LKS2 Topic: The Romans in Britain Block H: Roman Buildings and Engineering
NB. This is the second of two linked sessions – see Session 5 for the first
Session 6 Finishing the model Aqueduct
National
History: Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed from a range of sources; Pupils
should be taught about the Roman Empire and its impact on Britain (architecture).
Curriculum
Teaching
To become familiar the use of aqueducts and research and display information on famous aqueducts.
Objectives
National
D&T: Select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks (for example,
cutting, shaping, joining and finishing), accurately; select and use a wider range of materials and
Curriculum
components … according to their functional properties and aesthetic qualities.
Teaching
Objectives
Resources
To finish the model of an aqueduct.
PowerPoint on Famous Roman Aqueducts; Half-finished class model aqueduct; Acrylic paints; PVA glue; Brushes; Mixing
pallets; Pencils; Rulers; Coloured crayons; Kitchen roll and Cling film; 2 strips of thin card 10cm wide as long as the aqueduct
(or several shorter strips that together make up the length with a 2cm overlap for each join); Task prompt sheet; A4 card;
Pens; Access to computers and the internet (or reference books and printouts).
Whole class: Remind the chn that last session we learnt about Roman aqueducts. Look at the class model we started to
build. Why did the Romans build aqueducts? They noticed that dirty water made people ill so they needed to bring supplies
of fresh water into the towns. Water only flows downhill so the aqueducts needed a gentle downward slope to carry the
water. How did we make a gentle downward slope on our aqueduct? Each arch is ½ cm smaller than the one before. Why
are aqueducts so strong? Arches spread the weight evenly. Many Roman aqueducts were so well built they have survived
over 2000 years! Show the 1st 6 slides on the PowerPoint. Discuss the different designs, single, double and triple tiered
arches. Where are these famous aqueducts? Israel, Spain, France and Turkey. They were all once part of the Roman empire.
Click back to look at the setting of the different aqueducts; near the sea, over a busy road, a town centre, a dry valley and a
river valley. Explain that later some of the class will research some famous aqueducts while others continue and finish the
class model. So far we have made arches and columns on a base but now we need to decide the setting of our aqueduct and
model the surroundings and the box to make it realistic. Gather ideas and discuss the options. If chn want to make it in a
town centre, they could paint the back of the boxes as Roman buildings and add some of the model buildings from session 1
to the display. If they want to make a valley they could cut away sections at the back of the box and model using PVA,
kitchen roll and acrylic paint. As the aqueduct straddles 2 boxes it could flow across different terrain, e.g. across a river
valley and into a town. Use slides 7 – 11 to teach the technique of modelling with PVA, kitchen roll and paint to disguise and
adapt your boxes, and show how to finish off the aqueduct with a water channel.
Divide the class in half, swapping researching and modelling roles from session 5. Assign mixed ability pairs
Working on model
aqueduct
Researching and presenting information on famous aqueducts
Give each pair a Task prompt sheet and allocate one of the famous aqueducts for them to
research. Talk through the task and demonstrate how to present the information as a lift up
flap on a folded sheet of A4 card.
Using slides 7-10, assign pairs
of children to the tasks of
modelling and finishing the
aqueduct.
Adult support may be useful but not essential.
Teacher support as needed.
Review
the
work
of both groups. Invite pairs to share their aqueduct research. Look together at the finished
Plenary
aqueduct. Try out marbles to represent water. Do they travel slowly downhill? Imagine the feat of
engineering to build them from stone across vast valleys 2000 years ago!
Outcomes Children will
 Understand how the Romans carried water into their towns using aqueducts
 Finish a model aqueduct and research and present information on famous Roman aqueducts for
display.
© Original resource copyright Hamilton Trust, who give permission for it to be adapted as wished by individual users.
We refer you to our warning, at the foot of the block overview, about links to other websites.