosophy in Medieval History from Cambridge University in England, NCHS Social Studies Teacher Jessica Browner knows the vacuum of an empire once it has collapsed. Ms. Browner has taught at NCHS for the past decade such classes as AP United States History, Advanced Placement World History and Global I and II, the departments’ freshman and sophomore World History offerings.

Her freshman students learn Rome fell into troubled times as the Republic came to an end and the Empire began to emerge in the century before the birth of Christ. Students were asked to know—or find out—what problems Rome faced. Rome needed a strong leader and both Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar stepped forward to rule. Each brought strengths and weaknesses to the role of Roman ruler. Students weighed the information about each and decided who was the more effective.

Students were asked to imagine that the Roman Senate in the year A.D. 100 decided to build a huge monument in the forum to commemorate the greatest Roman ruler ever to live. Both Julius Caesar and Augustus Caesar are being considered for the honor. They had already lived and served in the Roman government. Students were asked to determine who made the greater contribution to Rome, then write a speech that they personally had to deliver in the Senate chambers to persuade fellow senators that ‘their man’ was the better of the two. Students were asked to read source material and asked to look
through each article for details that they could use in their speech. Students
were given some charts to help organize their argument.

Students then wrote their speech to their fellow ancient Roman senators supporting either Julius or Augustus Caesar. Throughout the speech, they had to support their choice of greatest ruler, argue who was the more effective leader, but also point out why the other man does not deserve the title. Students had to cite sources and were given a writing rubric that was be used to grade their work. Their score was based on how well they: take a clear position on the issue; supported their position with evidence from the source materials; organize ideas so that their audience will follow their reasoning; and express ideas clearly.

Once they had drafted their preliminary speech, students were asked to add
power and polish by adding rhetorical devices, and had to examine their speech
and determine where they could by inserting the following:

INVOCATION: Like Homer, invoke a god, goddess, or muse to inspire you to
speak eloquently.

ATTENTION GRABBER: Grab the audience’s attention. Appeal to their
curiosity, fear, greed, or any other emotion.

RHETORICAL QUESTION: What idea do you want the audience to consider?

EMOTIONALLY CHARGED LANGUAGE: Look at a word or a phrase in your paper.
Revise the nouns and/or verbs into more forceful language.

ALLITERATION: Find a set of words that can be rephrased using the same
initial sounds.

REPETITION: Find something worthwhile you have said. Now repeat a key
word or phrase two more times. Repeat it to make the point stronger. Repeat it
to make the point memorable. Repeat it for effect.

IRONY: Say something with a twist, with surprise, or with sarcasm.

PERSONIFICATION: Find something non-human in your speech and give it
human qualities. Make your speech demand the eyes, ears, and hearts of the
listeners.

PLAY ON WORDS (or PUN): Roam throughout Rome to find a clever way of
saying something using the same word or the same sounding word with two
different meanings.

Students were to be sure to rehearse their speech at least twice in front of a member of theirfamily, a friend, or even a mirror. Twenty percent (20%) of their grade on thisassignment would be based on their delivery—after all, the speech must be delivered confidently and eloquently if it is going to persuade their fellow Senators to vote their way!

Building a statue in the forum is not a matter to be undertaken lightly, and as a member of the Roman Senate, studentswere to be properly dressed for this critical debate. Students brought in a sheet to wear as a toga throughout our Senate sessions, and to  be prepared to leave it in class for the week,and check with a parent to make sure there is one they could use that will not be missed for several days.

Surely, if you dress in a toga and master the art of speaking where others fear to tread, don’t be surprised if you wow them everytime.