Below are 28 lessons that I have created and used to teach Politics for GCSE Citizenship. They can also be used for a non-GCSE Key stage 4 programme.
The lessons can be taught as stand-alone lessons or lessons within a Politics scheme of work, which, if they are, are designed to be taught in the order they appear below.
Each lesson contains:
- Aims
- Objectives
- Resources (the handouts are underneath the learning activities).
- Learning Activities
Lesson contents:
- What does politics have to do with me?: 2 lessons.
- How can we make a change?: 1 lesson.
- Getting elected: 2 lessons.
- Should we bother voting?: 1 lesson.
- What happens if you get elected? 1 lesson.
- An in-school election campaign: 10 lessons.
- Tax and budgets: 2 lessons.
- Pressure groups: 1 lesson.
- Student protest: 2 lessons.
- Comparative political systems: 3 lessons.
- Democracy versus autocracy: 3 lessons.
Some of the lesson activities refer to pages in the Collins Edexcel GCSE textbook ‘Citizenship Today’ by Jenny Wales.
Lessons 1-2: What Does Politics Have To Do With Me?
Aim: To understand the different ways politics affects our lives.
Lesson 3: How Can We Make a Change?
Aim. To rank the best ways to make a change in society.
Lesson 4-5: Getting Elected.
Aim: To find out how and why an MP gets elected.
Lesson 6: Should We Bother Voting?
Aim: To use a card sort to comment on the pros and cons of voting.
Lesson 7: What Happens If You Get Elected?
Aim: To find out the responsibilities MPs have.
Lessons 8-17: An In-School Election Campaign.
Aims: To respond to school issues.
To create a political party and win an election.
To give reasons for your ideas, and advising others.
To form a political party, creating a manifesto, speech, leaflet, name and slogan.
To present our work, hold an election and peer and self-assess each group.
Lessons 18-19: Tax and Budgets.
Aim: To decide how tax should be spent within government departments.
Lesson 20: Pressure Groups.
Aim: To look at the pros and cons of different types of protest.
Lesson 21-22: Student Protest.
Aim: To hold a debate on whether / how students should protest.
Lesson 23-25 Comparative Political Systems.
Aim: To create a booklet comparing the UK political system with another country.
Lesson 26-28: Democracy Versus Autocracy.
Aim. To find the key elements of democracy and autocracy and apply them to school life.