This lesson offers considerable variety in terms of learning approaches. Pupils work in tug-of-war teams to represent the differently weighted factors that help to explain why the Romans were able to control such a vast empire. They then compare their interpretation with that of a made for schools TV clip and write a critique of the program.
Learning objectives
- Pupils are able to find supporting evidence to back up assertions made about the power of the army;
- they can begin to prioritise the reasons for Roman control;
- they can critique a TV film’s interpretation of the question.
Step 1
Introduce the idea of a physical tug of war. Ask for 8 volunteers. Each of the 8 people in the tug of war, (see PowerPoint slide 2) represents a reason why the Roman army was successful. Pupils see the reasons in broadly two categories. Reasons to do with the Roman
