Romans’ Lasting Impact

Overview

This 50-minute lesson explores why the Romans were such an important empire by examining their contributions to the world. Year 7 students will engage with a chronological study of the Roman Empire, using a variety of historical sources and develop their understanding of Roman legacy.

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National Curriculum Links

• History Key Stage 3 (upper KS2 for Year 7)

  • Understand the Roman Empire’s chronology and impact on Britain and the wider world.
  • Develop an understanding of how significant individuals, events, and ideas have shaped history.
  • Use a variety of sources critically to investigate the past.

• Relevant Statements from the National Curriculum (England):

  • Pupils should be taught to:
    • Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study.
    • Note connections, contrasts and trends over time and develop the appropriate use of historical terms.
    • Regularly address and sometimes devise historically valid questions about change, cause, similarity, difference and significance.
    • Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources.
    • Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful selection and organisation of relevant historical information.

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Describe key reasons why the Roman Empire was significant in history.
2. Analyse a variety of historical sources to identify Roman contributions to modern life.
3. Evaluate the lasting impact of Roman technologies, governance, and culture on Britain and beyond.
4. Use chronological understanding to place Roman achievements within a historical timeline.

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Resources Needed

• Selection of primary and secondary source extracts/images (e.g., Roman roads, aqueducts, Roman law tablets, artefacts, texts).
• Timeline handouts showing Roman Empire chronology.
• Whiteboard/interactive display.
• Lined exercise books.
• Sticky notes or coloured cards for group tasks.
• Projector for images.

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Lesson Structure

Starter (5 minutes)

Activity: Quick Think-Pair-Share

• Pose the question: “What do you think the Romans gave to the world that makes them important?”
• Students think individually (1 min), then discuss their ideas with a partner (2 mins), finally share answers aloud.
• Teacher records common themes on the board (roads, law, buildings, etc.) to establish prior knowledge.

Introduction (10 minutes)

Teacher Input:

• Recap the Roman Empire’s timeline, placing Britain’s Roman occupation and how Rome’s power spread over time.
• Present a brief overview of what ‘legacy’ means in history.
• Introduce the lesson question: “Why were the Romans so important?”
• Show images/sources of Roman achievements (e.g., aqueducts, baths, roads, coins, legal documents) to pique interest.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

Group Source Analysis and Jigsaw Task

• Divide the class into 6 groups of 5. Each group focuses on a specific Roman contribution:

  1. Infrastructure (roads, aqueducts)
  2. Governance and law
  3. Culture and entertainment (e.g., baths, amphitheatres)
  4. Language and writing (Latin influence)
  5. Engineering and architecture (e.g., concrete, domes)
  6. Military organisation and technology

• Each group receives 2-3 sources (images, short texts, artefact descriptions) relating to their topic.

• Groups analyse sources guided by questions:

  • What does this source tell us about Roman contribution?
  • Why would this be important to people then and now?
  • How do you think this influenced later civilisations?

• After 15 minutes, groups form new ‘expert’ pairs with one member from different groups (jigsaw method). In their pairs, they share their expertise and teach each other about different Roman contributions (10 minutes).

Plenary (10 minutes)

Whole-Class Discussion & Writing Task

• On the whiteboard, create a mind map of the Roman legacies that students learned.
• Ask: “Which Roman contribution do you think had the biggest impact on modern Britain and why?”
• Individually, students write a short paragraph answering this question using specific examples and vocabulary learned (e.g., chronology, legacy, significant).
• Select a few students to share their paragraphs aloud to exemplify historical reasoning and use of sources.

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Assessment and Feedback

• Formative assessment through observation during group and jigsaw discussions.
• Assessment of written paragraphs for understanding of significance and use of historical evidence.
• Feedback to students highlighting effective use of sources, clear reasoning, and historical vocabulary.

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Differentiation

• Provide source materials with varying complexity for different groups (simplified texts or additional scaffolding for lower ability students).
• Challenge higher ability students to evaluate which Roman legacy was most transformative and justify their views with deeper historical insight.
• Use visual aids and interactive group work to support EAL and SEN learners.

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Extension/Homework Suggestion

• Research a famous British landmark or system influenced by Roman innovations (e.g., the road network, legal traditions) and prepare a short presentation or poster explaining its Roman roots.

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Reflection for Teacher

• Consider how well students engaged with primary and secondary sources.
• Note whether students showed progress in chronological understanding and use of historical terms.
• Plan follow-up activities focusing on the Roman invasion or Roman Britain social history for deeper chronological study.