Power and the People, Democracy and Protest KS3 Bundle

I have written this bundle of twelve lessons to link to the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum unit which covers ‘ideas, and the changing nature of political power in Britain.’

This unit of study covers 800 years of protest, power and reform from Simon de Montfort to the General Strike of 1926 within Britain and is an excellent foundation to study Power and the People, Monarchy and Democracy at Key Stage 4.

I have embedded key skills throughout the lessons such as the causes and consequences of Chartist protest in Britain and the change and continuity of political reform with the Great Reform Act of 1832. Students will learn the significance of Simon de Montfort and the origins of Parliament in Britain as well as source analysis with the Declaration of Independence of the American Revolution. They will track the chronology of protest from religious rebellion to economic and political reform as well as calls for the abolition of slavery and improved conditions in prisons. Finally, students will analyse different interpretations such as the reputation and legacy of Oliver Cromwell and how the working conditions for the Matchgirls and Dockers were defended by their employers.

The lessons are broken down into the following

L1: Simon de Montfort and Parliament. Students explore how Simon de Montfort challenged royal authority and called the first parliament with commoners.
L2: Pilgrimage of Grace. Students investigate religious rebellion against Henry VIII will allow students to assess why ordinary people risked everything to protest.
L3: Oliver Cromwell. Students evaluate Cromwell’s rule and legacy through different perspectives.
L4: American Revolution. This lesson assesses how British colonists challenged monarchy and inspired global revolutions.
L5: Elizabeth Fry and Prison Reform. This lesson examines Fry’s campaign to improve prison conditions, especially for women and children.
L6:Anti-Slavery Society: This lesson focuses on organised resistance to slavery and poor working conditions.
L7: Early Trade Unions (Free Resource). This lesson studies the Early Trade Unions and the difficulties they faced for workers’ rights.
L8: Great Reform Act. The lesson unpacks how political reform changed who had the right to vote and why it mattered.
L9: The Anti-Corn Law League studies middle-class protest against unfair food prices and tariffs.
L10: The Chartists. This lesson highlight working-class demands for political rights and fair representation.
L11: Matchgirls’ Strike. Students consider how young women protested poor conditions and won.
L12:General Strike of 1926. This lesson allows pupils to weigh up causes, events and outcomes of a modern mass protest involving multiple industries.

Each lesson is differentiated, fully resourced and chronologically sequenced to help students build a clear sense of historical progression in the struggle for power and rights in Britain. The lessons are used in my department and are tried and tested. They come in PowerPoint format and can be edited and changed to suit.

Please review the resource and receive a free GCSE Revision Guide for AQA Power and the People 1170 to present day worth £8.99.