The buildings of Roman Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe the sorts of buildings the Romans introduced to Britain.
Key learning points
- Celtic buildings were usually thatched, wattle and daub roundhouses.
- Archaeologists can look at the remains of buildings to construct arguments about the impact of the Romans in Britain.
- Evidence of North African Roman soldiers has been found at Hadrian’s Wall, a major Ancient Roman architectural feature.
- Caerwent, Trimontium and Bath are all places that have examples of the sorts of architecture the Ancient Romans built.
- Rich Ancient Romans built villas in the British countryside with expensive mosaics and hypocaust systems for heating.
Keywords
Thatched - thatched roofs were made from a type of plant material, like straw
Wattle and daub - buildings made up of woven twigs and rods that have been covered in clay are called wattle and daub
Hadrian’s Wall - Hadrian’s Wall was the northernmost border of the Ancient Roman Empire
Hypocaust system - a hypocaust system was an Ancient Roman underfloor heating system
Common misconception
Pupils may think that Hadrian's Wall was not very high, as the remaining stretches have been damaged.
Remind pupils that Hadrian's Wall is over a thousand years old, and any sections still standing were much taller in the past.
Teacher tip
Try to emphasise the difference in construction techniques between Celtic buildings and Ancient Roman villas and buildings.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which statement is true?
Q2.The religious leaders in Celtic Britain were called the ...
Q3.Which Celtic leader was taken to Rome in chains following their attempts to resist the Ancient Roman invasion?
Q4.Place the events of Boudica's rebellion in order, starting with the earliest.
Q5.Which two goddesses were combined and worshipped by the people in Bath?
Q6.Which of these is the correct definition for the word 'polytheism'?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Most Celts lived in buildings called...
Q2.Which two of these were materials used by the Celts in their buildings?
Q3.Which emperor had a great wall built on Britain's northern border?
Q4.Soldiers from all over the Roman Empire defended Hadrian's Wall in Britain.
Q5.Match the keyword to the correct definition.
an Ancient Roman underfloor heating system
roofs made from a type of plant material, like straw
woven twigs and rods that have been covered in clay to make walls
Q6.Which two of these were found at Chedworth Villa?
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The buildings of Roman Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The buildings of Roman Britain, 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 impact did the Romans have on Britain? unit, dive into the full primary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.