» Becoming Responsible Citizens: Voting

LESSONS

• 1 SOAP BOX Students are introduced to some important issues to help them think about their priorities.
• 3 EQUALITY Students look at democratic decisions.
• 5 YOUR RIGHTS Students learn that living in a democracy means having rights and responsibilities, and that they go together. Students make up their own definition of democracy.
• 7 PEOPLE POWER Students look at the different systems of government and attach names to these systems.
• 9 ELECTION TALK Students learn some election vocabulary and look at how votes are cast and counted.
• 11 PARTY COLOURS Students match extracts from manifestos to the correct political party, and design a poster for one of the political parties.
• 13 ELECTION RACE Students look at the British system of deciding elections, and at arguments for and against 'first past the post'.
• 15 CUTTING THE CAKE Students consider the arguments for and against proportional representation.
• 17 TOWN HALL Students look at England's type of indirect democracy where representatives are elected to take decisions on our behalf.
• 19 POST BAG Students look at the range of different services provided by local councils and consider possible actions for one of the issues raised.
• 21 YOUR MP Students explore some of the different activities an MP may be involved in.
• 23 ON THE MARCH Students look at the right of protest in a democracy.
• 25 WOMEN'S VOTE Students look at some of the reasons why few women enter Parliament, and consider whether representation should be equal.
• 27 EUROPEAN QUESTIONS Students learn that important decisions are taken in Europe and that there are mixed opinions about our membership of the European Union.
• 29 TAKING PART Students explore their feelings about participating in decision making in relation to the school.
• 31 THE GOVERNORS Students examine who might be a school governor and the types of decisions they make, before looking at the reasons for having governors.
• 33 THE COMMONS Students examine information on government vocabulary that they may have heard on television or elsewhere.
• 35 THE LORDS Students look at the House of Lords and consider whether we need it.
• 37 LAW MAKERS Students look at the path taken by a bill through Parliament.
• 39 ELECTION DAY Students compare two election days: South Africa, 1994 and the UK, 2001.
• 41 LAND OF THE FREE Students compare the system of democracy in the United States of America with democracy in the United Kingdom.
• 43 MOCK ELECTION Students organise a mock election in a school or year group.
• 45 CABINET MEETING Students look at competing and valid options for public spending to help them understand that government has to decide on priorities.
• 47 PRESIDENT OR QUEEN? Students examine the differences between a monarchy and a republic, and hold a debate to consider who would best protect democracy - a president or monarch.
• 49 WHO NEEDS DEMOCRACY? Students look at three different institutions and think about decision making and accountability.
• 51 THE RIGHT TO VOTE Students consider universal franchise and the age at which people should be allowed to vote.
• 53 FREE SPEECH Students look at press freedom in a democratic society. Students should consider what press free-dom means, and react to the front pages of two papers before an election.
• 55 POWER SHARE Students consider the wish of many people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to have a greater say in how their countries are governed.
• 57 COMMON DIFFERENCES Students look at so-called minority groups in a democratic, pluralist society.
• 59 PARTY LEADERS Students consider what qualities and credentials they look for - and should look for - in a political leader, and whether the three main party leaders have them.
• 61 MAKING YOUR POINT Students explore the range and varying effectiveness of campaign techniques they are likely to encounter during the run-up to an election.
• 63 ECONOMIC UNION Students explore what the 'single currency' is, how it might affect Britain, and what the wider implications of economic union might be.
• 65 POSTER WARS Students consider the nature and effectiveness of positive and negative campaigning.
• 67 GET THE PICTURE Students explore bias in political news coverage.
• 69 HOW TO BECOME AN MP Students look at the process involved in becoming an MP, and think about MPs' motives.