The Great Famine 1845–52
Download a two-page Junior Cycle history worksheet using 1841 and 1851 census data and a source extract to explain the causes and consequences of the Great Famine.
- Subject
- History
- Year group
- 2nd Year · Junior Cycle
- Curriculum topic
- The Great Famine (An Gorta Mór)
- Download
About this resource
Ready to print, adapt and use.
This two-page worksheet builds the source skills of the Junior Cycle History specification. Students calculate Ireland's population fall from the real 1841 and 1851 census figures by province, underline the causes of the Famine in a passage covering blight, land holding, exports and the government response, and write about causes and consequences.
Teaching notes
Model the census calculation first and draw out why Connacht lost the largest share of its people. The passage names Charles Trevelyan, Skibbereen and the workhouses, giving students specific evidence to quote in their answers.
Learning objectives
- Calculate population change from census data.
- Identify causes of the Famine in a source extract.
- Explain two consequences of the Famine for Ireland's population.
What’s included
- Two printable worksheet pages
- Census data table by province with task
- Highlight-and-identify passage and open-response questions
Example PDF
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