Why is Great Britain a United Kingdom?

1. Why is Great Britain a United Kingdom? Q. Which 3 National Flags make up the Union Jack?

2. Answer.............. The Welsh flag isn’t included!

3. By the end of this Home Learning Challenge I will be able to.......... All - Explain where the Union Jack came from. Most - Show understanding of how the United Kingdom was formed. Some – Identify the key reasons for the Acts of Union and show understanding of different interpretations of this.

4. Task 1 –Union Flag • Produce your own Union Flag • Add colour (important!) • Annotate the flag to explain what each part represents, and why it was included. • Add notes - which country is missing? Can you think of any reasons why this may be the case?

5. Task 2 – United Kingdom map • Produce a map showing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Annotate information around the map… • Research and explain the following for each country (Wales, Scotland, Ireland) … • Why did England want to control them? • How did England do this? • How did people react to this?

6. Checklist - info which should be included in your work somewhere! • 1. Which countries make up the United Kingdom? • 2. What saint does the English flag represent? • 3. Surrounded by Wales, Scotland and Ireland, what did England fear? • 4. When, and under which famous monarch, were England and Wales officially joined? • 5. What saint does the Scottish flag represent? • 6. What other country did King James VI of Scotland become King of? • 7. When was the first Union Flag created? • 8. When was the flag of St. Patrick added to the Union Flag? • 9. What was the Union Flag designed as? • 10. What does ‘Jack’ of ‘Union Jack’ mean? • 11. Nations of the United Kingdom often prefer to use their own national flag now - why do you think this is?

7. Task 3 – Extending your work • Possible ways to improve your work… • Can you draw and explain links between different events? • Find out about “devolution” and consider whether we live in a truly ‘United’ Kingdom today. • ‘Great Britain’ and ‘United Kingdom’ are actually not the same thing. What is the difference? • Some Scottish people will vote to leave the UK, later this year – why???

8. Assessing your work • You will need to show evidence of the following in your presentation… • Research • Presentation Skills • That you answer the question • You will be peer assessed on this: your fellow students will look at your presented work

9. Why is Great Britain a United Kingdom? Information to help you…

10. England • England was the most powerful nation in the British Isles. England was often at war with other countries. Surrounded by Wales, Scotland and Ireland, she feared that these neighbouring countries could be used as a base for attack and could gang up with England's enemies.

11. Wales • Wales was conquered by England in the 13th Century. There had been rebellions and the biggest threat were the English Marcher lords who controlled half the land. In 1536, under Henry VIII, the Act of Union joined England and Wales officially. The Marcher Lordships were abolished and English law was extended to cover all of Wales.

12. Scotland • In 1603 James VI of Scotland became James I of England. Despite sharing a monarch, England and Scotland kept their own Parliaments.It was only in 1707 that they were joined by the Act of Union and the first union flag was created. This was due to fears that Scotland and France would join together to replace the new king George, with James the son of James II.

13. Northern Ireland • Henry VII had claimed control of Ireland in the 15th Century, it wasn’t until the 17th Century that there was an almost complete takeover of Irish land by English and Scottish settlers.In 1690 the last of a number of rebellions was put down. Power now lay in the hands of the Protestants. The flag of St. Patrick was added in 1801 to make the Union Jack we have today. • Only Northern Ireland is connected to the United Kingdom today.

14. Creating the Union Flag • As Wales became part of England in 1536, she is represented by the English Flag. • Scotland is represented by the diagonal white lines and the blue background of the Union Flag. • Northern Ireland is represented by the diagonal red lines. These were a later addition to the flag of 1707. • England is represented by the horizontal and vertical red lines, together with the white lines in the background.

15. Creating the Union Flag • The Union Flag was designed as a symbol of unity between the four countries. As you have seen, each country is represented. It soon became known as the Union Jack. The word ’Jack’ means a flag on a small mast at the front of a ship. This is our national flag.

16. What can you learn from this clip? • Freedom – speech about Scottish independence • Flower of Scotland – Scottish Anthem • What does the above films tell us about a “United Kingdom”?

17. Jacobite Rebellions • The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in the British Isles occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by Parliament during the Glorious Revolution (1688)

18. Further info • http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/britain.html • http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/uk.htm • http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/empire_seapower/acts_of_union_01.shtml