As part of our History topic, Romans, Year 4 have had an amazing time re-enacting what it may have been like to be a Roman auxiliary solider in the heart of a battle. With every great battle, preparation is crucial. The children, began by making their shields, Scutum, which were painted bright red, the Romans believed that the colour red was favoured by Mars the god of war. They also used red as the predominant colour  in order to intimidate the enemy and appear strong and valiant. The children added a number of key Roman symbols to their Scutum, such as a lightning bolt and eagle wings. The eagle wings the symbol representative of  the Roman army and the lightning bolts were used to represent Jupiter, the god of the sky and thunder, who would throw lightning bolts from the sky. Once the shields were ready, the children then had to created their swords, using cardboard and foil.

Let battle commence!

Year 4 marched towards the forest  like an unstoppable army with only victory on their minds. Once we entered the battle ground, the children practiced the formations that the Romans would have used during battle, the orb, a defensive formation, the testudo – the tortoise, which was used to protect the soldiers by forming a protective shell and the wedge which was designed to cut through the enemy. Year 4 thoroughly enjoyed re-enacting a Roman battle, they were able to bring their learning to life. Throughout this activity, Year 4, have embodied our school virtues – teamwork, perseverance and kindness, which ensured that no solider was left behind at the end of the battle.