Year 7 History

The Romans

Introduction:

This module introduces students to history at Laisterdyke. Many of these students will have little comprehension of what history is or why it is important. At Laisterdyke we have found over the years that most students entering Key Stage 3 are not aware of any subject specific terminology.

Each key question within the unit has a series of learning objectives that teaching must address, a list of available resources (which may not be definitive) and a series of teaching ideas. Teachers may adapt the teaching and learning activities to suit their preferred teaching style and the learning needs of the youngsters within each group. The Differentiation within the module is done in general terms, lesson plans should reflect differentiation within each lesson, and must regularly refer to differentiated tasks for the Gifted and talented cohort and students on the SEN register.

Length of Module: One Term: September to Christmas Holiday

Aims of Module:

  • To introduce students to history at Key Stage 3
  • To develop historical skills
  • To develop an interest in History

From the National Curriculum:

This module does not refer directly to but includes elements of the following Units from the DfEE provided scheme of work for history:

  • Unit 1. Introductory Unit: what’s it all about?
  • Unit 22. The role of the individual: for good or ill?

And it, as is allowed in the National Curriculum, replaces Study Unit 10 as the study of a pre 1914 European civilisation.

Citizenship:

  • Students are asked to discuss moral issues relating to political structures, religious persecution and arguments between people.
  • Students are provided with an overview of a range of political structures.
  • Pupils investigate the role of women, slaves and gentiles within the Roman Empire. These can be related to the modern world.
  • Pupils will be introduced to the concept economic links, ethnic identities and some environmental issues.

Literacy:

The National Curriculum for history and the accompanying scheme of work strongly suggest that students’ levels of Literacy are addressed through the teaching of History. The NC for History does not however require teachers of History to make use, or to refer to, Literacy or Numeracy strategies within planning or teaching methods.

The Following Key Questions must be addressed whilst teaching this module:

  1. What is history?
  2. How do we learn about the past?
  3. Who were Romulus and Remus?
  4. Why did the Roman army rarely lose battles?
  5. What did the Romans ever do for us?
  6. Julius Caesar. Hero or Villain?
  7. How was Rome ruled?
  8. What did Women do in the Roman Empire?
  9. Why did Boudicca revolt?

These Key Questions ought to be the focus of one or more lessons. The following teaching guide should be used as a guide to how this area of History can be taught. Your adaptations of this module must be included in your short-term plans along with more specific references to differentiated tasks.

Teaching Guide

What is history? and How do we learn about the past? (National Curriculum Study Unit 1)

3-4 Weeks recommended within the DfEE Scheme of Work.

Learning Objectives:

  • To recall knowledge from previous history lessons
  • To place events and people in chronological order
  • To listen and work with others
  • To make judgements about what makes an individual important and to provide reasons
Language for Learning

Subject Specific vocabulary: chronology, centuries, eras, empire, period, BC, AD, sources, interpretations, site, relevance, usefulness, past

Expectations

At the end of this unit

Most students will: recall and use knowledge acquired in key stage 2, make accurate use of chronological terms, organise eras into chronological order, summarise and share knowledge about the past, show some awareness of the limitations of different historical sources, find information from sources and use it in an answer

Some students will not have made as much progress and will: recall some knowledge from previous studies, understand that historians divide the past into periods or eras, identify some important people from the past, recognise that there are different types of historical source, draw simple conclusions from a source

Some students will have progressed further and will: recall ad reflect upon detailed knowledge of the past, make links between different eras, demonstrate detailed knowledge of some events and personalities from the past, extract information from sources and use this to provide interpretations of the past.

Classes MUST

  • Be taught what Primary and Secondary sources are and be provided with opportunities to examine the limitations of these sources.
  • Be given an overview of what chronology is and provided with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the concept.
  • Be provided with an investigative task using more than one piece of evidence.

Available resources:

Text Books

The Roman Empire (Electric Blue cover)

Contrasts and Connections

Understanding history

The Romans in Britain (SEN, KS1/2 resource)

Activity Packs / Worksheets

Selection of Worksheets relating to Making a Timeline

Murder Mystery activity for investigative task

The English Department has a Literacy textbook that has a 'solve the crime' activity in it that is quite good, Year 7 catch-up resource.

