This activity forms the central spine of a lesson on the reasons for setting up the Metropolitan Police Force in 1829. Students work in pairs to come up with a satisfying explanation. Rather than use the textbook directly, they are given a set of 12 cards. Each of the students has a different examination question to answer on the same topic. Student A must answer the major question: Why was the Metropolitan Police Force introduced in 1829? The other student has the minor question; Why was the Metropolitan Police Force NOT introduced until 1829?
Step 1
With the students in pairs, questions A and B allocated, students take it in turns to read each card (provided as a downloadable resource) aloud to each other. They must then decide who should claim the card as being most relevant to THEIR question. When the cards have been divided into two, unequal piles, and you have checked that their choices are correct, then ask them to work collaboratively, using just the question A cards.
Step 2
Using the remaining cards for question A ask the students to think of just 4 or 5 factors which could be the main points. In arriving at
