Introduction to Roman Britain

Overview

This 45-minute lesson introduces KS2 pupils (ages 8-9) to Roman Britain, focusing on understanding the Roman invasion, settlement, and key impacts on life in Britain. It directly supports the History Programmes of Study for Key Stage 2, specifically:

• NC History Aims: Understand the impact of the Roman Empire on Britain and develop chronological awareness.
• Key Stage 2 History content: Britain’s settlement by the Romans.

The lesson will engage all 4 students with interactive, differentiated activities ensuring accessibility and progression, while adhering strictly to the National Curriculum for England.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the session, students will be able to:

1. Recall key facts about the Roman invasion of Britain (NC KS2 History: Pupils should learn about the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain).
2. Describe aspects of Roman life and settlement in Britain (e.g., Hadrian’s Wall, Roman roads, daily life).
3. Sequence historical events related to the Roman conquest (chronological understanding).
4. Use historical sources to gain insight into the Roman period (source analysis skills).

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National Curriculum Links

• History Key Stage 2 Programme of Study:
  • Pupils should develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
  • They should note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.
  • They should understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
  • National Curriculum content: Britain’s settlement by the Romans (c. AD 43)

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Resources Needed

• A large printed timeline of Roman Britain key events.
• Image packs featuring Roman artefacts, coins, roads, and Hadrian’s Wall.
• Printed source extracts (written texts and pictures) from Roman Britain.
• Whiteboard or flipchart and markers.
• Mini whiteboards and pens for each student.

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Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 minutes)

• Engage: Show a colourful image of a Roman soldier standing by Hadrian’s Wall and ask: “What do you think this is? Who were the Romans?”

• Discuss prior knowledge to activate schema.

• Link to the National Curriculum: Activate pupils’ curiosity and begin to place Roman Britain in chronological framework.

2. Chronology and Key Facts (10 minutes)

• Use the timeline to discuss key dates: Roman invasion (AD 43), occupation phase, building of Hadrian’s Wall (c. AD 122).

• Students sequence 5 key event cards on mini whiteboards to scaffold chronological understanding.

• Activity supported by questioning encouraging recall and sequencing (writing up successes on flipchart for collaborative learning).

• National Curriculum focus: Develop chronological awareness and secure narrative.

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3. Roman Life and Impact (15 minutes)

• Divide image packs among students.

• Each student describes one image (e.g., Roman roads, villas, bathhouses), supported by sentence starters on printed cards (e.g., “This is a…”, “It was used for…”, “Romans introduced it to Britain because…”).

• Discussion around how life changed for people living in Britain after the Romans arrived.

• Encourage pupils to make comparisons with life today, linking to history skills of contrast and change.

• Teacher models linking artefacts to historical impact, referencing key vocabulary like ‘empire’, ‘settlement’, ‘invasion’.

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4. Source Analysis (10 minutes)

• Distribute one source extract per student (text or image).

• Prompt questions to guide simple analysis:

  • What is this?
  • What does it tell us about Roman Britain?
  • Why might this source be important?

• Student responses captured on mini whiteboards and shared in a short plenary discussion.

• National Curriculum emphasis on understanding how knowledge of the past is constructed from sources.

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5. Plenary and Assessment (5 minutes)

• Round robin: each pupil shares one new fact or insight they learned about Roman Britain.

• Quick quiz game: Teacher asks 3 rapid questions, students answer with thumbs up/down or mini whiteboards. Example questions:

  • “When did the Romans invade Britain?”
  • “Name one Roman invention still visible today.”
  • “What was Hadrian’s Wall for?”

• Collect mini whiteboards to assess understanding and identify misconceptions.

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Differentiation

• Provide sentence starters for less confident writers.
• Extension challenge for more able: Explain why Roman roads were important for the empire’s control of Britain.
• Visuals and simplified text for EAL or SEND learners.
• Scaffold source analysis with guiding questions.

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Assessment Opportunities

• Formative assessment through questioning, sequencing activity, and source analysis outcomes.
• Use mini whiteboard answers to gauge understanding.
• Plenary quiz to consolidate learning and correct errors promptly.

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Reflection and Improvement Ideas

• Invite students to create a short comic strip depicting Roman Britain for the next lesson to encourage creativity and reinforce learning visually.
• Consider incorporating virtual or augmented reality experiences in future lessons to ‘visit’ Roman Britain.

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Summary

This lesson plan offers a fully immersive introduction to Roman Britain that matches the National Curriculum expectations for Key Stage 2. It balances knowledge acquisition with developing historical enquiry skills, uses active learning strategies, and includes direct assessment, ensuring all pupils meet clear learning objectives within an engaging, memorable experience.