Other

Roll of paper for timelines

Picture pack; the Roman Empire

Models of Roman pots

Photographs

Postcards

Newspapers

ICT based resources

This Week in history CD Rom on network

Encarta

Departmental Website:

A Range of timelines can also be found on

Suggested Learning Activities (based upon Unit 1 of the DfEE scheme of work)

Chronological Knowledge

  • Discuss with class what history is, reminding them of some of the content of Key Stage 2 History if necessary (Some, or all of: the Tudors, Greeks, Romans and Vikings).
  • List the names of famous people from the past that students mention on the board. These can be added to a timeline of the period 2000BC to 2000AD. (More able students could research the dates themselves and construct their own timeline)
  • Ask pupils to work in pairs discussing who they think the most important person from the past is. Students should be encouraged to say why they think this. If time is available, students could then write a brief biography of this person or be asked to research them.
  • Discuss the pupils findings and place the names of these people into chronological order on the board. As a group then compile a list of criteria of historical importance.

Alternatives:

  • Use textbooks to find the dates of a range of events and place them on a timeline.
  • Provide sequence cards and ask students to add detail after researching.
  • Conduct a class quiz based on finding dates and events in a number of textbooks.

Points to note:

  • Our students may not be aware of what AD and BC mean. Please do not refer to AD as being ‘before Christ’ as this is a historical inaccuracy.
  • There was no year 0.

Types of Source materials

  • Show the students a range of artefacts, pictures, poems, newspapers etc from a range of time periods. Ask them to try and establish what time period each originates from.
  • Discussion based around: What can we learn about the past from each of these types of sources?
  • Discussion based around: What can’t we discover about the past from these sources?
  • Hand out a range of sources and artefacts. Ask pairs to look at these and then report back to the class after a few minutes what they have discovered about the source.
  • Students can be asked to complete a chart showing what types of source there are, what these can tell us about the past, and why they are useful to historians.

Using Historical Evidence

  • Conduct an investigation. Solving a crime is a good way of doing this. Use one of the pre-prepared packs to find the guilty party.
  • Select a range of sources about a personality from the past, ask students to find conflicting opinions about the person. This could be turned into a debate.

These activities can be done individually, in pairs or in groups.

Alternative activities:

More able students could make use of the ‘Anastasia’ lesson on

  • A mini ‘Time-team’ activity could be created to discover the way that people lived in a different time period. This could make use of a range of sources and would enable students to use evidence productively.

Points to note:

These activities do not necessarily have to relate to the Romans although there is no reason why they cannot be pointed towards a study of the Romans in Britain.

Who were Romulus and Remus?

At the end of this unit

Most pupils will: demonstrate knowledge about why the individual is seen as important, and the context in which they lived

Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: demonstrate a basic knowledge of the individual’s life and achievements; suggest some reasons why the individual acted as they did; describe in simple terms the impact that the individual had on other people at the time

Some pupils will have progressed further and will: demonstrate a detailed level of knowledge about the life of the individual and the wider context in which they lived; analyse the motives that underpin the individual’s actions

Language for learning

Through the activities in this unit pupils will be able to understand, use and spell correctly words relating to:

•individuals and their actions, eg intention, motive, commemoration

•change and causation, eg factor, impact, effect, outcome

• thinking about learning, eg idea, match, apply, problem, strategy, solution, theory

Teaching Guide

All Groups.

Read through the story of Romulus and Remus. Discuss the story in terms of its historical content and evaluate whether or not the story can be trusted in terms of historical accuracy. Revise the concept of a legend and ask how this story might have come about.

Extension and Upper Core groups

Use a range of sources to draft a report on the Murder of Remus by his brother. The report should provide an overview of the life of the brothers and should attempt to interpret the actions of Romulus. This piece of work could be completed on A4 paper and used for display.

Lower core/ foundation.

Sequence pictures illustrating the story and stick them onto A4 in this sequence. The pupils then need to write a brief caption underneath each one to demonstrate their understanding.

Resources available:

Textbooks

Pictures of the statue of Romulus and Remus

A4 Paper

Internet/ CD ROM

Electronic Whiteboard

Why did the Roman army rarely lose battles?

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this unit

Most students will be able to describe the reasons for the success of the Roman Army, use source material to explain the tactics and weapons used by the Roman military.

Some students will not have progressed as rapidly and will be able to identify weapons used by the Romans, be able to suggest reasons for the Military success and use source material to provide basic descriptions of Roman tactics and weapons.

