REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMANS BY TONY BRADMAN Synopsis Marcus is a Roman boy, who travels to join his father in the new province of Britannia. On the way, a Celtic raiding party ambushes Marcus and his escort of soldiers. The soldiers are killed but Marcus is taken hostage. Caradoc, the leader of the Celts, sends a message to the Roman governor offering an exchange. Caradoc will free Marcus if the governor will free some Celts he is holding prisoner. The reply comes from the Romans that there will be no exchange, along with a letter from Marcus’s father, who suggests Marcus kill himself like a true Roman. A few days later at the council of chiefs, Marcus asks to be allowed to stay as a member of the tribe. Eventually, he is adopted into the family of a warrior called Dragorix and his wife Alwen. He joins the war band as the Celts band together to fi ght against the Romans. The revolt does not go well. The tribes are beaten and Dragorix convinces Caradoc to fl ee, protected by his war band (including Marcus and his adopted brother Gwyn), while Dragorix rallies enough men to hold the Romans off. Caradoc and his men travel north to the hall of Queen Cartimandua. They try to convince her to join them in the struggle against Rome but she has betrayed them. They are captured by her warriors and handed over to the Romans. They are taken to a Roman fort where Marcus sees his father again, who offers to try to get him freed. Marcus refuses, saying he’d rather die than be a Roman again. Marcus, Caradoc and the others are sent to Rome to be paraded before the emperor. Caradoc makes a dignifi ed speech and the emperor spares their lives on condition that they swear never to revolt against Rome again. They are given a house to live in near the palace. Caradoc stays there, keeping his promise to the emperor, but Marcus and Gwyn escape, returning to Britannia to fi nd Alwen and the remaining members of the tribe. About the Author Tony Bradman is an award-winning author who has been involved in children’s books for 35 years. He has written for all ages - poetry, picture books, young fi ction, novels - and for many reading schemes. Tony has edited many anthologies of poetry and short stories, has been a judge on several major book prizes, and is a regular reviewer of children’s and young adult fi ction for The Guardian books pages. Tony has three children, three grandchildren, and lives in London with his wife and Betty the Border Terrier - which makes him the third most important person in the house. @blomsuryEd REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMANS BY TONY BRADMAN Hook for the Book – To create curiosity before engaging with the book Give the pupils a picture of a hill fort and a Roman villa. Sort a selection of evidence (statements and pictures of artefacts) on to the correct picture. Anything connected to the Britons to be placed on the hill fort and any evidence connected to the Romans on the villa. Pre-Reading Activities Plot key Roman events on a timeline so the pupils have an initial understanding of who they were, what they did, how they expanded the Roman Empire and when in history the Romans lived. Give pupils the opportunity to share their existing knowledge about the ancient Romans. Ensure the pupils understand the meaning of the title Revolt Against the Romans. Get the pupils to predict what they think might happen from the title and front cover illustration. Exploring the Book - Ongoing activities Pupils could keep a reading log/journal to keep notes of their thoughts, feelings, ideas and viewpoints as they progress through the book (all ideas support the 2014 National Curriculum for reading). • Ask questions and fi nd the answers through reading and research. • Make regular predictions about what might happen next from details stated and implied. • EXPLORING LANGUAGE - explore the meaning of words used by the author – clarifying unfamiliar words and extending personal vocabulary. Create word banks and use new words within own writing. - record examples of word choices to show the story is set in a different time. - record examples of the author’s use of imagery. • PUNCTUATION - explore the author’s use of inverted commas when the characters are speaking. - explore the use of commas within sentences. • VISUALISATIONS - provide illustrations at key moments of the book using the author’s descriptions and historical resources to ensure an accurate picture of the past is shown through the drawings. • CHARACTERS - track character feelings, thoughts and motives from their actions using the drama technique ‘Freeze Frame’*. - discuss how the author shows feelings through descriptions and the actions of the characters. *Freeze Frame – in small groups pupils improvise a given scene. Action is then frozen. Select one group to show their scene. Visit each character and ask them to describe their thoughts and feelings at this particular point in the story. Why are they feeling this way? What are they going to do next? @blomsuryEd REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMANS BY TONY BRADMAN Exploring the Book - Reading For Discussion Chapter 1 – A True Roman 1. How does the author show the feelings of Marcus at the beginning of chapter 1? 