Britain at the end of Roman rule
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the different groups that lived in the British Isles at the end of Roman rule in Britain.
Key learning points
- In 367 CE, the Scots from Ireland and Picts from Scotland came together to attack Roman Britain but were defeated.
- In 401 CE, the last Roman legionaries left Hadrian’s Wall, built over 200 years before to protect the northern frontier.
- Much of south-east England and the Midlands had a Romano-British culture.
- Wales and the north and south-west of England had less Romanisation.
- Scotland was mostly controlled by the Celtic Picts.
Keywords
Hadrian’s Wall - Hadrian's Wall was a long wall the Romans built in the north of England to defend it from Celtic tribes
Frontier - a frontier is the edge of a place where people live or the border of a state or an empire’s land
Romanisation - Romanisation is when people started living and acting like the Romans did
Romano-British - Romano-British culture is a mix of Roman and old British ways of living
Common misconception
Pupils may believe the Scots tribe were originally from Scotland.
The Scots tribe originated from Ireland but the name 'Scotland' comes from the tribe after they migrated there.
Teacher tip
In the slides discussing Romano-British culture, you may wish to add or discuss more examples from your local context or setting.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which Roman emperor successfully invaded Britain in 43 CE?
Q2.When was the first (unsuccessful) invasion of Roman Britain?
Q3.Around the time of the Roman invasion, how was Britain ruled?
Q4.Who was the leader of the Iceni tribe that fought back against Roman rule?
Q5.From earliest to latest, order these events in Roman Britain.
Q6.In Roman settlements, what place was the heart of public social life, where people would shop, talk and conduct business?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What tribes attacked Roman Britain in 367 CE?
Q2.When did the last Roman soldiers leave Hadrian’s Wall?
Q3.In which areas was Romano-British culture more popular?
Q4. was built to mark the northern frontier of Roman Britain.
Q5.What does 'Romanisation' mean?
Q6.What examples of Romano-British culture still exist today?
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Britain at the end of Roman rule, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 history lesson on: Britain at the end of Roman rule, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 history lessons from the Britain's settlement by Anglo-Saxons: what changed after the Romans left? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.