KS2 History Lesson Plan: The Roman Empire and Its Impact on Britain

1. Lesson Overview
- Year group: KS2 (Year 3/4 or 4/5)
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Topic: The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain
- Focus: Invasions, resistance and “Romanisation” of Britain

2. Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, pupils will:
- Place key Roman events in Britain on a timeline (Caesar, Claudius, Boudica, Hadrian’s Wall).
- Describe who the Romans were and why they came to Britain.
- Explain, in simple terms, how life in Britain changed under Roman rule.
- Use appropriate historical terms (e.g. empire, invasion, conquest, resistance, Romanisation).
- Ask and answer historically valid questions about cause, change and significance.

3. Key Vocabulary
Rome, Roman Empire, emperor, Julius Caesar, Claudius, Boudica, legion, invasion, conquest, resistance, Hadrian’s Wall, Romanisation, villa, bathhouse, road, aqueduct, Christianity

4. Resources Needed
- Map of the Roman Empire and Britain (before and after conquest)
- Simple timeline of key events (55–54 BC to around AD 410)
- Short texts or story summaries about: Caesar’s invasions, Claudius’ conquest, Boudica’s revolt, Hadrian’s Wall, Roman towns (e.g. Caerwent)
- Image cards of Roman roads, villas, baths, mosaics, temples, early churches
- Large paper for group posters, pens, pencils, glue

5. Starter Activity (10 minutes)
- Show a map of the Roman Empire at its height and ask: “What do you notice? How big is this empire?”
- Zoom in on Britain and ask: “Why might the Romans want to come here?”
- Collect ideas (e.g. land, power, resources) and note them on the board.

6. Main Teaching Input (10–15 minutes)
- Tell a brief overview story:
- Julius Caesar’s failed attempts (55–54 BC).
- Claudius’ successful invasion and conquest by AD 43.
- Building of Hadrian’s Wall.
- British resistance (Boudica’s revolt).
- Romanisation: roads, towns, baths, technology, beliefs (including early Christianity).
- Place these events on a class timeline.
- Model using historical terms and simple cause/effect language (e.g. “Because the Romans wanted…” “As a result…”).

7. Pupil Activities (25–30 minutes)
Activity 1: Timeline Builders
- In pairs, pupils receive event cards (Caesar, Claudius, Boudica, Hadrian’s Wall, Roman towns, Christianity).
- They place them in order on a mini timeline and add one short note or symbol for each.

Activity 2: Impact of the Romans
- In small groups, pupils sort picture/fact cards into “Before Romans”, “During Roman rule”, “Lasting impact”.
- They create a simple poster titled “How the Romans Changed Britain” with at least three examples (e.g. roads, towns, baths, language, religion).

Challenge
- Higher-attaining pupils write a short paragraph answering a question such as “Why was the Roman invasion important for Britain?” or “How did Roman technology change life in Britain?”

8. Plenary (5–10 minutes)
- Groups share one key change they think was most important.
- Revisit the timeline and ask: “What connections and contrasts can we see over time?” (e.g. from resistance to Romanisation).
- Briefly discuss how we know about the Romans in Britain (ruins, artefacts, written sources).

9. Homework
- Homework task: pupils design a “Roman Britain” postcard showing one Roman site (e.g. a road, villa, bathhouse, Hadrian’s Wall, Caerwent).
- On the back, they write a few sentences as if they are a child living in Roman Britain, describing one change they notice.

10. Assessment Notes
- Look for pupils placing key events in roughly correct chronological order.
- Check use of historical terms and ability to describe Roman impact.
- Note who can explain at least one cause for Roman invasion and one lasting change in Britain.