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Teaching measurement using the Roman units for length

Monday, 18 May 2015
Ideas for measuring length for KS1 and KS2 linked to the Romans - for Y3 onwards use the opportunity to revise and reinforce reading and writing Roman numerals. The summer term is always a good time to get outside for some practical measuring activities. 

Roman Feet

Greeks and Romans used the foot as a unit of length (although a Roman foot was shorter than a Greek one), but the Romans were the first people to divide a foot into 12 smaller units. They standardised the length as well, using copper bars which probably matched the length of an emperor's foot. Each bar was divided into twelve equal parts, with uncia the Roman word for a twelfth. This is where the word inch came from.
Y1-2
Ask your class to use their foot lengths to make some ‘foot bars’ from card. Use them to measure objects outside - the height of a fence, the width of a door and each other’s height (easier if they lie down). They could record the length using tallies and then draw pictograms with mini feet to show the length of each object.

Roman length
This Roman mosaic shows Ktisis, the spirit of creation, holding a Roman foot ruler.
Y3-4
The class use their foot lengths to make some ‘foot bars’ from card. Ask:
  • How are you going to decide which is the ‘standard foot length’ for the class?
Ask them to divide the standard foot length foot for their class into 12.
  • How can you do this without having a ruler or any other units of measurement?
  • How would you do this with a ruler using centimetres?

They then use the standard length foot to measure objects outside and record the same lengths using metric measures.
Y5-6

The class use their foot lengths to make some ‘foot bars’ from card. Ask:

  • How are you going to decide which is the ‘standard foot length’ for the class? 
  • What is the mean, mode and median length of the class foot?
  • Will you measure in millimetres or centimetres? Will you round lengths?  To whole centimetres or to which decimal place? To whole millimetres or the nearest 10mm?

Ask them to divide the standard foot length for their class into 12.
They then use the standard length foot to measure objects outside and record the same lengths using metric measures. The recording can be in numbers and in Roman numerals.

Interestingly the word ounce also comes from the Roman uncia. A Roman copper bar measuring 1 foot weighed 1 pound. In the past there were 12 ounces in a pound, not the current 16.

Roman pace and mile

The Romans gave us the mile as a unit of length. They did a lot of marching, and two steps were counted as a pace – about 5 Roman feet or 1.5 metres. They counted out every thousand paces, which they called mille passus, which became a mile. 
Y1-2
In pairs ask children to mark the length of 2 steps. Measure the length using the ‘foot bars’ and have three boxes to record if the pace is less than, more than or exactly 5 Roman feet. The results can be recorded on a block graph with cubes.

They then measure lengths of larger objects outside in paces - goalposts, paths and side of buildings.  Observe how they count steps and then divide by 2 to find the number of paces, or count 2 steps as 1 whole. This can lead on to counting in twos and grouping in twos.

The Roman mile was shorter than the one we use today.
The length of a pace was taken from the heel of the back foot to the place the heel was set down on the second step. 

Y3-4
Using the class standard foot length ask children to measure the length of 2 steps. Record the number of steps that are less than, more than or exactly 5 Roman feet. The results can be recorded on a pictogram or bar graph.

Ask:

  • How are you going to decide the class ‘Standard length’ of a pace?
  • Can you count the distance of 1 Roman mile or 1000 paces?
  • How many lengths/laps did you complete?
  • How long did it take you to walk 1 Roman mile?
  • How will you count each pace? Multiply by 2 and count to 2000?  Count 2 steps only as 1 pace?
  • How will you count accurately up to 1000 (or 2000)?
  • Think about methods to record chunks of steps every 10 or 100 steps or paces.

Roman Stadium
An ancient Roman Stadium was a measure of length about 185 metres – originally the length of a stadium or track for a foot race or chariot race. Ask children to measure out a track that is 185m long using a trundle wheel.
How long does it take to run 1 Roman stadium? 
How far is this using their class standard Roman Pace to measure the distance?

Y5-6

Complete the activity above and then ask:

  • Can you measure your 1 Roman mile distance in metres using a trundle wheel or tape measure to find the length of one of the lengths and laps you completed? (they will then multiply the distance by the number lengths/laps they completed)
  • Does each group have the same distance as 1 Roman mile?
  • How are you going to decide the class ‘Standard length’ of a Roman mile?

They can records their results using numbers and Roman numerals.

Using the unit of measures for a purpose: a Roman Treasure Hunt
Set your class into groups and give each a few gold coins to hide anywhere around the school.
They then use these Roman measurements to draw a treasure map and give instructions from the classroom to the gold coins using Roman feet and paces. This will also include the language of position and direction – right, left, clockwise, anti-clockwise, right angles, degrees…
Groups swap maps to see if they can find the treasure the other group has hidden.

Related articles
 

Teaching Roman numerals in the new curriculum
Also some activities for Y4 and 5 using a Roman Calculi and adding Roman numerals.

Roman numerals and clockfaces
A mystery to solve while learning the Roman numerals I – XII

A watery context for teaching measures
Free resources from The Personal Finance Education Group and Wessex Water that makes maths real and meaningful.

Teaching capacity with elastic bands
Practical active maths that lends itself to problem-solving for KS1


Broadbent Maths Users

Roman Pebbles
Investigate numbers that can be made from using Roman ‘calculi’ to help develop place value.

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