The Roman Colosseum Children’s Book with Learning Ideas

My children and I study various aspect of Western Civilization each year.  As a result, we have many books about the early Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans.

This neat look at the Roman Colosseum is an informative non-fiction book that is often pulled off of the shelf!

If you’d like to see more of how I teach Western Civilization to my children through our curriculum, take a look at the posts in my classical homeschooling section.

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➡ Looking for more children’s books with activity ideas? I have tons!  Browse through this category: Children’s Books with Learning Ideas.

You’ll find a variety of books for various ages and stages.

The Roman Colosseum

Book: The Roman Colosseum

Author: Elizabeth Mann

Illustrator: Michael Racz

The Roman Colosseum is a fascinating look at this infamous stadium.  This book falls into the category of “picture books for upper elementary and middle school.”  In my opinion, the pictures in this book are the best part!  They are vivid and crisp, and portray an accurate representation using realistic drawings.

I will caution you that some of the pictures are a little graphic for younger elementary.  For example, there are pictures of gladiators with tridents and spears in them as they’re defeated in the Colosseum.  My children were of the sensitive sort, so this is not a book I would have read to them in 3rd grade or younger.

Each two-page spread features a large picture, often with a caption to explain the scene.  You will also see a hefty amount of text on each page, so this is definitely for a stronger reader if you’re using this in 4th or 5th grade.  To solve this problem, I just used text-heavy books as read-alouds when my children were younger.

This non-fiction book does a thorough job of exposing the reader to many important concepts related to the Roman world.  You’ll read Roman names such as Nero or Julius Caesar, you will read about the period of time that Rome was a Republic, and read about the actual building of the Colosseum.

Here is a look at the neat fold-out, which is an extra wide spread of the Colosseum.  It’s almost like a panoramic view!

Learning Ideas for The Roman Colosseum

— As soon as I read this book with my children, I thought it would be the perfect book to Notebook through.  If you’re not familiar with Deborah Reed’s Productive Homeschooling (formerly Notebooking Pages), you’re missing out!  We’ve used them off and on for years, and they are a neat concept.

Click here for the link to all of the Ancient Rome pages and click here for the link to Vespasian and the Colosseum.

You might have to have an account to view and download the free sections of the Notebooking Pages.

— Take a virtual tour (this is neat!) using Google Arts & Culture walk through the Colosseum..

— Draw the Roman Colosseum using this free step-by-step art tutorial.

— Make a list of people referenced in the book.  Then choose one or two and research them.  Take a look at this biography report form for some guidance in coaching your child.

— As your child reads, make a list of words and find their definitions.  Examples are republic, patrician, plebian, tribune, gladiator, and mosaic.

Lauren Hill

Lauren Hill is a Christian mom to 5, ages 19 to 7. She homeschools her children in the classical education tradition and is currently in her 15th year of homeschool. She creates engaging worksheets and hands-on printable activities for Preschool and Elementary age children to supplement their daily studies.

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