Check it! - British Empire - Year 6

The topic of the British Empire is a significant part of the Year 6 curriculum, prompting students to explore the historical context and reasons behind its creation. To ensure a thorough understanding, teachers are encouraged to incorporate regular review sessions into their lessons. These can take the form of various activities such as 'Brain dump', where children spill all they know onto paper, 'Give me FIVE', asking for five quick-fire facts, or creating and adding to mind maps, which help visualise connections between facts. 'Expand and Elaborate' prompts students to delve deeper into specific aspects of the Empire, like its significance and the role of India, while 'Retrieval Pyramids' challenge them to recall and categorise information based on difficulty levels.

Understanding the British Empire also involves examining its global impact and the controversial aspects of its history, such as the role of the East India Company and the Empire's involvement in slavery. Questions like "Why was it said that the sun never set on the British Empire?" and "Who was 'Clive of India'?" encourage students to reflect on the Empire's vastness and key figures. The curriculum also addresses the geographical scope of the Empire, including the West Indies and countries that were once part of India, as well as the infamous Atlantic Slave Trade triangle. These critical questions are designed to stimulate discussion and provide a comprehensive understanding of the British Empire's complexity and legacy.