The Roman Republic
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what it meant to be Roman in the early years of the Roman Republic.
Key learning points
- The Roman senators overthrew the last King of Rome, creating the Roman Republic.
- An important part of early Roman identity was the role of the senate in representing the wishes of the people.
- The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and Carthage and made Rome the dominant force in the Mediterranean.
- In 146 BCE, the Roman Republic made Macedonia a province and brought the Greek city-states under its control.
- Not everyone in the Roman Republic was free (slavery was an important institution) or even a Roman citizen.
Keywords
Elect - to elect someone is to choose them by voting for them
Punic Wars - the Punic Wars were a series of wars between Rome and Carthage
Citizen - a citizen is a member of a country or city and has the rights of a free person, such as the right to vote
Republic - a republic is a country where the leaders are chosen or elected by the people living in the country
Province - a Roman province was a place controlled by Rome that was outside of Italy
Common misconception
Rome was always an Empire.
Before the Roman Empire was founded, Rome was first ruled by kings and then Rome became a republic.
Teacher tip
The Roman Senate often debated matters pertaining to Roman laws and decrees. Stage a debate about a topical issue at school.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
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.Rome was founded on which river?
Q2.According to the myth, who was the founder and first king of Rome?
Q3.According to the myth, Romulus and Remus were the twin sons of princess Rhea Sylvia and...
Q4.How do we know that the myth of Romulus and how he founded Rome is not true?
Q5.CE refers to which time period?
Q6.BCE refers to which time period?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.During the time of the Roman Kingdom, Rome was ruled by...
Q2.According to myth, the Roman Kingdom lasted from 753 BCE to...
Q3.After the last king of Rome was overthrown, Rome became...
Q4.The Punic Wars were fought between Rome and...
Q5.The general from Carthage who crossed the Alps with elephants was called...
Q6.After the Punic Wars and conquering Macedonia, the Roman Republic was a strong and powerful force in ...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Roman Republic, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Roman Republic, 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 The Romans: what did it mean to be a Roman? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.