The Roman invasion of Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Romans invaded Britain during the reign of Emperor Claudius.
Key learning points
- Emperor Claudius ordered the invasion of Britain in 43 CE to secure his position as emperor.
- The invasion was very successful due to the strengths of the Ancient Roman army.
- Ancient Roman legionaries were highly trained, well equipped and disciplined soldiers.
- The legionaries used superior tactics alongside fort building to defeat the British tribes.
Keywords
Triumph - a triumph was a celebration in the streets of Rome when the emperor returned from winning a war
Invade - to go somewhere with an army to try to take over is to invade
Legionaries - legionaries were well-trained Ancient Roman soldiers
Tactics - plans an army uses to defeat their enemies are called tactics
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the people of Britain formed a united kingdom at this time.
Remind pupils that 1st century CE Britain was made up of various Celtic people, kingdoms and tribes.
Teacher tip
When discussing Ancient Roman legionaries, compare them to other soldiers and warriors pupils have learnt about in previous units.
Content guidance
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.When did Rome become an empire?
Q2.How many times did Caesar try to invade Britain?
Q3.What does inequality mean?
Q4.Who became the first ruler of the Roman Empire?
Q5.What role did the Senate play in the Roman Empire?
Q6.Roman emperors had strengthened their position through .
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Why did Claudius want to invade Britain?
Q2.Roman emperors held a when they returned to Rome after they had won a war.
Q3.Which of these best describes the Celtic tribes of Britain?
Q4.A Roman legionary carried which three of these things?
Q5.Roman legionaries used a tactic called the...
Q6.To protect themselves, Roman legionaries built __________.
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Roman invasion of Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 4 history lesson on: The Roman invasion of 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.