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Roman Numerals KS2

Teaching your KS2 pupils about Roman numerals is a requirement of the National Curriculum. Children are first introduced to Roman numerals in Year 3 and they are then revisited in Year 4 and Year 5.

PlanBee's Maths currciculum contains four ready-to-teach Maths lessons on Roman numerals that have built-in knowledge and skills progression across this Maths strand. Children start by exploring the first twelve Roman numerals in the context of clocks. As they progress through KS2, they will learn more about how the Roman numeral system works, how to read and write Roman numerals, and how to read years written as Roman numerals.

Roman numerals on a clock face

Roman Numerals Year 3

"Analogue Clocks, Roman Numerals" KS2 Year 3 Maths Lesson

£1.49

Scroll through the pictures for a preview of the lesson's resources:

Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 1
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 2
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 3
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 4
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 5
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Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - slideshow example 7
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - worksheet example 1
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - worksheet example 2
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - worksheet example 3
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - worksheet example 4
Roman numerals Year 3 lesson pack - lesson plan example

In Year 3, the National Curriculum requires children to:

  • tell and write the time from an analogue clock, including using Roman numerals from I to XII, and 12-hour and 24-hour clocks

The fourth lesson in our Time Year 3 scheme of work covers this objective in detail.

The slideshow included in this lesson guides the children through the number system used by the Romans, before reading the time on analogue clocks with Roman numerals. It extends to looking at telling the time in five minute intervals for those children who are confident in telling the time to the nearest quarter of an hour. The independent activities focus on children drawing the hands on a clock to show the correct time.

This Year 3 Roman Numerals lesson pack contains:

  • a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities
  • a slideshow for the teaching input
  • a range of printable resources for independent learning activities
  • answer sheets

Roman Numerals Year 4

In Year 4, the National Curriculum requires children to:

  • read Roman numerals to 100 (I to C) and know that over time, the numeral system changed to include the concept of zero and place value.

This final lesson in our Place Value and Ordering Year 4 scheme of work builds on your class's knowledge of Roman numerals from Year 3. The numerals on a clock are recapped and then the children will be taught how to read and write Roman numerals to 100.

The alternative activity in this lesson challenges your class to decipher some codes to help the Roman emperor find out where a group of rebels are hiding! The lesson ends by exploring the concept of zero and discussing how the Roman numeral system is different to the modern number system.

This Year 4 Roman Numerals lesson pack contains:

  • a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities
  • a slideshow for the teaching input
  • a range of printable resources for independent learning activities
  • answer sheets

"Roman Numerals" KS2 Year 4 Maths Lesson

£1.49

Scroll through the pictures for a preview of the lesson's resources:

Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slidshow example 1
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 2
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 3
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 4
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 5
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 7
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - slideshow example 8
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - worksheet example 1
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - worksheet example 2
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - worksheet example 3
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - worksheet example 4
Roman numerals Year 4 lesson pack - lesson plan example

Roman Numerals Year 5

In Year 5, the National Curriculum requires children to:

  • read Roman numerals to 1000 (M) and recognise years written in Roman numerals

This objective is covered in two lessons within our A Million Numbers Year 5 scheme of work.

Lesson 4 of this series recaps how the Roman number system works, with the included slideshow guiding your KS2 class on how to read increasingly challenging Roman numerals. Children then read and write Roman numerals for themselves in their independent learning.  

Lesson 5 then challenges your class to read years written in Roman numerals. Children will identify the birth year of a variety of familiar faces from Guy Fawkes to Lady Gaga, or identify what year various famous films were released.

These Year 5 Roman Numerals lessons each contain:

  • a detailed lesson plan with differentiated activities
  • a slideshow for the teaching input
  • a range of printable resources for independent learning activities
  • answer sheets

"Reading Roman Numerals" KS2 Year 5 Maths Lesson

£1.49

Scroll through the pictures for a preview of the lesson's resources:

Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 1
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 2
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 3
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 4
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 5
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 6
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - slideshow example 7
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - worksheet example 1
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - worksheet example 2
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - worksheet example 3
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - worksheet example 4
Roman numerals Year 5 lesson pack - lesson plan example

"Roman Numeral Years" KS2 Year 5 Maths Lesson

£1.49

Scroll through the pictures for a preview of the lesson's resources:

Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 1
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 2
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 3
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 4
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 5
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 6
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 7
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - slideshow example 8
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - worksheet example 1
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - worksheet example 2
Year 5 Roman Numeral Years lesson pack - worksheet example 3

Roman Numerals Information for Children and Teachers

What are Roman numerals?

Roman numerals are a number system that was developed by the ancient Romans. It consists of a series of letters from the Latin alphabet that each have a fixed numerical value. By combining the letters together, any number can be made.

The letters used in the Roman numeral system are: I, V, X, L, C, D, M. These numbers represent, respectively: 1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 and 1000. By combining these letters in a particular way, any number can be represented.

How does the Roman numeral system work?

The Roman numeral system works by arranging the seven letters I, V, X, L, C, D and M in a particular way. Each value repeats its value the number of times it is written. For example:

XX is 10+10 = 20 

CCC is 100+100+100 = 300 

MM is 1000+1000 = 2000

If letters are placed after a letter of a greater value, you add the numbers together. For example:

VI is 5+1 = 6

LX is 50+10 = 60

XIII is 10+1+1+1 = 13

If letters are placed before a letter of a greater value, they are subtracted from the amount. For example:

IV is 5-1 = 4

IX is 10-9 = 9

XL is 50-10 = 40

You can only subtract powers of 10, so I, X and C (1, 10 and 100). This means you cannot subtract V or L (5 or 50). So 95, for example, is XCV (100-10+5) and not VC (100-5).

With Roman numerals, you never usually have more than three of the same letters consecutively. The exception to this is the number 4 on clocks with Roman numerals, which is often shown as IIII instead of IV. The number 4000 is also sometimes written as MMMM.

Did you know...?

Roman numerals can be written in upper or lower case letters. For example, 392 can be written as CCCXCII or cccxcii.

Test yourself!

See if you can use the above information about how the Roman numeral system works to identify what these numbers are. Just click each box to reveal the answer:

XVII

17

CCXLVI

246

MI

1001

DLV

555

MDCCCLXXVI

1876

MCMXXXIX

1939