New
New
Year 9

The Agricultural Revolution

I can explain the significance of the Agricultural Revolution.

New
New
Year 9

The Agricultural Revolution

I can explain the significance of the Agricultural Revolution.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Agriculture in England before 1700 was not very productive.
  2. Farmers and landowners developed more profitable farming techniques during the 18th century.
  3. The use of fertiliser and field drainage meant farmers could grow more crops.
  4. The Agricultural Revolution increased food production, encouraged migration and increased profits.

Keywords

  • Agriculture - the work and methods of growing crops and looking after animals that are then used for food

  • Fallow - if farmland is left fallow, it is not planted with any crops

  • Arable - land which is suitable and used for growing crops

  • Enclosure - the practice of turning land owned by a group of people into fenced off land owned by a single person

  • Fertiliser - a substance that you put on land in order to make plants grow well

Common misconception

Students assume the Agricultural Revolution was predominantly facilitated by changes in technology.

Farming tech in common use didn't change much. Improvements in agriculture occurred mainly because of the use of new farming methods.

In Learning Cycle 3, present a population line graph for England which covers (minimum) 1300-1900. Ask students how the population trend c.1650-1800 compares to beforehand? Ask pupils to explain how this trend can be explained by the Agricultural Revolution.
Teacher tip

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
The year 1700 is part of the century.
Correct Answer: 18th, 18, eighteen, eighteenth
Q2.
What type of work is agriculture often associated with?
factory work
Correct answer: farm work
fashion work
film work
Q3.
What type of work is industry often associated with?
Correct answer: factory work
farm work
fashion work
film work
Q4.
Which group made up the majority of England's population in the 17th century?
lords
merchants
Correct answer: peasants
priests
Q5.
Write the missing word. A short period which involves major changes is often referred to as a...
Correct Answer: revolution, Revolution
Q6.
Starting with the earliest, sort the following events into chronological order.
1 - Reformation
2 - English Civil War
3 - French Revolution
4 - World War One

6 Questions

Q1.
Write the missing word. When farmland is not used to plant crops it can be described as...
Correct Answer: fallow, Fallow
Q2.
Match each method of agricultural improvement with its correct description.
Correct Answer:enclosure,landlords fenced off fields and farmed on a larger scale

landlords fenced off fields and farmed on a larger scale

Correct Answer:drainage,areas like the Fens had some of the water pumped out

areas like the Fens had some of the water pumped out

Correct Answer:crop rotation,the plants grown on each field were changed each year

the plants grown on each field were changed each year

Correct Answer:use of fertiliser,manure was used to add more nutrients to the soil

manure was used to add more nutrients to the soil

Q3.
Write the missing word. Crop rotation also helped farmers to produce more manure to use as on their fields.
Correct Answer: fertiliser, Fertiliser, fertilizer, Fertilizer
Q4.
Which revolution do many historians argue was only possible because of the Agricultural Revolution?
French Revolution
Glorious Revolution
Haitian Revolution
Correct answer: Industrial Revolution
Q5.
Which methods of agricultural improvement were most likely to encourage people to move away from the areas they had lived in previously?
crop rotation
Correct answer: drainage
Correct answer: enclosure
use of fertiliser
Q6.
Why was the population able to increase so much after the Agricultural Revolution?
Correct answer: more food was produced to provide for people
new jobs were available to increase wealth
new technology was created to improve lives

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