KS2 History: Ancient Romans Teaching Resource

Mr Dilly’s KS2 ANCIENT ROMANS free history teaching resource

Discover the world of slaves and gladiators, see the battlefields of legionaries and Gauls, and meet the mighty General Julius Caesar. All this alongside a glimpse of daily life in the City of Ancient Rome! Mr Dilly’s Keystage 2 Ancient Romans educational video resource presents a range of historical detail, events and characters from Ancient Roman times and can be used in teaching to introduce the topic of Ancient Rome to children, reinforce their learning and celebrate topic work. Run time: 20 mins.

KS2 Romans - Discover more about:

Julius Caesar – in 44BC an overview of who he was; how he became Dictator for Life; his fights against the Gauls; problems with the Senate; and his death

A Roman Legionarie – fighting against the Gauls in 52BC in France led by General Caesar; the siege at the Battle of Alesia

A Roman Slave – at a slave market 79AD, life as a slave and their use in the Roman Empire

A Roman noble - the life of a rich Roman as he as spends a day in the city of Rome in 110AD; Roman baths, shopping and entertainment; Roman food and living

A Gladiator - the day at a Gladiator Training School in 80AD; a Gladiator’s life and conditions; fighting in the Colosseum

The narrative throughout adds further detail including the birth of Rome and the myth of Romulus and Remus; the Roman army – how it was organised, from Legate to Centurions, the reasons for their success, their weapons and equipment; how the empire was built on slaves and their life and numbers; the Roman Baths and why they were important to Ancient Roman society; the housing of the rich and the poor in the city of Rome; gladiators from their origins to the different types; Roman Emperors from Augustus to Nero; the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus – what were they and their role in Roman life and finally the Pax Romana and the fall of Rome in 476 AD.

How to use Mr Dilly’s KS2 Ancient Romans Video:

Mr Dilly’s KS2 Ancient Romans video resource would work well as part of a whole year group or class topic introduction and for general lesson enrichment, or as an end-of-topic celebration. We suggest you watch the video before sharing it with children so you can see what content links you could make with lesson plans. Once you have viewed the video, we would suggest children watch it through initially for enjoyment and enrichment and then following this, watch it again and this time complete Mr Dilly’s Ancient Romans Quiz to reinforce their knowledge.

You might like to introduce a fun, competitive element and invite children to work in pairs to answer the quiz questions, with prizes for the winners. The video could then be used to support ongoing topic work, using sections as required as a reminder or to focus on particular aspects of Ancient Roman History. Children can then build on knowledge gained with further research.

KS2 Romans - Video Chapters:

(video chapter links will play on YouTube)
0:34 Who was Julius Caesar? Meet Julius Caesar!
1:22 How and when did the Roman Empire begin?
2:11 What was The Battle of Alesia? Meet a Roman Legionarie
3:09 How was the Roman Army structured?
4:10 Tell me about slavery in the Roman Empire?
4:59 What was a slave market like in ancient Rome?
6:26 How did the Romans defeat the Gauls? Return to The Battle of Alesia
7:23 What weapons and training did a Roman Legionarie have?
8:37 What was the city of Rome like? Meet a Roman noble
10:00 How did rich and poor Romans live?
10:30 Back with Julius Caesar, why was he so popular?
11:12 What was life like at a Gladiator School?
12:50 What different types of gladiator were there?
13:51 Did men own their wives in Ancient Rome?
14:13 How did Julius Caesar die? Back with Julius Caesar live (or dead?)
15:28 Who was Emperor Augustus?
15:59 Who are the worst Roman Emperors?
17:01 What was the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum?
18:05 What was it like fighting inside the Colosseum?
19:58 Why did the Roman Empire fall?