California State Standard 7.1 is delineated in the following manner: "Students analyze the causes and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire." One important legacy of ancient Rome is the foundation it set for the development of modern democracies. The Roman Stoics built upon the Greek Stoic model by defining philosophically the role of the citizen in a society. The sample topic allows seventh-grade students to examine their perceptions of the role of citizens in a society, and study more specifically the Stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius. It focuses on the early strengths and contributions of Rome and the significance of Roman citizenship, the geographic borders of the empire at its height, and the establishment by Constantine of the capital of Constantinople. The lesson discusses the uses and significance of the topic; presentation and activities ("Beginning the Topic"; "Developing the Topic"; "Culminating the Topic"); extended and correlated activities; and resources for the sample topic. Appended are excerpts from "The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius." Suggested time for lesson implementation is two to three class periods. (BT)