Check it! - History of Manchester - Year 4

As part of a Year 4 history curriculum, students explore the significant growth of Manchester, focusing on its transformation during the Industrial Revolution. To ensure a thorough understanding of the subject, the lesson plan includes regular opportunities for children to review what they have learned. This can be achieved through engaging activities such as 'Brain dump!', where students quickly jot down everything they remember, or 'Give me FIVE!', prompting them to list five positive and negative facts about Manchester's development in the Industrial Revolution. Other ideas for reinforcing learning include adding to mind maps, expanding upon given statements, and creating retrieval pyramids to categorise information based on difficulty.

The lesson encourages students to delve into the reasons behind Manchester's rise to prominence, often referred to as 'Cottonopolis' due to its central role in the cotton industry. It also prompts inquiry into the social history of the era, including the living and working conditions of the working class. To assess understanding, the lesson plan suggests a 'Pyramid Check' with questions of increasing complexity, such as the origin of the name 'Manchester', the identity of Henry Hunt, and the impact of the Peterloo Massacre on the country. The aim is for all pupils to be able to answer the foundational questions, with more challenging inquiries reserved for those ready to extend their knowledge further.