Full Unit of Work:

1. Introduction: How did the Roman Empire begin?

This lesson introduces the Roman Empire in its historial and geographical contexts. Pupils will make a timeline to set this period into the wider context of World History. Then they will learn two contrasting stories about the founding of Rome, discussing the difference between legends and historical fact.

 

 

2. Rise and Conquer!: How did the Roman army help the Roman Empire to expand?

This lesson invites pupils to discover how the Roman Empire spread across many different countries. Pupils will research the Roman army and find out why it was so powerful. They will then be able to design and make their own Roman shield and use it to role play being part of a Roman legion.

 

 

 

3. Invading Britannia: How did Britain become part of the Roman Empire?

   This lesson addresses the question of why the Romans wanted to invade Britain. Pupils will be introduced to the different invasion attempts and discover which one was successful. Then pupils will put themselves in the position of the Celts and they will take part in a class debate to decide whether they should fight back against the Romans or not.

 

 

      4. Who was Boudica?: How did Boudica rebel against the Romans?

 In this lesson pupils will develop their skills at working with historical sources in order to find out about the character of Boudica. They will be introduced to primary and secondary sources to help them to learn the story of Boudica's rebellion against the Romans. Then they will have the opportunity to make a comic strip of the story and to learn a humorous song about Boudica.
 

 

                5. Building up Britain: What did the Romans build after they settled in Britain?

This lesson looks at the different buildings and structures that the Romans introduced to Britain. Pupils will be introduced to new vocabularly and then research Roman roads and aqueducts. Then they will make their own aqueduct model and test it out with running water.

 

 

6.Time to Relax!: What did people do for leisure in Roman Britain?

 In this exciting lesson pupils will study how people might have spent their spare time in Roman Britain. Pupils will find out about the different parts of a public bathhouse and then work in groups to turn their classroom into a Roman bathhouse ready for a Roman day trip!

 

 

7. Digging up the Past: What do archaeological sites tell us about Britain?
Pupils will play a fun game to find out about the way in which archaeologists conduct excavations. They will develop their sourcework skills by finding out about Roman sites in Britain and they will consider what they can deduce from historical remains.
 

 

8. Home Sweet Home: What were houses like in Roman Britain?
Pupils will discover what sort of houses people had in Roman Britain. They will use a Venn diagram to compare Roman villas and Celtic roundhouses. 
Pupils will then research Roman villas and design and make their own floor mosiacs. As an extension activity pupils are challenged to build a Lego villa from a Roman floorplan.

 

 

9. What did the Romans do for us?:What important things did the Romans introduce to Britain?

 Pupils will consider what kind of legacy the Romans left in Britain. They will find out about everyday things that the Romans introduced to Britain and will prepare their own presentation about one of them. As an extension activity pupils will be challenged to use their imagination to explain what Britain might be like without the legacy brought by the Romans.

 

 

 

 

10. Summing Up: What have we learned about this period of history?

This lesson is designed for pupils to reflect on what they have learned about this period of history. There is an assessment activity and an opportunity for pupils to summarise their learning during this unit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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