Ancient Greece and Rome for Middle School
For a middle school Ancient Greece and Rome unit, the XXL History Teaching Bundle includes ancient civilizations units on Greek and Roman daily life and political systems, from the city-state and early democracy to the Roman Republic and Empire. Each unit has informational texts, differentiated worksheets, source tasks and creative writing, and the rest of the Grades 6–9 bundle carries students on through the Middle Ages and beyond.
See the ancient units →The XXL History Teaching Bundle – Grades 6 to 9 ($249.90) opens with ancient civilizations units on Greece and Rome, focusing on daily life and political systems. Each unit includes informational texts, differentiated worksheets, source tasks, creative writing, editable files, answer keys and assessment rubrics. The same bundle continues through the Middle Ages, early modern era, modern history and contemporary era, with a skills strand on source analysis and historical judgment.
The resources
XXL History Teaching Bundle, Grades 6–9
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
XXL History Teaching Bundle – Grades 6 to 9 | Complete Curriculum
World History: Complete Curriculum Bundle: Projects, Activities & Lessons (1000+ pages)
XXL Medieval History Bundle – Black Death, Feudalism & Society
Complete History Teaching Bundle: Lesson Plans, Worksheets & Resources Teachers
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
What makes Greece and Rome harder than they look
Ancient Greece and Rome seem like easy units because students already know the gods, gladiators and the Olympics. That familiarity is the problem. Students arrive with myths and movie scenes mixed up with history, and the unit can turn into a tour of temples and togas without the ideas that matter: how Athenian citizens governed themselves, who was excluded, how the Roman Republic balanced power and why it gave way to emperors. Political systems are abstract for eleven- to thirteen-year-olds. Words like assembly, senate, consul and citizen need to be tied to concrete situations, such as what a farmer, a woman or an enslaved person could actually do in Athens or Rome. Daily life is the bridge, because students connect to food, school, family and work. The other challenge is evidence. Most of what we know comes from a narrow group of writers, along with buildings, pottery and inscriptions, and students should learn early that ancient history is pieced together from limited sources. A good unit combines vivid daily life with careful thinking about power and evidence.
Why it fits
How the ancient units fit a middle school class
The units pair daily life with political systems, which is the combination that helps students move past myth and spectacle.
- Daily life content on Greek and Roman families, work and cities keeps the period concrete.
- Political systems content gives students vocabulary to compare Athenian democracy and the Roman Republic.
- Source tasks introduce the idea that ancient history rests on limited, selective evidence.
- Creative writing lets students write from the viewpoint of an ancient citizen or resident.
- Differentiated worksheets support younger readers in Grade 6 and stretch older ones.
- The skills strand introduces source analysis that students will reuse in every later period.
Getting started
A suggested opening for the unit
One way to start. Length and order are your decision.
- Separate myth from historyOpen by asking students what they already know about Greece and Rome, then sort answers into myth, legend and evidence. It sets up the source questions for the whole unit.
- Start with daily lifeUse the daily life texts and worksheets so students picture homes, markets and schooling. Concrete details about ordinary people make the political material on assemblies and senates easier to follow later.
- Compare two political systemsTeach Athenian democracy and the Roman Republic side by side. A simple comparison chart helps students see who held power and who was left out.
- Practice with an ancient sourceUse a source task from the unit with the skills strand. Ask what this source can and cannot tell us, a question students will return to all year.
- Finish with creative writingAssign the creative writing task and mark it with the rubric. Students show their understanding of daily life and politics from a chosen perspective, such as a Roman citizen or an Athenian farmer.
What to buy
What to buy for Greece and Rome
The XXL History Teaching Bundle at $249.90 makes sense if Greece and Rome open a full-year course, since the bundle carries on through all later periods. If you want extra ancient material, the World History Complete Curriculum Bundle ($249.90) includes river valley civilizations, Celtic life and Pompeii and Vesuvius. For a single extension on Roman daily life and disaster, Pompeii and Herculaneum – What Was Lost? costs $12.99 for Grades 7–10. If your students are in Grades 5–6 and need earlier context, Life Along the Nile in Ancient Egypt is $24.99.
Honest limits
What the unit leaves out
The ancient civilizations units focus on Greece and Rome. If your course also requires Mesopotamia, ancient India, China or the Americas, you will need other material. The bundle is sold as a whole, not as a separate Greece and Rome unit. It makes no alignment claim, so check it against your requirements. Maps, artifacts or museum visits are yours to add. If other teachers will use the files, message Teach Lessons beforehand. If it does not fit, within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value; no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it aligned to state standards for ancient history?
No alignment or endorsement claim is made. The units are written for history in Grades 6 to 9 and focus on Greek and Roman daily life and political systems. Many state courses require a broader set of ancient civilizations, so check what yours expects and add material where needed.
Does it cover Greek mythology?
The listed focus is daily life and political systems. Myths may come up as part of daily life and beliefs, but if you want a dedicated mythology unit you will need other material. Many teachers use a short myth as a hook and then turn to the question of what myths can and cannot tell us as historical sources.
Can sixth graders handle it?
The bundle is written for Grades 6 to 9 with differentiated worksheets. Sixth graders can work on the more supported versions, and the editable files let you simplify texts further. Starting with daily life before political systems also helps younger students, because the concrete details give them something to hold on to.
How does it teach Roman government?
Political systems are a core focus. Students learn about how the Romans governed and can compare that with Athenian democracy. The comparison work is where most students start to understand terms like citizen, senate and assembly, especially when they ask who was included and who was left out in each system.
Is there a project?
Each unit includes creative writing tasks and source tasks with rubrics. For a larger project, many teachers build on the creative writing task, for example asking students to write and illustrate a day in the life of a Roman or Greek resident, graded with the rubric for historical accuracy.
Can I buy the ancient units alone?
They are part of the XXL bundle, which also includes the Middle Ages, early modern era, modern history and contemporary era. Single ancient-themed units like Pompeii and Herculaneum – What Was Lost? are sold separately if you only need a short extension, for example on Roman town life and the eruption of Vesuvius.
Athens and Rome, with the rest of the year behind them
Look at the ancient civilizations units on the product page and plan how they open your course.
See the ancient units →