Some pupils will have progressed further and will be able to use a range of source material to analyse the reasons for the military successes of the Roman army, suggest limitations of the Roman army, place the achievements of the Romans in context, they may be able to offer more than one interpretation of why the Romans were so successful.

Language for Learning:

subject specific vocabulary: legion, century, centurion, auxiliary, warrior, Celtic, Briton, sword, shield, armour, tortoise

More able students could be introduced too much more complex vocabulary.

Teaching Guide

  • Watch the first 10 minutes of Gladiator looking for types of weapon and the way in which the Roman army fought.
  • Use a range of source material to investigate the way in which the Romans successfully invaded Britain. This could be done as a small project based around the Roman Invasion of Britain.
  • Look at pictures of Roman soldiers and fortifications and identify strengths and weaknesses of these.
  • Complete a chart showing the weapons used by the Romans as compared with those used by other warrior tribes of the period. Use of the first 10 minutes of Gladiator would be useful here. Students could then be asked to create a one-page encyclopaedia entry for Roman Soldiers and Celtic Warriors. These could make use of illustrations and could be used for display purposes.
  • Use the Internet to research the way in which the Roman army worked and write a few sentences to describe the main parts of the army. (Legion, Centurion, Auxiliary, Fort etc)
  • A range of activities are available in the different textbooks.

Resources available

Textbooks

Gladiator video (ask in advance please)

Picture pack

CD ROM/ Internet

Electronic Whiteboard

What did the Romans ever do for us?

Learning Objectives:

Most students will be able to show knowledge and understanding of some of the main changes studied. They are beginning to give a few reasons for, and results of, the main changes introduced by the Romans. They use sources of information in ways that go beyond simple observations to answer questions about the past.

Some students will have progressed less rapidly and will be able to recognise that there are reasons why people in the past acted as they did. They are beginning to identify some of the different ways in which the past is represented. They observe or handle sources of information to answer questions about the past on the basis of simple observations.

Some students will have progressed further and will be able to give some reasons for, and results of, the main events and changes. They show some understanding that aspects of the past have been represented and interpreted in different ways. They are beginning to select and combine information from different sources. The most able may be able to extend this towards knowing that some events, people and changes have been interpreted in different ways and suggest possible reasons for this. Using their knowledge and understanding, pupils are beginning to evaluate sources of information and identify those that are useful for particular tasks

Teaching Guide

  • Show students a range of pictures of aqueducts, public baths and toilets from the Roman era. Compare these with images of Celtic villages and settlements. Make a list of the major differences on the board.
  • Students are to imagine that the Romans have taken them to Rome as a Slave. Write a letter to your parents or friends describing what the city of Rome is like. Emphasis should be placed on the different types of Public Works rather than on what Slavery is like.
  • Show the clip from ‘The Life of Brian’ in which the cast ask what the Romans have ever done. Discuss what these achievements are and discover if students know what these things look like/ do. Use the textbooks and picture packs to illustrate these buildings and ask questions related to the reasons for these being built and the consequences of there construction.
  • A range of worksheets and activities in textbooks are available to supplement these teaching methods.

Resources available:

Textbooks

CD ROM/ Internet

Electronic Whiteboard

Picture Pack

Worksheets

Julius Caesar. Hero or Villain?

Study Unit 22 of the National Curriculum for History (Role of the Individual)

Time to be spent on this unit: 3-4 weeks.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this unit

Most pupils will: demonstrate knowledge about why the individual is seen as important, and the context in which they lived; identify some of the motives and causes of the individual’s actions and how these had an impact on the lives of others; demonstrate awareness of the long- and short-term impact of the individual’s actions; describe how the individual’s life has been interpreted through time

Some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: demonstrate a basic knowledge of the individual’s life and achievements; suggest some reasons why the individual acted as they did; describe in simple terms the impact that the individual had on other people at the time; describe how the individual’s life has been interpreted

Some pupils will have progressed further and will: demonstrate a detailed level of knowledge about the life of the individual and the wider context in which they lived; analyse the motives that underpin the individual’s actions; evaluate the impact of the individual’s actions in the short and long term; explain how and why different interpretations of the individual have been produce.

Language for learning

Through the activities in this unit pupils will be able to understand, use and spell correctly words relating to: