History · Year 9

Active learning ideas

The Winter of Discontent and 1970s Britain

Active learning works for this topic because students need to grapple with complex ideas about identity, sovereignty, and change over time. Moving beyond lectures helps them see how Britain’s relationship with Europe shifted dramatically between 1975 and 2016.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS3: History - Challenges for Britain, Europe and the Wider World: 1901-Present
• KS3: History - Britain in the 1980s

• 20–50 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 50 min · Small Groups

Simulation Game: The 1975 vs. 2016 Referendum

Students are given the 'campaign materials' from both referendums. They must identify the key arguments (e.g., 'jobs and trade' vs. 'sovereignty and immigration') and explain why the result changed so dramatically.

Analyze the economic factors that contributed to Britain's struggles in the 1970s.

Facilitation Tip

During the 1975 vs. 2016 Referendum simulation, assign roles like campaign managers, historians, and journalists to ensure all students engage with primary materials.

What to look for

Provide students with a short news clipping (real or simulated) from the Winter of Discontent. Ask them to identify: 1) The main group on strike, 2) Their primary demand, and 3) One consequence of the strike mentioned in the clipping.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: What does the EU do?

Groups research different aspects of EU membership (e.g., the Single Market, the Social Chapter, the Euro). They must present the 'pros and cons' of each for a typical British citizen.

Explain the causes and impact of widespread industrial action, including the 'Winter of Discontent'.

Facilitation Tip

For the 'What does the EU do?' investigation, provide students with real EU directives to analyze so they see concrete examples of policy influence.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Was the Winter of Discontent an inevitable outcome of the economic and social conditions of the 1970s, or could it have been avoided?' Facilitate a class debate, encouraging students to use evidence about inflation, union power, and government policy to support their arguments.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 20 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Is Britain 'European'?

Students discuss whether Britain has a different identity from the rest of Europe (e.g., due to its island status or the Empire). They share their thoughts on how this 'exceptionalism' influenced the Brexit vote.

Evaluate the extent to which the 1970s represented a period of national decline for Britain.

Facilitation Tip

In the 'Is Britain 'European'?' Think-Pair-Share, ask students to cite specific evidence from the 1970s or later to support their claims.

What to look for

Present students with a list of economic terms (e.g., inflation, unemployment, GDP, wage growth). Ask them to select three terms most relevant to the 1970s and write one sentence for each explaining its significance during that period.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers should approach this topic by grounding abstract concepts like sovereignty in real policy examples. Avoid framing the debate as 'good vs. bad'—instead, help students analyze trade-offs and unintended consequences. Research shows that using primary sources from both eras deepens understanding of continuity and change.

Students will demonstrate understanding by connecting historical events to modern debates and by evaluating multiple perspectives. They should articulate how economic conditions, political leadership, and public opinion shaped outcomes.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the 1975 vs. 2016 Referendum simulation, watch for students assuming Britain was always 'anti-Europe.'

  Use the simulated campaign materials from 1975 to guide students in analyzing why the vote was so decisive and how the debate has evolved over time.

• During the 'What does the EU do?' collaborative investigation, watch for students reducing the EU to only trade.

  Direct students to the EU’s environmental and workers' rights directives in their investigation packets to broaden their understanding of EU influence.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share