Themes: Roman towns and buildings, Roman and Celtic artefacts
Curriculum links: History (the effects of Roman settlement); art; DT; geography (types of towns and settlements); maths (making 3D shapes)
Main activities:
1. Learn about Roman towns, Celtic villages, and types of Roman building by looking at pictures
2. Make a Roman town
3. Look at Roman and Celtic artefact replicas
4. Make Roman and Celtic artefacts
Two free A3 posters with each workshop, showing a mosaic and a Roman town.
Teachers' comments: "thoroughly enjoyable with great outcomes" (click for more reviews)
Photos from workshops:
Note: The activities are challenging, and some of the artefacts will be too difficult for a year 3.
Price: £179 for a whole day
To book see contact details below.
Background: The Romans in Britain
In 55BC Julius Caesar led his troops across the English channel in a first attack on the Britons. Despite several victories he abandoned a full scale invasion. It was not until almost 100 years later, in AD43, that Roman legionaries under orders from Emperor Claudius returned. This time they stayed, for almost 400 years, conquering almost the whole island, finally building a barrier, Hadrian's Wall, between the Romanised, 'civilised' world, and the realm of the barbarians in Scotland.
Over the next few centuries Roman rule was to have a profound impact on the lives of the Britons. The first true towns were built, on a pattern repeated throughout the Roman world, with well-constructed stone roads and walls, houses and villas, temples, amphitheatres, shops, forums, and baths. The Celts had never experienced anything like Roman city life.
As well as these new urban creations the Romans brought with them a wide variety of arts and crafts, which over time were adopted by the Celts; however, the influence was in both directions, for as elsewhere in the empire the Romans were open to new ideas and new styles, and a mingling of Roman and Celtic arts occurred.
Contact:
Tony North
0161 438 6634/07754 406422
Workshop Activities
In line with the new creative curriculum this workshop will involve highly developed arts and craft activities. Children will be challenged to create a Roman town and Roman and Celtic artefacts using excellent materials and methods. They will learn about the lives of the Romans and Celts through enjoyable and educational activities, and will produce artwork you can display in your classroom.
Lesson Plan: Morning
1. Roman Towns (40 mins)
Look at pictures of reconstructed Celtic villages and houses. These will be compared to Roman towns and buildings.
Look at photos of real Roman buildings. Imagine a day in the life of a Roman man or lady, visiting a villa, shop/forum, theatre, amphitheatre, baths, temple, and city walls and gates.
Discuss what a citizen might have done in these locations, and how life might have been different for someone living in a Roman town versus a Celtic village.
Game: look at photos of buildings from across the Roman empire and guess what sort of building it is.
Click here to see a similar game
2. Make a Roman Town (90+ mins)
Children will make a model of a Roman town, by cutting out card 'nets' and folding and sticking them together. Different groups of children will make the sorts of buildings discussed earlier. Two town planners will paint a street grid on a piece of hardboard (approx 60X90cm), and decide where each building will go, thinking about ideal locations.
Lesson Plan: Afternoon
1. Look at Roman and Celtic Artefacts (30 mins)
Children will see twelve artefacts, and discuss what they are (function/use), who might have used them, what they are made of, and their artistic style. We shall make a comparison of the styles of the Romans and Celts. I will also show some photos of real artefacts on the whiteboard.
Click here to see all the artefacts
2. Make Roman and Celtic Artefacts (80mins)
Children will make a wide variety of artefacts, most working in pairs but some on their own (the mosaic requires 3 children and a TA to help).
The materials are very high quality and the methods have been worked out over a long period to allow children to produce superb artefacts. I am sure you will be impressed.
Click here to see photos of the artefacts children will make
Click to see a list of the artefacts by difficulty level (this is the sheet for assigning children to their artefacts)
3. Game (15 mins)
If there is time, we will divide the children into two teams and play a game about Roman and Celtic art. Children will see photos of artefacts and try to work out whether the artefact is Roman or Celtic, and consider questions such as who might have used it, and what it is made of.