Roman Wonders Session 1: Invasion Handling Objects Preserved Sole from the Boots of a Roman Solider Aim

Key Stage 2 Roman Wonders Session 1: Invasion Handling objects Preserved sole from the boots of a Roman solider Aim The aim of this session is to explore the evidence in the Wonders of the Peak gallery to discover the impact of the Roman invasion on the local population. Children will do this exploring the museum’s collection of objects from this time and considering the dilemma’s faced by the British leaders. They will explore the similarities and differences in artefacts, particularly jewellery to see if the Romans and British adopted pieces of each other’s culture. They will then design a piece of jewellery for a Roman or British leader. Resources Roman artefacts in the timeline, time wall and place gallery (Caves, Hills, and Pastures) www.wondersofthepeak.org.uk Curriculum links Develop a chronologically secure knowledge and understanding of British, local and world history, establishing clear narratives within and across the periods they study. They should note connections, contrasts and trends overtime and develop the appropriate use of historical terms. A local study and a depth study linked to the Roman occupation of Britain Changes in Britain from the Iron Age through the Roman occupation A study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality. Key Stage 2 Understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses Understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed Gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short- and long-term timescales. These sessions will support English and literacy at Key Stages 2 and 3, supporting pupils to: Listen and respond appropriately to adults and their peers Ask relevant questions to extend their understanding and knowledge Use relevant strategies to build their vocabulary Articulate and justify answers, arguments and opinions Give well-structured descriptions, explanations and narratives for different purposes, including for expressing feelings Maintain attention and participate actively in collaborative conversations, staying on topic and initiating and responding to comments Use spoken language to develop understanding through speculating, hypothesising, imagining and exploring ideas Speak audibly and fluently with an increasing command of Standard English Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations and debates Gain, maintain and monitor the interest of the listener(s) Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, attending to and building on the contributions of others Select and use appropriate registers for effective communication. Key Stage 2 Resources Handling collections Question/prompt sheet Writing frameworks. Key Stage 2 KS2 Session 1: Invasion, friends or enemies? The aim of this session is to explore the evidence of the impact of the Roman invasion on the local population. Pupils will do this through handling objects found in the local area. Curriculum Links Activities Plenary Follow Up Activities Best for: KS2 Introduction: The gallery Handling objects Deductions: Create a label Learning opportunities for: Recap what pupils know about Explain that the gallery is built Discuss handling objects What can the children Choose an object from the the Roman invasion and around time and place. safely. Rotate the deduce from the British handling collection. A local study and a depth occupation of Britain. objects around groups of and Roman objects? Take a photograph. study linked to the Roman Invite pupils to explore the pupils. occupation of Britain Ask: How do we know that the timeline and then decide Where the objects were Make a model or drawing of where they will find Roman found (or similar Romans were in this area? When they have looked the object. Changes in Britain from the objects and where they will objects)? at the objects ask for Iron Age through the Roman find prehistoric/ British Find out more about the How do we know about the What do these objects occupation objects. The answer is they feedback. object. British who were already tell us? Jewellery, are largely together in the A study over time tracing settled here? Are they able to spot any everyday pottery, better The museum displays provide middle section and in Hills, how several aspects of differences between the pottery, glass, weapons further information on Roman Explain: Today the children are Caves and Pastures cases. national history are British objects and the etc. Life, and objects in the going to explore the evidence reflected in the locality. Roman objects handling collection. of Iron Age/British and Roman How did change happen? All of a sudden Can the children look at the settlement in the area through What does this tell displays and find out about or gradual adoption? the museum’s collection. them? objects that are similar to the one they have chosen. Can the children put the objects in order of age? Write a label for the object to go in the museum (10 words). Write an entry for the web app (100 words) Key Stage 2 Supporting notes for teachers Brief background to the Roman invasion Julius Caesar led the first invasions of Britain in 54 and 55 BCE. The invasion helped the Romans to understand more about Britain but did not lead to occupation at this time. At this time, Rome was a republic, but there was a lot of civil unrest. After Julius Caesar’s death, his adopted son, Octavian, took control. Romans did not like the idea of all of the power being with one ruler, (previously Rome was ruled by two Consuls who had to agree on all decisions) but Octavian was a clever politician and introduced the idea of a Third Republic with himself as ‘first citizen’. He became the first Emperor of Rome, calling himself Augustus. His wife, Livia, was a powerful first lady often advising Augustus on matters of state. Roman Invasion 43 CE The Romans successfully invaded Britain in 43 CE under Emperor Claudius. Aulus Plautius led the invasion. The Romans arrived with four highly experienced and battled-hardened legions (a legion is 4,000 soldiers) fresh from fighting on the Rhine and Danube fronts. They had an entourage of a further 40,000 people. They would have crossed the channel in between 800 and 900 ships. At the time of the invasion, Britain was made up of tribes or familial groups dominating different areas. The main tribes around the Derbyshire and East Midlands area were: The Brigantes The Cornovii The Cornitani (or Corieltavi). Each tribe had a leader or chieftain, a king or a queen, but there was no overall leader of all the country’s tribes. The invaders quickly defeated the tribes in the south and made their way north. Cartimandua was queen of the Brigantes who controlled most of the North of England. She quickly realised that the Romans were too powerful and was one of eleven rulers who surrendered without a fight. Unlike her more famous counterpart, Boudicca, in the east, Cartimandua decided to work with, rather than against, the Romans. Her consort, or husband, Venutius did not agree with her approach and Key Stage 2 fought both Cartimandua and the Romans. Cartimandua proved her loyalty to Rome when she handed over Caracatus, a famous British chieftain, to the Romans in 51 CE. Although the Romans rewarded this act by giving her support, her actions were less popular with local people. There were significant differences between British and Roman culture. The Romans had a very hierarchical system with definite classes: Patricians; the wealthy ruling class. Patricians were the wealthy citizens of Rome, living in grand houses or villas. As citizens they had the right to vote in the Assembly. They kept slaves. Plebians; the general public and slaves. Although Plebians were also citizens of Rome with the right to vote in the Assembly they were not wealthy. They were typically crafts or tradesmen. Slaves had no rights at all. They had no money and were not citizens of Rome so were not allowed to vote in the Assembly. The Romans had a culture of writing, so written records of the occupation of Britain are from a Roman perspective. The British on the other hand were family groups, led by chieftains. They too had a very rich culture but there is no evidence of British writing. They had an oral tradition which meant that stories and religious teachings were passed on by word of mouth. The Romans admired this in the British. Women were important British leaders. The chieftains who acknowledged the governance of Rome became important political leaders for the Romans. The Romans brought soldiers from all over their Empire to Britain. Soldiers from Germany and Portugal definitely came to the Peak District. Syrian soldiers were sent to Hadrian’s Wall because of their building skills. This all suggests a very cosmopolitan society. Key Stage 2 How do we know? The objects in the museum from the first century suggest that there were lots of similarities between the Romans and the British. The jewellery shows both Roman and British influences. The Romans imposed some of their way of life on the British but they also absorbed some of the British customs. In the gallery, the Roman and British objects are at the end of the first section of the time line. There are examples of Roman food, clothing and pottery.

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