KS2 History: the Romans Invade Britain

1 KS2 History: The Romans Invade Britain

Timeline Julius Caesar’s first invasion R O M A N S I N B R I T A I N

100 BC AD 1 AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD 400 AD 500 Today

Rome is a city in Italy. Towards the end of the Iron Age, life in Britain was very different to life in Rome — Rome was more developed than Britain.

What do you know about Rome and the Romans?

A tale of two different lands At that time, Rome was ruled by a dictator. It had a government, which collected taxes, and a very organised army, which had conquered many different countries. There were lots of grand buildings in Rome where people could gather, including temples and public baths. The people in Britain were called Celts. They lived together in groups called tribes, that were ruled by a chief. They lived in settlements such as hillforts, which may have looked like this. They didn’t have a government, an army or pay taxes. The only buildings they had where people could gather together were places like Stonehenge, Would you have preferred to live in where people did things like have feasts. Rome or in Britain at this time? Why?

Look at the picture of Stonehenge on the right. How is it different from the buildings in Rome that you can see in the picture below?

What problems do you think an army general from Rome might have had when invading Britain?

A stormy invasion... When Caesar came to Britain, he wasn’t prepared for the British weather. He was born near the Mediterranean Sea, which is mostly calm and only has a small change in tides. When he arrived in the English Channel the storms and high tides battered his ships.

Another problem was that Caesar’s ships were big and heavy. They had to anchor in deep water away from the shoreline.

What is the Roman soldier doing in this picture? How do you think he felt?

Caesar’s soldiers had to jump into the cold How well do you think they were able water and wade to shore in full armour. to fight once they reached the shore? Success for Caesar?

Do you think Caesar managed to conquer Britain in 55 BC?

Caesar won some battles and took some hostages. But when autumn brought the stormy weather again, Caesar took his soldiers back to Gaul (an area where countries like France, Belgium and the Netherlands are today). He planned to return the next year to conquer Britain.

Was Britain too different to Rome? Caesar didn’t succeed in taking over Britain on his first invasion. At that time Britain was very different to Rome, but the things that caught Caesar out the most were the tides and the weather. Caesar hadn’t given up though and still planned to return the next year.

Taken from CGP’s KS2 Discover & Learn History: Romans in Britain — The Study Book (HRR21). See the full KS2 Discover & Learn range at cgpbooks.co.uk. © CGP 2020 3

KS2 History: The Romans Invade Britain

Towards the end of the Iron Age, Rome was very different to Britain. Read the pages of the Study Book to remind you what life was like in Rome and in Britain at this time.

1. What would it be like living in Rome and Britain towards the end of the Iron Age? Complete the table below to show what life was like in each place.

Rome Britain

Who would you be ruled by?

Would you have to pay taxes?

Would you have an army to defend you?

2. Write down two other differences that there were between Rome and Britain at this time.

1) ...... 2) ......

Taken from CGP’s KS2 Discover & Learn History: Romans in Britain — The Activity Book (HRW22). © CGP 2020 See the full KS2 Discover & Learn range at cgpbooks.co.uk. 4 In 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his army travelled across the English Channel in ships. Have a look at the information in the Study Book.

3. Draw a picture of Caesar and his army arriving in Britain. Think about where they had to anchor their ships and how they got to shore.

4. Use the Study Book to find out if these sentences about Caesar’s first invasion of Britain are true or false. Tick the correct box for each statement.

True False Caesar was prepared for the tides and storms in the English Channel. Caesar’s ships were very big and heavy. Caesar succeeded in taking over Britain in 55 BC. Caesar didn’t win any battles. Caesar planned to return to Britain the next year.

“I understand how Britain and Rome were different and I know about Caesar’s first invasion of Britain.”

Study Book National Curriculum Aims

2 3 The Romans Invade Britain In 55 BC, an army general from Rome called Julius Caesar invaded Britain.

Timeline What problems do you think an army general from Julius Caesar’s first invasion R O M A N S I N B R I T A I N Rome might have had when invading Britain? • Understand similarity and difference and 100 BC AD 1 AD 100 AD 200 AD 300 AD 400 AD 500 Today

