Roman Empire · 306-337 AD

Constantine and the new Rome on the Bosporus

Proclaimed emperor at York, Constantine fought his way to sole rule, backed the Christian church and founded Constantinople. Students follow his career on the map and weigh why his choices still shape the world.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
11–14
On the map
3 steps, AD 306 to AD 330
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

Proclaimed emperor at York, Constantine fought his way to sole rule, backed the Christian church and founded Constantinople. Students follow his career on the map and weigh why his choices still shape the world.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Trace Constantine's rise from York (306) through the Milvian Bridge (312) to sole rule (324).
  • Explain why Constantine founded Constantinople and why the site was so well chosen.
  • Describe Constantine's support for Christianity, including the Edict of Milan (313) and the Council of Nicaea (325).
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 306

Proclaimed at York

Open the map in AD 306 and zoom in on northern Britain. Constantine was proclaimed emperor by his father's soldiers at Eboracum (York). How far is York from Rome?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 312

The road to Rome

Turn on Historical Events and find the Battles marker for the Milvian Bridge (312) near Rome, and the Political Events marker for the Edict of Milan (313). What changed for Christians?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 330

A new capital

Jump to 330, turn on the Cities layer and zoom in on the Bosporus: Byzantium becomes Constantinople. Why is a city between Europe and Asia, with sea on three sides, a good capital?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. Constantine said he saw a sign from God before the battle of the Milvian Bridge. Why do historians disagree about what happened?
  2. The Edict of Milan allowed Christians and everyone else to worship as they chose. Why was religious freedom a big step in 313?
  3. At Nicaea in 325, bishops met to settle a dispute about the nature of Christ. Why would an emperor get involved in church arguments?
  4. Constantinople was the capital of the eastern empire for more than 1,100 years. Why did it last so long?
  5. Constantine was baptized only on his deathbed. Does that change how you see his support for Christianity?
4

Game round

10 min

Play the Constantine the Great round in Rule History together. Let students vote on each decision before you click. Discuss: which of Constantine's choices still affects the world today?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.