Spartacus Graphic organizer summary


STEP #1: RESEARCH QUESTION

A) What is the question I want to answer?

In what ways is the movie SPARTACUS historically accurate and inaccurate?

B) What information do I need in order to do this?

1) Spartacus is born a slave and worked in salt mines

2) Spartacus was sent to a gladiator school and received training in fighting with many different kinds of weapons

(a complete film should have 8-12 items to research)

STEP #2: RESEARCH PAPER

(introductory paragraphs and two sample supporting paragraphs, using the movie SPARTACUS):

Introductory paragraph and thesis statement:

The 1963 movie “Spartacus” portrays a slave revolt against

the Roman Republic in 72 B.C. and the role the revolt had in

pushing Rome on the road to the end of its republican form of

government. It follows the gladiator Spartacus as he is trained

to become a gladiator, leads a revolt, forms and army and,

finally, meets his death after defeat by Roman forces. The film

also details the struggle in the Roman Senate between those

favoring more power for the common people in Rome and

those seeking a more centralized government to protect the

security of Rome. The movie SPARTACUS is historically

accurate in some ways, inaccurate at times, and at

times makes educated guesses.

Supporting paragraph 1:

The movie opens with Spartacus as a young man toiling in

the salt mines of North Africa, a brutal existence. It explains

that he had been born a slave and that his life might have

ended in the salt mines had he not been purchased by the

owner of a gladiator school and transported to Italy to be

trained to fight as a gladiator. In fact, the evidence indicates

that Spartacus had been born a free man, and may

have actually served in the Roman army before, for unknown

reasons, being enslaved and trained as a gladiator. There is no

evidence that he had worked in the salt mines of North Africa.

Supporting paragraph 2:

A considerable amount of time is spent in the film detailing

Spartacus’ training as a gladiator. It shows him being taught

to fight with a variety of weapons, such as the Roman gladius

(short sword) and the trident. Historical research indicates

that the film was quite accurate in this regard, as gladiator

contests were meant to simulate real battles for the

amusement of Roman audiences, and training in several

styles of fighting was part of the process.