CONTEXT TITLE: Roman Empire
Year: 3
Term: 2
LEARNING SKILLS (NC)
LEARNING
KEY QUESTIONS
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CHALLENGE/
CONTEXT
ASSESSMENT
STUNNING START:
Children enter the classroom to find that it has been invaded by older children (1 or 2 to be dressed up as Romans). Who are these
invaders? How will we get our classroom back? Children retreat to the hall to brainstorm ideas.
Who were the
Romans?
(2 weeks)
Texts:
The Roman Beanfeast
The Romans Gods,
Emperors and
Dormice
Orchard book of
Roman Myths
TAKE HOME TASK:
Roman Myths
Create a comic
strip of the myth
of Romulus and
Remus.
Roman Army and
the expansion of
the Empire
(2 weeks)
Texts:
The Roman Beanfeast
The Romans Gods,
Emperors and
Dormice
A Roman soldier’s
handbook
TAKE HOME TASK:
Create a Roman
standard.
History -the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
How did the empire
begin?
How was the empire
ruled?
What was life like in
Britain before the
Romans?
How big was the
Empire?
What can we find out
about the Roman
army?
Why was the Roman
army so successful?
Who was Queen
Boudicca?
Why did they invade
Britain?
What happened in
AD 60?
Chronological
Understanding
Communication
and
Organisation
Historical Enquiry
Recognise that this period follows that of the
previously studied unit.
Begin to use some dates and terms accurately.
Understand a timeline can be divided into BC
and AD.
Ask questions about change/ cause/ similarity
and difference between periods studied
previously and within the Roman period in Britain.
Begin to ask own questions ‘what was it like/
what happened in the past and find answers.
Use a range of sources to find out about the
period.
Begin to understand how artefacts/ people/
images/ evidence can aid understanding of the
past.
History -the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Range and
Demonstrate factual knowledge of the periodDepth
key events and people.
Interpretation of
History
Communication
and
Organisation
Use evidence to give and explain reasons why
people in the past may have acted as they did.
Describe how houses/ settlement/ religious beliefs
changed during the period studied.
Use different ways that the past/ evidence is
presented e.g. books, re-enactments, internet,
pictures, stories, eyewitness accounts etc. to
answer questions.
Understand difference between fact and
opinion.
Can recount an event from the past including
some interesting details.
Draw labelled diagrams and write about them to
describe people/ places/ events from the past.
Explore the myth of Romulus and
Remus (role play)
Write own version of the myth of
Romulus and Remus
Explore how the Roman empire was
governed.
Create a map of the empire showing
how it changed over the years.
Create posters about jobs in an Iron
Age Village.
Create Celtic Shields
Create a class timeline of the empire
Create Roman Shields
Research the Roman Army
Roman Armour/Weapons – labelled
diagrams.
Practise Roman army drill
Drama of the Roman Invasion.
Timeline – why did Julius Caesar leave
Britain?
Draw a picture of Boudicca from a
written description. Look at similarities
and differences between the written
descriptions.
Sequence events of the story of the
invasion.
Battle of Colchester – drama
Battle Report
Marvellous Middle: Trip to Roman Museum at Chester (Dewa Experience) –Guided tour and Soldier Patrols. The children will create a
video diary of the visit which will be edited back at school. (Trip on Tuesday; Edit videos Wednesday and Thursday). Link with
Computing scheme – We are Presenters.
LEARNING
CONTEXT
Roman
Entertainment
(1 week)
Texts:
The Roman Beanfeast
The Romans Gods, Emperors
and Dormice
Roman City Guidebook
KEY QUESTIONS
LEARNING SKILLS (NC)
What did the Romans
do for fun?
Who and what were
the gladiators?
Which games did
they like best?
History - the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Range and
Use information found out about the past to describe
Depth
differences between then and now.
What evidence has
been found about
the Romans?
What were mosaics?
What did they
depict?
How were they
made?
What evidence has
been found about
the Romans?
How were Roman
buildings made?
What is an arch?
What was an
aqueduct?
History -the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Range and
Use evidence to give and explain reasons why people in
Depth
the past may have acted as they did.
TAKE HOME TASK:
Make a small model
chariot to race.
Mosaics
(1 week)
Texts:
Roman Buildings
and Engineering
(1 week)
Texts:
The Roman Beanfeast
Roman City
Guidebook
TAKE HOME TASK:
Roman buildings and
Engineering
Research Roman
buildings or
engineering – create
a fact file or a poster
or a mini book.
Interpretation of
History
Describe how houses/ settlement/ religious beliefs
changed during the period studied.
Use different ways that the past/ evidence is presented
e.g. books, re-enactments, internet, pictures, stories,
eyewitness accounts etc. to answer questions.
History -the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Range and
Demonstrate factual knowledge of the period- key
Depth
events and people.
Use evidence to give and explain reasons why people in
the past may have acted as they did.
Describe how houses/ settlement/ religious beliefs
changed during the period studied.
DT – Structures and materials
Understanding
contexts, users
and purposes
 say how their designs will work
 say how they will make their designs stable
 use design criteria to help develop ideas
Generating,
developing,
modelling and
communicating
ideas
Planning
 share and clarify ideas through discussion
 generate realistic ideas and model these using
prototypes and annotated sketches
 use computer-aided design
 select tools and equipment suitable for the task
 explain their choice of materials and components
according to functional properties
 order the main stages of making
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Research entertainment;
compare with now.
Create a poster about
Gladiators.
Draw a picture of the
Colosseum.
Learn about Roman chariot
racing.
Children find out about
mosaics by watching videos.
Create a mosaic border –
explore printing.
Design and make a roman
mosaic.
Create Roman columns
Test the strength of different
Roman columns
Explore Roman arches – test
the strength.
Create a Roman aqueduct
model.
CHALLENGE/
ASSESSMENT
LEARNING
CONTEXT
Roman Legacy
(1 week)
Texts:
The Roman Beanfeast
What the Romans did
for us
TAKE HOME TASK:
Create a poster about
everything you know
about the Romans.
KEY QUESTIONS
What have the
Romans left behind?
What do place
names tell us?
What is a legacy?
LEARNING SKILLS (NC)
History -the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
Range and Depth
Demonstrate factual knowledge of the period- key
events and people.
Use evidence to give and explain reasons why
people in the past may have acted as they did.
Describe how houses/ settlement/ religious beliefs
changed during the period studied.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
CHALLENGE/
ASSESSMENT
Look at map of Britain – find
Roman place names.
Create a class display – The
Roman Legacy
Explore different legacies –
calendar, numerals,
language, roads and towns.
FABULOUS FINISH: Attenzione! Attenzione! A Roman banquet is coming to a class near you!
Children plan and prepare the feast for their parents. They will share their video diary from the Marvellous Middle; sing a song ‘Just Like
a Roman’; make mosaics and share their project books.