Black History month: Remembering Britain’s imperial past

Lesson title: How should Britain’s imperial past be remembered?

L.o:To investigate and reach my own conclusion the importance of statues to remembering our history

This lesson asks students to apply knowledge about Britain’s role in imperialism and slavery to engage in the debate about statues and memorialisation of empire in modern Britain. The lesson, which lends itself well to discussion and debate, involves students watching news clips, answering comprehension questions, and interpreting quotes from contemporary historians and politicians to reach their own conclusion about the role of imperial-era statues in modern Britain, and how the imperial past should be remembered.

This is the second lesson of a three-part mini enquiry entitled ‘Why did Colston fall?’ that links the legacy of empire and slavery to modern debates around statutes and memorialisation, including the Black Lives Matter campaign. The rest of the enquiry is available on my shop in a bundle, but this can be adapted into a standalone lesson.

It is a great inclusion if you are looking to update your teaching of the Industrial Revolution, make links between the study of empire and industry, improve your curriculum links to contemporary issues - especially in time to mark Black History Month.