The history of racism in Britain
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe different groups who have immigrated to Britain and explain why racist myths about immigration are wrong.
Key learning points
- Racism has existed in Britain for centuries.
- Racist myths have links to Britain's involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its empire.
- Unfortunately, racism still continues in modern Britain.
- Immigrants have been part of Britain for thousands of years.
- Racism and discrimination should always be reported to a trusted adult.
Keywords
Ethnicity - the group you belong to with shared culture, language, history and traditions
Racism - being unkind because of the colour of someone's skin or their ethnicity
Immigrant - someone who has moved to another country, usually to live there permanently
Common misconception
Immigrants have only arrived in Britain in recent years.
There have been many immigrant groups throughout British history, not just recently.
Teacher tip
Refer to history lessons, where you may have learned about waves of immigration to Britain. Examples of immigrant groups throughout history include: the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, the Normans, the Huguenots, Irish people, Jewish people, Roma and Sinti people and the Windrush generation.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with their definition.
someone from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
treating a person unfairly because of their characteristics
to think badly of someone because of how they look or who they are
a strong dislike for somebody
Q2.What does it mean if something is fundamental?
Q3.Match the start of each sentence with the correct ending.
protects people who are vulnerable.
but it still exists.
Britain to be like in the future.
Q4.There are Fundamental British Values.
Q5.The idea that all boys must like football is an example of a ...
Q6.Which of the four British values is missing? Individual liberty, democracy, mutual respect and tolerance, and ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with the correct definition.
the group you belong to with shared culture, language and history
being unkind because of someone's skin colour or their ethnicity
someone who has moved to another country
Q2.Racist myths have links to Britain's involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade and its ...
Q3.Which statements are true?
Q4.Who should racism and discrimination always be reported to?
Q5.Match the start of each sentence with its correct ending.
have immigrated to Britain.
never ok and everyone deserves to feel safe.
of family and/or work.
Q6.Put the events in chronological order (the order of which events happened, starting with the earliest event and finishing with the most recent event).
To help you plan your 6 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: The history of racism in Britain, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: The history of racism in Britain, 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 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Communities: How can we show respect to people of different races and cultures? unit, dive into the full primary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.