Ancient Rome Exploration

Lesson overview

This 45-minute Humanities lesson introduces Year 7 students to Ancient Rome through engaging, interactive activities aligned with the Victorian Curriculum for History. The lesson focuses on Roman society, key social groups, and daily life, encouraging historical inquiry with accessible resources and support for diverse learners.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT describe key features of Ancient Roman society including roles of important groups such as patricians, plebeians, women, and slaves.
• WALT explain how Ancient Roman society was organised and how this shaped everyday life.
• WALT identify different sources of historical evidence used to understand Ancient Rome.

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Success Criteria

Students will be able to:

• Accurately identify and describe the roles of social groups in Ancient Rome.
• Explain how the social structure impacted Roman society and individuals.
• Use images and primary sources to support their explanations about Roman life.
• Participate actively in discussion and group tasks.

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Victorian Curriculum Alignment

• History Strand - Historical Knowledge and Understanding
• AC9HH7K10: The organisation and roles of key groups in ancient society such as the nobility, bureaucracy, women and slaves, and how they influenced and changed society.
• History Strand - Historical Skills
• AC9HH7S04: Identify and describe the accuracy and usefulness of primary and secondary sources as evidence.
• Humanities and Social Sciences General Capabilities
• Critical and creative thinking, Literacy, Intercultural understanding.

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Resources

• Age-appropriate dyslexia-friendly reading sheets summarising Roman social classes with clear fonts and simple language.
• Visual cards depicting Roman social roles (patrician, plebeian, woman, slave).
• Timeline poster showing key events in Roman history.
• Copies of simplified primary source excerpts (translated Latin inscriptions, Roman paintings).
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Projector for showing images/videos of Roman life.

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Lesson Activities

1. Introduction & Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Begin with a brain teaser: "What images or ideas do you associate with Ancient Rome?" Students call out ideas.
• Teacher writes keywords on the board (gladiators, senate, slaves, emperors).
• Show a brief visual slideshow of Ancient Rome (colosseum, forums, daily life scenes).

2. Direct Teaching & Reading (10 minutes)

• Present a brief interactive explanation of Roman social structure using visual cards.
• Distribute dyslexia-friendly reading sheets summarising patricians, plebeians, women and slaves.
• Read aloud parts of the introduction, modelling expression and clear pronunciation.
• Students follow along silently, highlighting or underlining unknown words.

3. Group Activity: Role Card Exploration (15 minutes)

• Divide class into 4 groups, each assigned a social group card.
• Groups discuss and list 3 key facts about their role based on the reading and teacher prompts.
• Each group prepares a 1-minute explanation describing daily life and importance of their group.
• Groups present to the class, using visual aids if desired.

4. Source Analysis Exercise (10 minutes)

• Provide each student with a simplified primary source excerpt (image or text).
• In pairs, students analyse:
• What does this source tell us about Ancient Rome?
• Why is it useful or limited as evidence?
• Share a few pairs’ observations aloud, discussing source reliability and perspective.

5. Lesson Reflection & Review (5 minutes)

• Recap learning with quick quiz: e.g., "Name two social groups in Ancient Rome," "What type of evidence helps us learn about the past?"
• Students write down one new fact they learned and one question they still have about Ancient Rome.
• Teacher collects questions for future lessons.

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Assessment Ideas

• Observe group discussions and presentations for understanding of social structures.
• Review paired source analysis worksheets for evidence of critical thinking.
• Exit tickets (new fact + question) to assess individual learning and curiosities.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide dyslexia-friendly texts with clear fonts, spacing, and simplified language.
• Allow verbal or visual responses for students with writing difficulties.
• Use mixed-ability grouping to support diverse learners.
• Incorporate multimedia to engage different learning styles.
• Provide sentence starters for source analysis questions for students needing extra support.

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Extension Activities for Advanced Learners

• Research and present on a significant Roman historical figure such as Julius Caesar or Augustus.
• Create a timeline showing the rise and fall of the Roman Republic and Empire.
• Write a diary entry from the perspective of a Roman patrician, plebeian, woman, or slave.
• Investigate Roman engineering or military innovations and their impact on society.

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This lesson plan fosters curiosity and critical thinking about Ancient Rome, while being fully scaffolded and inclusive in line with Victorian Curriculum standards. It combines active learning and historical inquiry apt for a fun and interactive Year 7 Humanities classroom.