2. How does the author gain the attention of the reader during the fi rst chapter? 3. Visualisation – become the illustrator and create a picture of the setting and characters from this chapter. Take note of the author’s descriptive language to help. Annotate drawings with adjectives to help describe your fi rst impressions of the characters. 4. Why does Marcus blush and square his shoulders? (p.3) 5. Explain the author’s meaning: ‘… he could barely remember anything...’ (p.3) ‘His father set great store by appearances – his own tunic was smooth and perfectly white, even though he had ridden from Rome through the heat and dust of a summer’s day.’ (p.3) ‘Marcus felt a twinge of guilt.’ (p.5) ‘… learning other tongues seemed a natural thing to do.’ (p.6) 6. What are your fi rst impressions of Marcus? Do you think he has a good relationship with his father? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. 7. What does Marcus like to do? What was life like in ancient Rome for children? Use a number of resources to research information and present fi ndings to the reading group/class. 8. Why are the Romans going to Britannia? 9. When is Gaius going to Britannia? When will Marcus go? Why? 10. Why could Marcus not sleep? How do you think he might be feeling at this point in the story? If you were Marcus, how would you feel about leaving your home to venture north to an unknown country? 11. Why do you think the chapter is called ‘A True Roman’? Discuss the meaning of the language used by the author Chapter 1: fl uttering, villa, papyrus, offi cial, noble, resemblance, battering ram, signet ring, slouching, tunic, presentable, legions, Britannia, newest province Chapter 2 – The Savage Britons 1. How was Marcus planning to travel to Britannia? 2. Sketch what you think a Roman ship would look like from the description given on page 12. Research Roman ships using different resources and add extra detail to your drawing. 3. What is the difference between an auxiliaries and legions? 4. Explain the author’s meaning: ‘All credit to your father.’ (p.13) ‘They speak similar tongues...’ (p.14) ‘It felt good to have solid ground beneath his feet again.’ (p.16) ‘Beyond it the track was swallowed up in a forest.’ (p.18) ‘Then it seemed to Marcus that the shadows in the forest came to life and charged towards them...’ (p.18) @blomsuryEd REVOLT AGAINST THE ROMANS BY TONY BRADMAN 5. Who could use an imperial way-station? 6. Summarise what Sabinus and the centurion tell Marcus about the Britons. 7. Where in the world is Gaul? Does Gaul exist today? 8. How long did it take to travel from Gaul to Britannia? They describe the voyage as short and rough. What do you think it would have been like to travel over the sea at this time? Use your senses in your description. 9. Why did the sailors pray to Neptune, god of the sea? 10. Why do you think the Britons are scared of the Romans? What is Marcus’s fi rst impression of the Britons? 11. How does the author’s description make you feel? ‘The sun was hidden by a mass of grey clouds and the shadows were thick between the trees. An owl hooted and another replied, their calls echoing eerily in the still air. Sabinus frowned. He reined in his horse and raised his hand to halt the column.’ (p.18) Predict what might happen next. 12. How do you think Marcus is feeling when they are attacked by the ‘savage Britons’? What would you do in this situation? What do you think Marcus will do? Discuss the meaning of the language used by the author Chapter 2: trireme, prow, stern-post, Ostia, colossal, warehouses, empire, auxiliary cavalrymen, citizens, imperial way-station, hostel, captive, druids, murmured, transferred, voyage, heaving waves, appeased, commander, inland, fascinated, prosperous, sullen, roundhouses, tunic, forded, spear, hurtled, thudded, warriors, savage Chapter 3 – Into the Darkness 1. Read page 21 and discuss how Marcus might be feeling. Plot the feelings of Marcus during the rest of the chapter on an emotion graph. Think of adjectives and synonyms to describe his emotions.