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Why do Empires Collapse?

Teacher Resources

Driving Question: What are the most important factors leading to the collapse of empires?

Empires always fall—but how and why depends on leaders’ choices and the challenges they face. By comparing different collapses, we can uncover the biggest causes of chaos and see what they reveal about the past, the present, and the future.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Analyze historical narratives of collapse and evaluate how they might shape our understanding of today’s societies.
  2. Evaluate the legacy and collapse of the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire.
  3. Use the historical thinking practice of causation to understand how and why societies collapse.

Vocab Terms:

  • administrative
  • barbarian
  • catastrophe
  • decline
STEP 1

Opener: Why do Empires Collapse?

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Take a look at the Causation Page for a wealth of materials that address this important skill.

STEP 2

Empires Collapse

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Take a look at the Writing Guide for support as students dig into their Claim and Focus skills.

How do empires collapse? Invasion, lack of money, and internal challenges are three major reasons, as many ancient empires discovered.

STEP 3

Fall of Roman and Han Empires

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 4 of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

OER Project teachers love Autopsy of an Empire. Learn more about their approaches in the Autopsy of an Empire External link forum conversation.

Get ready to dig into the remains of some of history’s greatest empires. In the next set of materials, you’ll explore how even the most powerful political forces can falter.

STEP 4

Closer: Why do Empires Collapse?

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 8 of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Need a hook for systems collapse? JENGA External link —check out this conversation in the community forum.

Extension Materials
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Use this pre-writing activity to put your claims in logical order, and then choose transition words to bring it all together. 
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Patterns of Collapse

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 9 of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Collapse can strike any civilization, anywhere. Challenge your thinking with these materials on how and why societies fall.

Collapse! External link

Sometimes, things go wrong. Explore the causes and consequences of collapse to try to answer important questions about our past and future.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.