Experiential Learning in Year 7 History: The World of Ancient Rome

This semester, our Year 7 historians have participated in a range of experiential learning activities to build their understanding of daily life in Ancient Rome. They have been teaching themselves Roman hairstyles and make-up, preparing Roman feasts for their families, and playing Roman games. A selection of their work is included in the photographs below, featuring: laurel wreaths by Natalia and Suanne, ‘liba’ (Roman cheesecakes) by Lillian and Amelia, and Roman hairstyles by Allegra and Alannah.

Here are some of the students’ reflections:

‘The thing that I found enjoyable was learning what products they used in Ancient Rome and all the different facts, since they didn’t use actual makeup.’
Sarah

‘Blindman’s buff is a traditional game that has been around for thousands of years. A version of the game was played in Ancient Greece where it was called ‘copper mosquito’. In the Middle Ages, blindman’s buff was an adult game. Using a stick is dangerous so my little sister and I didn’t use a stick and just called out, “Come and catch me!”‘
Nour

‘Micare is the game I chose to play. In comparison to other Roman games, all you need are your hands and your head, which is fantastic since it allows us and other people from the 21st century to play the authentic version, unlike a game like knuckle-bones, where you have to use a sheep’s foot. Overall, this game was quite fascinating to play, and what’s intriguing is that after a few rounds, you can discover the other person’s methods, bringing you closer to victory. This game demonstrates that, unlike humans today, they did not use devices because they simply had not been invented yet. This enabled them to appreciate their surroundings and make games out of them.’
Angelina

‘I recreated the hairstyle of a young Ancient Roman girl for one of my friends. I really enjoyed it as I experiment with hairstyles for fun and like doing people’s hair. This hairstyle was quite simple as the hair only had to be parted into four parts, plaited and then tied into a bun. Compared to the coiffures of Ancient Roman female elders, this is much more basic, however it still looks very regal.’
Allegra

‘The hairstyle I recreated (with the help of a youtube tutorial) was Agrippina the younger’s from the early to mid 1st century AD. I really enjoyed creating the hairstyle on my doll because it was a unique and fun experience. The hairstyle is much more elaborate compared to what is generally worn today, but the same techniques (for example braiding) were used. This meant it was quite simple for me to recreate as I had previously practised these skills but I was doing it in a novel and therefore interesting way.  One major difference between Roman hairstyles and 21st century ones is that the Romans did not use hair elastics for the obvious reason – they were not invented. Instead they stitched styles onto their heads meaning that the same one could be kept in for about a week. As it would not have been easy to create it on yourself, wealthy people would have their slaves do their hair. I had a fun time using the needle and thread to create the hairstyle and it made me appreciate the many tools and equipment we have to do hair today so easily.’
Alannah

Sarah-Jane Cartwright and Ingrid Eza-Smith
Year 7 History Teachers