Card Sort - Repeal of the Corn Laws

The repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, was a major turning point in British History. At the heart of the debate on their repeal was what role should the government play in society, should it govern in the interests of the landed elite or in the majority?The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Peel took the decision to put ‘Country before Party’ and enlisted the help of the Duke of Wellington to help force it through Parliament as his last act before retiring from politics.

The debate over the Corn Laws was fierce both inside and out of Parliament with the Anti-Corn Law League pushing for a ‘Free Trade’ policy in the hope of reducing tarriffs to help the poor. The ‘Protectionist’ or ‘Free Trade’ argument has divided British politics ever since and was at the heart of the Brexit debate.

Due to the complexities to the debate surrounding the Corn Laws, they are rarely studied at KS3, but this outstanding lesson, which has been field tested and refined in the classroom cleverly reduces the key issues to understandable bitesizes. The core task revolves around a card sort which gets students to sort through arguments both for and against the Corn Laws. The PowerPoint been designed to support the card sort provides information slides, sources, video links, tasks to not only help provide some fun and engaging activities for your students, but deepen and extend their understanding.

When you purchase this resource you will be able to download a one page Word Document which contains a learning objective, instruction for the card sort, two heading cards and 18 information cards to be sorted under them. I have also provided this as a PDF file. You will also also be able to download a 20 slide supporting PowerPoint which contains two optional starters, information slides, video links, tasks and activities. These activities include a speech writing activity for either Sir Robert Peel advocating the Corn Laws or an MP opposing their abolition. This is backed up with a peer review sheets and guidance on how to write a persuasive speech. Alternatively, you could set your students the extended writing task to explain why the Corn Laws were repealed. I have also included several plenaries that you can choose from including a thinking skills review triangle activity. For more information please review the preview.

This lesson is aimed at higher ability KS3 students but is also suitable for students studying this topic at GCSE or A Level.

The aims and objectives are:

Theme: Popular Protest in the 19th Century
Know: Why were the Corn Laws introduced in 1804?
Understand: Why did the Anti-Corn Law League want them repealed?
Evaluate: Why were the Corn Laws abolished in 1846?
Skills: Source Analysis, Cause, Consequence & Collaboration

WILF – What Am I Looking For?
Can You Describe: Why were the Corn Laws and introduced?
Explain: Why the Anti-Corn Law League wanted to abolish them?
Analyse: Why were the Corn Laws abolished in 1846?

Kind Regards

Roy