Place value - Roman Numerals - Worksheet

The lesson on Roman Numerals delves into the ancient number system, guiding Year 6 students to read and understand numerals up to 100. The National Curriculum objective for this lesson is to recognise the historical evolution of numerals, particularly noting that the Roman system did not include a symbol for zero, hence lacking the concept of place value. To facilitate learning, differentiated worksheets and teaching slides are provided as resources. The vocabulary for the session includes terms like 'Roman Numerals', 'approximate', and 'formula', among others. Children, who may have first encountered Roman Numerals on clock faces in Year 3, build on this foundation by comparing and contrasting the Roman system with our current one, and by exploring patterns within the numerals.

During the lesson, key questions prompt students to ponder the absence of zero in Roman Numerals and to identify patterns that can help deduce larger numerals from known ones, like inferring 200 from the numeral for 20. The lesson is structured to encourage progression from working with familiar numbers and multiples of ten to exploring a broader range of numerals and more complex representations. Activities range from fluency and precision tasks, where students complete diagrams matching numbers in numerals, words, and Roman Numerals, to reasoning and problem-solving exercises that involve correcting mistakes in numeral calculations. The lesson also includes true-or-false questions to challenge students' understanding, with explanations provided to clarify misconceptions and reinforce the correct concepts.