The
Romans
Teacher Resource Pack
KS2 History
The Romans
An Introduction
Explore the lives of the Romans at Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery. Your
pupils will get the opportunity to handle Roman archaeology, dress as
Romans and discover the importance of Roman numerals.
Please note that ONLY ONE of these activities will be led by a Museum
team member. You will need to have members of your own staff
prepared to lead the other sessions.
All essential information is provided in your Romans pack. This includes:
Introduction sheet
Outline of activities
Teachers Notes where applicable
The following worksheets:
Roman Menu
Go Shopping Roman Style
Roman Wordsearch & Answers
What Should I Wear?
The Sacramentum
Mosaic Portrait
PREPARING YOUR PUPILS
It would be useful if your pupils had some knowledge of the Romans
Please ensure that your pupils have photocopies of all relevant worksheets as
these cannot be supplied on the day of your visit
Please ensure that all pupils have appropriate writing materials.
PREPARING ADULT HELPERS
Please ensure all adult helpers have copies of worksheets and are aware of
who is leading each session.
SESSION DETAILS
The maximum group size the Museum can accommodate is 45
After an introduction the group will be split into 3 and move around the
Museum in those groups to the activity bases.
There must be AT LEAST 1 adult to assist every 15 pupils.
SUPPORT MATERIAL
Support material will be placed at each activity base. Please use it to get the
most out of your activity.
Romans lasts for 2 hours and can be booked for a morning or an afternoon
session
Morning session: 10am-12pm Afternoon session: 12.30pm-2.30pm
Outline of Activities
Each Activity Base lasts approx 35 mins
Children to be split into 3 groups by teachers and
move around Bases in rotation
5 Minute Welcome & Introduction
Handling Session Base 1 (Museum led)
Part 1 Explore and handle Roman Archaeology
Part 2 Find out about Roman food
Part 3 Complete a Roman Menu
Dressing Up Base 2 (Teacher led)
Part 1 Dress as a Roman
Part 2 What Should I Wear? Quiz
Part 3 Learn the Sacramentum (Read out as a group)
Part 4 Mosaic Portrait
(Work in pairs)
Roman Quizzes Base 3 (Teacher led)
Part 1 Go Shopping Roman Style
Part 2 Roman Wordsearch
Part 3 Design a Roman Coin
Design your own Roman Menu
Decide if you are going to be a rich or poor
citizen and create your own menu just for
today! Remember to include the foods you
have been told about
For Jentaculum (Breakfast) I would like
For Prandium (Lunch) I would like
For Cena (Dinner) I would like
Teachers Notes – Roman Clothing
Only male Roman citizens wore togas. These
were very large semi-circular pieces of material
which were swept around the body and were not
sewn or pinned. They were made of wool, and
were very expensive because of the large amount
of material needed to make them. For public
events the law said that all citizens had to wear
togas.
Boys wore tunics and hooded capes fastened by a bronze brooch
on each shoulder.
Sandals were worn and hob-nailed boots (shoes which looked a bit
like football boots).
White togas could be worn by all men.
Cream coloured togas with a purple border could be worn by rich
boys and magistrates.
Dark coloured togas were worn after a death.
Purple togas with gold embroidery were worn by generals and
emperors
The Romans often washed their clothes using urine or sulphur!
• Ask your pupils to try on the Roman tunics over their own
clothes.
• Ask them how they feel wearing these clothes
• Ask your pupils how the Roman clothes are different from
their own
• Are the clothes suited to a warm or cool climate?
What should I wear?
Can you find the answers to these
questions in the Gallery?
What was the name given to the piece of clothing that a
Roman citizen could wear?
What colours were these available in?
What materials were Roman clothes made from?
What did the Romans use to wash their clothes?
The Sacramentum
The Roman Oath of Loyalty sworn by
Roman soldiers
Place your right hand on your left shoulder and
read out loud as a group. (Try it at least 3
times!)
I swear by Jupiter Optimus Maximus
and by any other God I may hold in my
heart holy, and by the majesty of the
Imperator and by the Senate of Rome,
which next to our Gods should be loved
and worshipped by the human race.
I swear to perform with enthusiasm
whatever the Imperator and my Legion
Commander should command following
all laws set forth by the Senate of Rome,
never to desert and not to shrink from
death on behalf of the Roman State
Print Name……………………………..
How do you look in a Mosaic?
With a partner take it in turns to draw each others portrait in
the mosaic squares.
Wealthy Romans decorated their floors with pictures made up
of hundreds of ceramic squares.
These were called Mosaics. They often showed pictures of
Roman Emperors or Roman Gods.
Make sure you colour it in back at school!
Roman Word Search
B
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Let’s see how fast you can find the following 16
hidden words.
Boudicca
Basilica Mortaria Toga
Amphora
Dormice Fibula
Nero
Samian Mosaic
Caesar
Olives
Stylus
Liquamen
Hadrian Sandals
Roman Word Search
Answers
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Rules for Roman Numbers
Teachers Notes
You may wish to discuss the following with
your pupils before undertaking the activity
I The easiest way to note a number is to make
a mark, I = 1 II=2 etc. HOWEVER big numbers
require many marks so the Romans improved
things by making certain letters indicate
different values
Look at the sheet for different number values
The golden rule to understanding Roman
numerals is this: If a smaller number is
placed in front of a larger number e.g. IV=4
then this indicates a SUBTRACTION
To add Roman numbers smaller or equal
numbers follow the highest number, e.g VI
=6 VII=7 etc.
X=10. How do we get 9? Try IX
L=50. How do we get 40? Try XL (10
subtracted from 50)
Ask the children if they can create the year of
their birth in Roman numerals.
Go Shopping
Roman style
You are Servus the slave and have to do the shopping for
your family. Can you fill in how much was spent doing the
shopping, using Roman numbers?
Here are the Roman Numbers:
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
X
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
XI
XII
XIII
XIV
XV
XVI
XVII
XVIII
XIX
XX
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Here is what Servus must buy and how much they cost in
Roman money called Denarii
Bracelet costs V
Brooch costs IX
Samian Bowl costs XI
Mortaria costs XV Sandals cost XIII Toga costs XVI
How much does a Bracelet and a Toga cost?
------------------------------------ Denarii
How much does a Mortaria and a pair of sandals cost?
---------------------------------- Denarii
How much does a Bowl and a Toga cost?
------------------------------------ Denarii
Design a Roman Coin
During Roman times coins were used by each Emperor to
show the people they ruled across the world what they
looked like. They also used them to tell people about their
great victories
Pretend you are an Emperor. What will you put on your
coin?
The Aureus was the most
valuable coin and made of
gold
The Denarius was silver. 25
Denarii made an Aureus
The Sestertius was bronze.
4 Sesterii made a Denarius
The Dupondius was small
and made of bronze. 4
Dupondii made a Sestertius