KS5 Teaching Resource - Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera

The British Empire – the reason why there are millions of Britons living worldwide, the explanation for Brexit, the feeling that we are exceptional, and for Britain’s particular brand of racism – remains a subject of both shame and glorification.

In his Sunday Times bestselling book, journalist and author Sathnam Sanghera shows how our imperial past is everywhere: from how we live and think to the foundation of the NHS and even our response to the COVID-19 crisis.

At a time of great division, when we are arguing about what it means to be British, Empireland is a groundbreaking revelation – a much-needed and enlightening portrait of contemporary British society, shining a light on everything that usually gets left unsaid.

Resource

This resource pack gives KS5 students opportunities to engage with language, exploring how to analyse and understand Sanghera’s arguments.

The resources focus on the skills needed for Paper 1, Section A of the English language A-Level: Variety and Representation. This includes skimming for gist, analytical reading, planning and writing. Also included in the resource pack are practice papers.

Students are encouraged in the resources to engage with ideas around statues of historical figures in Britain, the legacies of Empire and attitudes of Empire and imperialism.

What’s included in the resource pack?

• Textual variations and representations PowerPoint
• Textual variations and representations pdf
• Empireland printable worksheets.

How to use the pack

• Go through the workbook and the accompanying PowerPoint to practice the skills needed to perform well at the assessment
• Use the printable worksheets to complete the exercises
• For further reading, watch the videos and read articles with Sanghera.