Sikhs: the story of a British community
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how Sikhs have contributed to British history and why some places in the UK have large Sikh communities.
Key learning points
- Sikhs comprise 0.9% of the population of England and Wales according to the 2021 census.
- There are historic Sikh communities in London and the West Midlands.
- The Sikh community has historic links with the UK, connected to the British Empire.
- Sikh soldiers were heavily involved in fighting for the British Empire, which cost many lives during the World Wars.
Keywords
Community - a group of people who share common interests and values
Service - the act of helping or doing work for others, often to support a community or cause
British Empire - a group of countries that were controlled or ruled by Britain
Gurdwara - a Sikh place of worship, where people gather to pray, learn, and share meals together
Common misconception
All Sikhs in the UK recently moved here.
There is a long historical connection between Sikhs and the UK, including their involvement in the British Empire and service in the World Wars. Many Sikh families have lived in Britain for several generations.
Teacher tip
Research and discuss Sikh contribution to British history. Invite a speaker to share why they or their family decided to move to the UK and settled in the area they live in.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
4 Questions
Q1.What do many Hindus believe Brahman is?
Q2.What symbol represents Brahman in Hindu Dharma?
Q3.What is Hindu worship called?
Q4.What do Hindus believe happens after this life?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Sikh soldiers played an important role during the two World .
Q2.According to the 2021 , 0.9% of people in England and Wales are Sikh.
Q3.Where are historic Sikh communities found in the UK?
Q4.Why have many Sikhs settled in the UK?
Q5.Why is it wrong to say that all Sikhs living in the UK only recently moved here?
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Sikhs: the story of a British community, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 religious education lesson on: Sikhs: the story of a British community, 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 2 religious education lessons from the Sikhs: What does Khalsa mean to Sikhs today? unit, dive into the full primary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.