Roman Research Skills

Overview

This 45-minute lesson is the second in an 8-lesson unit titled Horrible Histories: Roman Revelations. It is designed for a small Year 4 class of 3 students. The lesson focuses on developing pupils’ skills in researching information using non-fiction texts. The core aim is to enable pupils to select relevant facts about Roman history to support their upcoming writing tasks.

National Curriculum Links (English - Year 4)

• Reading - Comprehension:
  • Retrieve and record information from non-fiction (English Programme of Study: Reading, Years 3-4)
  • Identify/explain how meaning is enhanced through organisational features of non-fiction texts
• Writing - Composition:
  • Plan writing by discussing and recording ideas
• Speaking and Listening:
  • Participate in discussions, presentations, performances and role play to build understanding

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Locate and extract relevant information about Roman history from a variety of non-fiction texts (books, fact sheets, timelines).
2. Work collaboratively in pairs to organise and compile key facts for future writing.
3. Use appropriate note-taking strategies such as bullet points or simple mind maps.
4. Demonstrate understanding of nonfiction organisational features (headings, subheadings, captions) to guide research.

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Resources

• Set of non-fiction texts about Romans (age-appropriate Horrible Histories fact sheets, timeline posters, illustrated books)
• Research worksheet with sections for notes and headings
• Whiteboard and markers
• Paper and coloured pens/pencils for note-taking
• Timer or stopwatch

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes): Recall and Engage

• Begin by briefly revisiting the previous lesson and what pupils already know about Romans, activating prior knowledge.
• Ask each pupil to share one interesting fact they remember from the last lesson.
• Introduce today’s goal: to become “Roman researchers,” gathering facts for a shared writing project.
• Highlight the use of non-fiction books and how their features help find information quickly (e.g., contents, headings).

Curriculum Focus: Speaking and Listening - Pupils engage in discussions to recall and build ideas.

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2. Main Activity (30 minutes): Paired Research and Note-taking

• Pair formation: Pupils work in pairs (with one group of two, and one pupil working independently but encouraged to share findings).
• Explain and model note-taking strategies—for example, bullet points under headings or drawing a simple mind-map on the worksheet. Emphasise writing only key facts, not sentences.
• Provide each pair with different sets of non-fiction materials to ensure coverage of varied Roman topics (e.g., Roman daily life, army, buildings, food).
• Set a timer for 20 minutes during which pupils will carefully scan texts, locate facts and record them under clear headings on their worksheets.
• Circulate, encouraging pupils to skim headings and subheadings, guiding their research and supporting reading for meaning.
• After 20 minutes, pairs briefly prepare to share two or three interesting facts they found.

Curriculum Focus:

• Reading Non-fiction - Retrieving and recording information from a range of texts.
• Writing - Planning through note-taking to support future composition.

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3. Plenary (10 minutes): Sharing and Reflection

• Each pair (and single pupil) shares 2-3 fascinating facts they uncovered with the class.
• Discuss which organisational features of the texts helped them find information quickly.
• Invite pupils to reflect on what strategies helped them in finding and recording facts.
• Emphasise that these notes will help prepare them to write an information text next lesson.

Curriculum Focus: Speaking, Listening & Reading - Oral sharing to reinforce understanding and comprehension of organisational features in non-fiction.

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Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation during paired work: accuracy and relevance of facts selected; use of note-taking strategies.
• Listen during plenary for clear articulation of facts and understanding of text features.
• Collect worksheets at lesson end to review coverage and ability to organise facts logically.

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Differentiation and Support

• Provide sentence starters or prompts for note-taking for any pupils needing scaffolding.
• Challenge more able pupils by encouraging them to link facts or explain why certain facts might be interesting.
• For pupils with reading difficulties, provide simplified texts or pre-highlighted sections to find facts.

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WOW Factor Ideas

• Use a “Roman Archaeologists” theme: pupils behave like investigators finding clues in texts.
• Present facts as ‘Roman relics’ they discover and annotate on worksheets, adding creativity.
• Introduce a research “challenge card” for pairs to find a quirky or surprising fact only, promoting engagement and curiosity.
• Use colourful fact cards or flashcards for pupils to arrange facts spatially on their tables, visualising connections.

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Home Learning Suggestion

• Encourage pupils to interview a family member about something they find “horrible” or “interesting” about history and bring one anecdote in next lesson, supporting oral and research skills.

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This lesson plan ensures all core aspects of the National Curriculum for Year 4 English are met, embedding reading comprehension, collaborative learning, and preparation for writing through exciting, historically themed research.