Virtual Visit 
Roman Britain treasure challenge

• Virtual Visits are live interactive workshops linking your classroom to an expert in one of the British Museum's learning rooms.
• They have been designed to incorporate a broad range of learning techniques.
• Your students will take an active role throughout the Virtual Visit.
• Virtual Visits acknowledge that learning is not only about knowledge and understanding. It encourages students to be inspired and excited to visit museums, to develop their close observation competency, and to enhance their communication skills to express and share their own thoughts. 
• This workshop does not involve virtual reality, augmented reality or a virtual tour of the galleries.

• The Virtual Visit begins with an introduction to the British Museum and its collection of eight million objects. 
• Students explore the concept of treasure and respond to a quiz. The quiz will aid their discovery of how the Treasure Act is used to decide if an object is judged to be treasure or not.
• Students look at some examples of objects from Roman Britain, and learn that objects can tell us information about the past.
• Students explore the Frome Hoard, a collection of 52,503 coins from Roman Britain. 
• The session has a strong narrative element in which students follow the hoard's journey from discovery to display. 
• Students are guided through a series of challenges which can be completed in the printed booklet, emailed prior to the Virtual Visit, or on a piece of paper if they do not have access to a printed version. 
• The first challenge is a comprehension activity. Students read job descriptions of 12 experts in the fields of archaeology and heritage. They then decide which expert should work on discovery, researching, and sharing. 
• Using photographs as illustrations, the Museum expert narrates the process of excavation and what happens to the objects once they arrive at the British Museum to be examined and cleaned by conservators. 
• Students use what they learnt previously about the Treasure Act to decide if the excavated objects are treasure. 
• The second challenge is a close observation activity. Students compare a Roman coin with a modern British coin. Students identify the inscription on one of the coins from the Frome Hoard and are supported in translating it from Latin, revealing that the coin depicts Emperor Carausius. 
• The Museum expert explains who Emperor Carausius was and why he is an interesting emperor for Roman Britain. 

England, The National Curriculum in England, Key stage 2, History

• The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain

Northern Ireland, The Northern Ireland Curriculum, Key stage 2, The world around us 

• Place
• Change over time

Scotland, Curriculum for Excellence, second level, social studies: people, past events and societies

• I can use primary and secondary sources selectively to research events in the past. 
• I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences. 
• I can discuss why people and events from a particular time in the past were important, placing them within a historical sequence.

Wales, The National Curriculum for Wales, Key stage 2, History

• Chronological awareness
• Historical knowledge and understanding 
• Interpretations of history 
• Historical enquiry 
• Organisation and communication
   

Archaeologist, archaeology, bronze, conservator, curator, emperor, Emperor Carausius, empire, excavating, Finds Liaison Officer, gold, hoard, Latin, metal detecting, photographer, Portable Antiquities Scheme, Roman Britain, silver, timeline, treasure.

You can discover more ancient Rome resources, either before or after your Virtual Visit.