LIFE IN A ROMAN VILLA: Education Pack for Primary Schools
In October 1992, the Crofton Roman Villa, Orpington, following rescue excavations in 1988-9 and a preservation scheme in 1990-92, all undertaken by the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit, in partnership with the London Borough of Bromley, was opened to the public. Since then the remains of this Roman Villa, within a modem cover building, has been visited by over 30,000 visitors during its annual opening seasons of April to October. Thousands of these visitors have been children on organised school visits as part of their history studies, drawn from Kent, Surrey, S.E. and central London schools. Indeed the 30,000th visitor was 8 year old George Howe on an educational visit with his class from Keston Primary School! The educational facilities at Crofton Roman Villa have expanded over the years with guided talks on the villa-house, handling finds, activities such as mosaic making and special schools events with a Roman centurion and a Roman lady. As part of this educational programme at the Villa, in October 1999 an Education Pack was produced for primary schools.
The Pack has been designed to integrate a site visit and history lessons in school with the National Literacy Strategy and to help teachers fit Roman and Local History Studies into a busy school timetable. It is aimed at Years 3 and 4 but it can also be used for Years 2, 5 and 6 and although centred on Crofton Roman Villa can certainly be used without a site visit.
The Pack consists of two files in three sections: information sheets, work sheets and resource material. The 20 A4 Information Sheets are for classroom use describing life in a Roman villa, including a time-line, map of Roman West Kent and line drawings (many drawn by local student, Sarah Dryland whilst on work experience with the Unit). Topics covered include who lived at the villa, the villa-house, the farm, food, clothes, games and travelling.
Over 100 A4 worksheets are for use on site and in the classroom and cover life in the villa based on elements in the National Literacy Strategy, such as labelling; note taking; design for publication; meaning of words; story, letter and diary writing; newspaper reporting and direct speech. The extensive resource material includes quotations from Roman sources; newspaper cuttings of the excavation and preservation scheme; photographs of the excavations and artefacts; post-Roman material and tabulated suggestions of use of the Pack and the National Literacy Strategy for Years 3 to 6.
Life in a Roman Villa: Education Pack:
Price £28.00
By post from: K.A.R. U, 5 Harvest Bank Road,
West Wickham, Kent, BR4 9DL Please add £6.30 for post and packing (payable K.A.R.U.) or directly from (during normal opening hours) for just £28.00
Crofton Roman Villa, Orpington (020 8462 4737)
Bromley Museum,The Priory, Church Hill, Orpington (01689 873826)
