Let's Sue Them All! The Byzantine Disaster. Grade 7 Lesson. Schools of California Online Resources for Education (SCORE): Connecting California's Classrooms to the World.

Who is responsible for loss of life and property when one empire is conquered by another? It is the year 1473 A.D., 20 years after the fall of Constantinople. On May 29, 1453, the Eastern Roman Empire came to an end with the military takeover of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks. How could an empire cease to exist? What were the people in and around the area doing in its final days? History does not occur in a vacuum. What occurs in one place effects others and can be partially caused by the actions or non-actions of neighbors. What if there were modern insurance companies in existence at the time the Byzantine empire collapsed? Who could be proven guilty? In this lesson plan student teams, as insurance agents, represent people who existed during the fall of the Byzantine empire and are now either suing or being sued in connection with the empire's collapse. Students will research the 70 years leading up to the fall of Constantinople and the nature of the Ottoman takeover. Students are provided with background information, detailed instructions, on-line and print resources, and reflection questions. The teacher's notes describe the unit's purpose, suggest day-by-day teaching strategies, and provide preparation questions. (BT)