Julius Caesar and the invasions of Britain. Why did he come? Exploring human motivation.
When Julius Caesar invaded in successive years 55BCE and 54BCE what was on his mind?
We can suppose that his thoughts might have been about trade, grain supply, or a range of other possibilities and that his underlying feelings may have included ambition or career advancement.
What matters in terms of pupils’ thinking is not the number of reasons they can come up with but their thought processes in arriving at their answers.
Instead of learning that there were 4 reasons and then regurgitating them, they need to be encouraged to speculate, BUT their thinking must be based on:
a. What is known of the period
b. The evidence supporting each idea
c. Whether the idea is possible
d. Whether the idea is likely.