Roman Empire Journey

Overview

A lively, interactive 50-minute lesson designed for Year 3 learners to deepen their understanding of the Roman Empire’s geography and power. The lesson combines storytelling, discussion, and physical map activities to strengthen pupils’ chronological reasoning, vocabulary precision, and geographical knowledge, fully aligned with the National Curriculum for England (History Programme of Study, Years 3 and 4).

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National Curriculum Links

History: Key Stage 2 (Year 3)
Pupils should:

• "Understand the achievements of the earliest civilizations – including the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain."
• "Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study."
• "Use dates and terms accurately when describing events."
• "Use a range of sources to understand aspects of the past."

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Learning Objective

• To use dates and historical terms with accuracy when discussing Roman history.
• To identify countries that were part of the Roman Empire.
• To explain what ‘Britannia’ means in Roman times.

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Success Criteria

I can:

• Use the words empire, invasion, and conquer correctly.
• Explain the meaning of Britannia.
• Identify countries that were part of the Roman Empire on a map.
• Use BC / AD correctly when talking about Roman events.

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Key Vocabulary (Focus)

• Conquer – to take control of a place by force.
• Invasion – when an army enters another land to take it over.
• Britannia – the Roman name for Britain.
• Empire – many lands ruled by one powerful country.
• BC / AD – Before Christ / Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord), used to order historical events.

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Resources

• Large classroom map of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
• Colour-coded sticky notes or labels with country names (e.g., Britannia, Gaul, Egypt, Hispania).
• Roman Empire timeline strip visible to the class (from Lesson 1).
• Simple props for storytelling (Roman helmets, scrolls).
• Printed vocabulary cards.
• A ‘gladiator’ or ‘soldier’ hat for volunteer acting roles.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter: Recap and Oral Recall (7 minutes)

• Begin by briefly revisiting Lesson 1’s timeline from 753 BC (Rome’s founding) to 410 AD (end of Roman rule in Britain).
• Invite children to shout out important dates and events from last lesson, focusing on when Romans lived. Emphasis on BC / AD usage.
• Quick oral quiz: What is Britannia? What does conquer mean? Can anyone say invasion?

Teacher’s Talk: Highlight narrative flow — “Today we discover how far Roman power stretched and why it mattered.”

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2. Interactive Storytelling: The Roman March (15 minutes)

• Engage the class in a vivid, dramatic story of the Roman Empire’s expansion: from Rome’s birth to their invasion of Britannia in 43 AD under Emperor Claudius.
• Use props and sound effects (marching feet, trumpet calls) to immerse learners.
• When mentioning different countries, place sticky notes on the large map as you name each one. E.g., Gaul (France), Hispania (Spain), Africa (North Africa), Egypt.
• Pause frequently to ask: “Are we in BC or AD here? What does this empire need to do to conquer this place?”
• Encourage pair-talk for 30 seconds after big chunks — “Turn to your partner and explain which country we just talked about and if the Romans conquered it.”

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3. Physical Map Activity: ‘Empire Builders’ (15 minutes)

• Split the class into small groups of 4 or 5. Assign each group a section of the large map.
• Groups receive sets of coloured sticky labels with the names of Roman lands and key vocabulary words.
• Task: Place country stickers correctly on the map, linking each to the story just told. For example, group 1: Britannia; group 2: Gaul and Hispania; group 3: Egypt and North Africa.
• Before placing them, groups explain why these countries were important to Rome and whether they were invaded or conquered.
• Circulate and prompt with questions, e.g.: “Is this empire or invasion? What year did this happen?”

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4. Group Discussion & Vocabulary Challenge (10 minutes)

• Gather the class back together in a circle.
• Hold up each vocabulary card and ask a volunteer to give a sentence using the word correctly. For example:
  • “Conquer: The Romans conquered Britain in AD 43.”
  • “Empire: The Roman Empire included many countries.”
• Encourage the rest of the class to add if the sentence is accurate.
• Use questioning to probe understanding: "Why did the Romans want to invade Britannia? What does Britannia tell us about Roman Britain?"
• Recap BC / AD timeline usage by asking children to say aloud a date and what it means.

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5. Plenary: Historical Narrative Recall (3 minutes)

• Ask children to pair up for a quick ‘storytelling relay’ where one tells a sentence about Roman conquests using accurate vocabulary and dates, and the other responds with “BC or AD” affirmation or correction.
• End with a confident group chant repeating key terms: “Empire, invasion, conquer! Britannia is Britain! BC and AD!”

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Assessment & Feedback

• Formative Assessment through observing paired discussions and map placement accuracy.
• Oral questioning during group discussions to check vocabulary use and chronological understanding.
• Use success criteria as a self-assessment checklist towards end of lesson, raising hands if confident in each area.
• Teacher notes on misconceptions or vocabulary errors for next lesson focus.

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Differentiation

• Support: Pre-labelled maps with countries already marked for some learners; vocabulary cards with definitions.
• Challenge: Encourage some pupils to share additional Roman Empire facts or local history links (e.g., Roman roads near their city). Pose “What if?” questions about empire size or timeline.

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Teacher Reflection Notes

• Ensure energetic storytelling maintains attention; physical movement with maps aids kinaesthetic learners.
• Monitor pair talk to ensure all pupils are using vocabulary confidently.
• Consider using dramatic role play in future lessons to deepen engagement with Roman culture.

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This lesson builds on Lesson 1’s foundation and continues to bring history vividly alive whilst embedding key curriculum demands in a memorable, talk-rich format, bespoke for Year 3 learners in England.