Origins of the trade union movement in Britain

This fun and interactive lesson looks at the early origins of the trade union movement in Britain from the friendly societies in the 1780s to the formation of the GNCTU by Robert Owen in 1834. It also looks briefly at the impact of the French Revolution and the impact of the Anti-Combination Act, 1799, its repeal in 1824 and the follow up anti-strike laws as well as the Tolpuddle Martyrs. This lesson is pitched at a middle ability KS3 group but is also suitable for KS4 and is differentiated throughout with a wide range of tasks and activities for you to choose from.

When you purchase this lesson you will be able to download a 22 slide PowerPoint Presentation which includes aims, objectives, starters, plenaries, templates for photocopying, tasks, activities, word searches, knowledge quizzes video links, information slides as well as historical sources. We have also uploaded the PowerPoint as PDFs, just in case you do not have access to Microsoft Office. In addition, we have also uploaded a worksheet and a wordsearch to work alongside the Powerpoint in both Word and as a PDF.

Please look at the sample preview for further information. This lesson can also be purchased at a discount as part of a bundle on trade unionism. The aims and objectives of this lesson are:

Theme: The History of Trade Unionism in Britain
Know: What is a trade union and what role do they play in the work place?
Understand: Why did Parliament outlaw the friendly societies?
Evaluate: Why were the early trade unions set up?
Skills: Compare & Contrast, Cause, Consequence & Collaboration

WILF – What Am I Looking For?
Can You Describe: The role played by trade unions in the workplace today?
Can You Explain: Why did Parliament outlaw the friendly societies?
Can You Evaluate: Why wee the early trade unions set up?

If you like this resource then why not check out my other resources on this topic in my TES shop. You can also follow ‘The History Academy’ on Twitter, Google Plus, YouTube and Facebook for the latest updates or even to get in touch and chat about how you have used this resource or to ask questions. We aim to produce cheap and affordable resources for the price of a good cup of coffee so that you can spend more time doing the things that you want. All our authors are paid the living wage so when you purchase our resources you are buying into our shared values of fair play and decency.

Anyway, have fun and stay in touch via social media for the latest updates.

Kind Regards

Roy