Decolonisation and contesting empire
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that in the mid 20th century, decolonisation and nationalist movements took place across the British Empire.
Key learning points
- Britain had emerged from the Second World War as a diminished power, reliant on America.
- After the Second World War, a wave of nationalist movements took place in the colonies.
- India gained its independence from Britain in 1947 which led to the partition of India and Pakistan.
- In 1948, Palestine was partitioned into two separate independent states: Israel and Palestine.
- In the 1960s, independence was granted to many of Britain's African and Caribbean colonies.
Keywords
Nationalism - nationalism is the support for the political independence of a country
Decolonise - to decolonise is to withdraw from a colony, leaving it independent
Partition - to partition is to divide into parts
Commonwealth - the Commonwealth is an international organisation consisting of states which once belonged to the British Empire
Common misconception
The effects of decolonisation were positive for countries newly independent from the British Empire.
For many newly independent nations, freedom brought many difficulties as well as benefits.
Teacher tip
Use a map in learning cycles two and three to show where decolonisation happened, extending the examples beyond the scope of what is discussed in the lesson.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The British policy of maintaining a navy which was larger than the next two largest navies combined is known as ...
Q2.Which of the following statements about unemployment after WW1 in Britain is correct?
Q3.Which of the following statements best describes the empire towards the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth centuries?
Q4.Which of the following statements is an accurate definition of imperial anxiety?
Q5.Which of the following statements is a correct definition of nationalism?
Q6.Which of the following events were designed to show the supremacy of the British Empire?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.To which countries did Britain owe money after WW2?
Q2.This keyword means to divide into parts
Q3.The international organisation consisting of states which once belonged to the British Empire is known as...
Q4.Which of the following statements are outcomes of Indian independence in 1947?
Q5.Match the country with the year in which it became independent
1960
1962
1962
1962
1963
1966
Q6.Which of the following partitioned Palestine into two states?
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: Decolonisation and contesting empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 history lesson on: Decolonisation and contesting empire, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Interpreting the British Empire: how has it been commemorated and contested? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.