The ‘big idea’ that children in Year 3 have been exploring recently within History is “The Roman Empire and its impact”. Children were encouraged to think as historians and build their learning around the concepts of civilisation, invasion and power.
The students have explored a number of questions including:
- Who were the Romans?
- What was it like to live in Rome?
- When did the Romans invade Britain?
- Who resisted the Roman Invasion?
In their exploration of learning who Romans were, the students researched clothing, gladiators, the Roman army and education. The extent of the Roman Empire was explored along with the impact of its invasions with particular focus on its effect on Britain. The students really enjoyed learning about Julius Caesar and why he was such a famous emperor.
The students also learned about the Celts and the Iron Age, connecting this to the Roman invasion and the impact it had. Students learned about the reasons behind the Romans’ two invasions of Britain. The Year 3 students investigated and compared the resistances to the Roman invasion including Caractacus, Boudicca as well as Emperor Hadrian and the Scottish Highlanders.
Children were fascinated by the societal changes as a result of the Roman invasion including the introduction of a new calendar, use of coins, new laws and taxes. Of course, the students loved learning about Roman Gods which led into reflections on the similarities and differences between Roman and Ancient Britons’ beliefs.
This Tuesday the students will enjoy a Roman Day which will include learning about roman numerals and their own roman clocks, reading exciting stories about the romans and sharing their knowledge with their peers as well as creating their own roman mosaic.
Alan McCarthy
Primary Principal