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Essay Prompt:Decline of the Western Roman EmpireIn 476 C.E., the last of the Roman emperors in the west was overthrown. Theories as to why the Empire collapsed abound. ?? Which of the following do you believe is the main reason(s) for the decline of the Western Roman Empire? (Please see “Decline of the Western Roman Empire” worksheet.) ?? What steps should modern leaders take to avoid such a fate? Be certain to base your argument on the class handout and your textbook.Sample Student Paragraph #1Decline of the Western Roman Empire There are several reasons for the decline of the Western Roman Empire. When people don’t pay attention to the moral values within their communities, all kinds of problems are set into motion. Violence and unsavory behavior often lead to crime and bloodshed. This absolutely happened in Rome. People ate and drank until they became ill, and “even during the Pax Romana, there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome.” Emperors were known to overeat, drink, and waste the public’s money. It’s like having a dirty room. After a while, a person just feels better and more sanitary if he or she cleans the place up; strong moral codes make for better living. The Western Roman Empire needed to clean up its act in order to avoid continual decline, but this did not happen.Discussion Questions:Is the title a strong one? (Does the title announce the topic to be discussed in the paragraph and pull readers in?)Does the topic sentence directly answer the question(s) asked in the prompt? Does the writer provide credible textual evidence? (Where does this evidence come from? Is the evidence properly cited? Does the writer offer a quote sandwich?) Does the writer EXPLORE how the quotes and paraphrased information prove and support the topic sentence? In other words, does the writer show readers how the evidence provided relates to the topic sentence?What did the writer learn?REMEMBER:P = Point This is the topic sentence of the paragraph. The point tells readers what is coming in the paragraph and makes a claim.E = Explain Explain to the reader why something is important. E = Evidence Evidence may include any credible sources (words, images, videos, etc.).E = Explore This part of the paragraph allows the writer to explore the ways the evidence offered relates to and proves the main point (a.k.a. the topic sentence). R = Restate This is the concluding sentence. Its job is to restate the topic sentence with new words in light of what the paragraph has shown the reader.Revised Sample Student Paragraph #1 When Western Rome Became Miley Cyrus Rome was a mighty empire for hundreds of years, but as the centuries passed, many things led to the decline of the Western part of its empire; one of the main factors in the decline was the decay of moral values. Although urban deterioration, unemployment, and political instability all contributed to the decline of the Western Empire, the most important reason was the weakening of moral values because when people don’t pay attention to right behavior within a community, all kinds of sad problems are set into motion. Crude behavior often leads to crime, bloodshed, and a disregard for human life. This absolutely happened in Rome. Gladiatorial combats were tremendously popular, and fans cursed and screamed in the stands as the gladiators fought beyond when the ground became soaked with blood. Further, at the Emperors’ parties, guests ate and drank until they became ill, and “even during the Pax Romana, there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome” (“The Decline of the Western Roman Empire” 1). Other problems abounded as well. As Frey states, “A rise in crime made the empire’s cities and roads unsafe” (8). The Western Roman Empire had transformed from a civilization at the height of beauty and character to a place where people were acting like human life did not matter, and each person was out to get whatever he or she could to survive. All of the previous examples demonstrate that the downfall of the moral character of a people goes hand in hand with the downfall of the larger civilization. The decline of the Western Roman Empire is like having a dirty room. After a while, a person just feels better and more sanitary if the place is cleaned up; strong moral codes make for better living. The Western Roman Empire needed to clean up its act in order to avoid continual decline, but this did not happen. As mentioned, a number of factors had a role to play in the gradual downfall of the Western Roman Empire; that said, the decline in moral values was one of the most important because a civilization is only as strong as the character of its community. Modern civilizations can learn a lot about how to deal with a potential decline of moral values from the Western Roman Empire and should take a number of steps to prevent such a decline. First off, modern day governments should encourage peace in their communities in any ways possible; violence only leads to more crime and unrest among the citizens. The governments should also be required to make their budgets public, which will safeguard against wasteful spending and immoral activities. The tax money saved with a public budget can then be used to provide extra police and public health workers, which will not only keep the streets safe and clean but also lower the unemployment rates. The additional funds could also be used to beautify the communities. According to Frey, Constantinople (in the Eastern Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire) was able to thrive for hundreds of years as a rich and elegant city due to its support of public works, just laws, and legal codes (63). In the same way, today’s governments will be able to protect the morale and moral values of its citizens. Public works money will help make cities important cultural centers and strong legal codes and laws will keep citizens on the right track and able to enjoy the city. Once governments apply these lessons from the Western Roman Empire, the character of the people residing there will be safe, and the civilizations will thrive for a long period of time.Discussion Questions:Is the title a strong one? (Does the title announce the topic to be discussed in the paragraph and pull readers in?)Does the topic sentence directly answer the question(s) asked in the prompt? Does the writer provide credible textual evidence? (Where does this evidence come from? Is the evidence properly cited? Does the writer offer a quote sandwich?) Does the writer EXPLORE how the quotes and paraphrased information prove and support the topic sentence? In other words, does the writer show readers how the evidence provided relates to the topic sentence?What did the writer learn? ................
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