Irish migration to Britain in the 19th century
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recall that many Irish people migrated to Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries, and that they experienced significant discrimination.
Key learning points
- In the 19th century there was significant migration from Ireland to Britain.
- The Potato Famine and the availability of jobs in Britain were key reasons for migration from Ireland.
- The early experiences of Irish immigration were discrimination and xenophobia.
- In 1922 Ireland was partitioned into Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State, the latter an independent republic.
- The partition of Ireland led to a legacy of violence between unionists and republicans.
Keywords
Famine - an extreme scarcity of food
Migrant - someone who moves from one country to another
Partition - to divide into parts
Common misconception
All those in Northern Ireland were Protestant and all those elsewhere in Ireland were Catholic.
Ireland was predominantly Catholic but there was a population in the north who were predominantly Protestant, who remained part of the UK as Northern Ireland after partition.
Teacher tip
Ensure students are aware of the push and pull factors involved in Irish migration to Britain.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What elements make up a source's provenance?
Q2.Complete the sentence: Some historians argue that the expansion of empire had some impacts, particularly in Africa.
Q3.Complete the sentence: An is the process by which we analyse and explain past events.
Q4.Which of the following examples would a historian who is presenting a positive view of empire point to?
Q5.Put the following time periods in chronological order.
Q6.Which word describes the movement of people into a new area or country?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which word describes an extreme scarcity of food?
Q2.Which word describes 'to divide something into parts'?
Q3.Which of the following were key reasons for Irish migration to Britain?
Q4.Which word best describes Irish migrants early experiences in Britain?
Q5.Complete the sentence: Irish migrants were unfairly stigmatised and blamed for social problems like ...
Q6.Match the correct description to the terms.
Northern Ireland, mainly Protestant, supported union with Britain
Irish Free State, mainly Catholic, supported a united Ireland
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Irish migration to Britain in the 19th century, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 history lesson on: Irish migration to Britain in the 19th century, 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 4 history lessons from the Britain: Migration, empires and the people - c790 to the present day unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.