History at key stages 1 and 2 (Year 3/4)

Unit 6A: Why have people invaded and settled in Britain in the past? A Roman case study
Section 3: Who were the Celts and who were the Romans?

Objectives

Children should learn:

to select and record information about Celtic and Roman ways of life
to make comparisons between these lifestyles
about aspects of life in Celtic and Roman Britain, using a variety of resources

Activities

Outcomes

Children:

Ask the children to locate the Roman period on the class time line. Tell them that they are going to find out about the Romans and also about the Celts, who lived in Britain before the Romans arrived. Give them information about and pictures of the Celts and/or the Romans. Ask the children to complete a three-column grid with the headings: 'How they did things', 'Celts', and 'Romans'. In the first column children can list aspects such as dress, belief, language, towns, farms, art, technology. They can use the other two columns to compare the two ways of life.

Discuss the children's answers with them, drawing their attention to similarities and differences.

select relevant information from a number of sources
complete a grid with relevant information using correct terminology for Celtic and Roman ways of life
suggest similarities and differences between the lifestyles of Celts and Romans

Points to note

It is important that the Celts are not presented as a set of primitive tribes. They were sophisticated, but different from the Romans. The issue could be highlighted by comparing the impression created by Julius Caeser's comments about the Celts from his story of his visits in 55 and 54 BC with the impression given by examples of Celtic artwork.

Children could develop this activity further by investigating the lifestyle of Celtic tribes, eg language, beliefs, dress, art, settlements such as hill forts, towns, farms and/or considering the Roman way of life, eg the importance of Latin, gods, dress, the organisation of the army, houses and their interior design.

Children could be divided into groups for this activity, with some groups looking at Celts and others the Romans.

This activity could be adapted by asking children either to make labelled drawings or write their answers in sentences, as appropriate.

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.


	1. Why do people move away from where they were born?
	2. Who invaded and settled in Britain a long time ago?
	3. Who were the Celts and who were the Romans?
	4. Who was Boudica?
	5. What happened in AD 60?
	6. What were the short-term and long-term results of Boudica's revolt?
	7. How did the Romans change Britain when they settled here?