Rome is a city in Italy. Towards the end of the Iron Age, life in Britain was very different A stormy invasion... to life in Rome — Rome was more developed than Britain. When Caesar came to Britain, he wasn’t prepared for the British weather. He was born use them to draw contrasts. What do you know about Rome and the Romans? near the Mediterranean Sea, which is mostly calm and only has a small change in tides. A tale of two different lands When he arrived in the English Channel the At that time, Rome was ruled by a dictator. It had a government, storms and high tides battered his ships. which collected taxes, and a very organised army, which had 2 3 Another problem was that Caesar’s ships conquered many different countries. There were lots of In 55 BC, Julius Caesar and his army travelled across the English Channel in ships. were big and heavy. They had to anchor grand buildings in Rome where people could gather, Have a look at page 3 of your Study Book. The Romansin deepInvade water away from Britain the shoreline. including temples and public baths. • Know the history of Britain as a 3. Draw a picture of Caesar and his army arriving in Britain. Towards the end of the Iron Age, Rome was very different to Britain. Read page 2 of The people in Britain were called Celts. They lived together Think about where they had to anchor their ships and how they got to shore. your Study Book to remind you what lifeWhat was is likethe Romanin Rome soldier and doingin Britain in this at picture? this time. in groups called tribes, that were ruled by a chief. They lived How do you think he felt? in settlements such as hillforts, which may have looked like this. 1. What would it be like living in Rome and Britain towards the end of the Iron Age? They didn’t have a government, an army or pay taxes. Complete the table below to show whatCaesar’s life wassoldiers like inhad each to jumpplace .into the cold The only buildings they had where people could How well do you think they were able chronological narrative. water and wade to shore in full armour. to fight once they reached the shore? gather together were places like Stonehenge, Would you have preferred to live in where people did things like have feasts. Rome or in Britain at this time? Why? RomeSuccess for Caesar?Britain Look at the picture of Stonehenge on the right. How is it different from the buildings in Rome Do you think Caesar managed to conquer Britain in 55 BC? that you can see in the picture below? Who would you be ruled by? Caesar won some battles and took some hostages. But when autumn brought the stormy weather again, Caesar took his • Know and understand significant aspects of soldiers back to Gaul (an area where countries like France, Would you have Belgium and the Netherlands are today). He planned to return to pay taxes? the next year to conquer Britain. Was Britain too different to Rome? the history of the wider world, for example, Would you have Caesar didn’t succeed in taking over Britain on his first invasion. At that 4.time Use Britain page was 3 of the Study Book to find out if these sentences about Caesar’s an army to very different to Rome, but the things that caught Caesar out the most werefirst invasionthe tides of and Britain are true or false. Tick the correct box for each statement. defend you? the weather. Caesar hadn’t given up though and still planned to return the next year. True False Caesar was prepared for the tides and storms in the English Channel. the expansion of empires. 2. Write down two other differences that there Caesar’s ships were very big and heavy. were between Rome and Britain at this time. Caesar succeeded in taking over Britain in 55 BC. 1) ...... Caesar didn’t win any battles...... Caesar planned to return to Britain the next year. 2) ......

...... “I understand how Britain and Rome were different and I know about Caesar’s first invasion of Britain.”

Activity Book Introduction Roman attempts to conquer Britain began in 55 BC with Julius Caesar’s unsuccessful invasion. This topic will help pupils to understand the differences between the Romans and the people of Britain at the time of Caesar’s invasion. Before pupils read the sample pages from the Study Book, it may be helpful to recap what they already know about the Romans and to show them a map of the Roman Empire in the first century BC. Once pupils have read the Study Book pages, discuss the reasons why Caesar’s first invasion was unsuccessful. Can pupils think of any ways to overcome the challenges he faced?

Answers to Activity Book Questions 1. Rome: I would be ruled by a dictator. Britain: I would be ruled by the chief of the tribe. Yes — I would pay taxes. No — I would not pay taxes. Yes — there’s an army to defend me. No — there’s no army to defend me. 2. E.g. There were lots of grand buildings in Rome — in Britain there weren’t any grand buildings. / Rome had a government — in Britain there wasn’t a government. 3. Pupils’ drawings should show Julius Caesar’s ships anchored off shore. Roman soldiers should be jumping off the ships into the sea and wading ashore. More detailed drawings may also show the rough sea and stormy weather. 4. False — True — False — False — True

Extra Activities • Explain to pupils that many of the buildings in the drawing of Rome on the first sample page from the Study Book are still standing. Split the class into groups and ask each group to research a surviving Roman building, e.g. the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Pantheon. Where is it? When was it built? What was it used for in Roman times? Pupils could produce a tourist pamphlet about their assigned building. • Explain that some Roman writers claimed Rome conquered countries to bring civilisation to them. Get pupils to compare the pictures of Britain and Rome on the first sample page of the Study Book. Why might the Romans have believed that they were more civilised than the Celts? • Ask pupils the following questions: “Who are we ruled by?” “Do we pay taxes?” “Do we have an army to defend us?” As a class, discuss the similarities and differences between Britain today, and Britain and Rome towards the end of the Iron Age. Is modern Britain more like Rome or Iron Age Britain? • Ask pupils to write a postcard from Julius Caesar to someone in Rome describing how the invasion of 55 BC went and what Britain was like. Encourage pupils to explore Caesar’s feelings about the invasion’s outcome.

Taken from CGP’s KS2 Discover & Learn: History - British History Teacher Book (HBT21). © CGP 2020 See the full KS2 Discover & Learn range atKS2 cgpbooks.co.uk. History: The Romans Invade Britain