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Lower KS2: Democracy- What Makes a Great School Council Member?

British Values
Democracy
Lower KS2: What makes a great school council member?
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Slide 1: Slide
British ValuesPrimary Education

This lesson contains 14 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 30 min

Introduction

Part of the British Values series. This lesson looks at Democracy within the context of a school council. Pupils will discuss some of the qualities needed within a school council member and create a campaign speech.

Instructions

We have designed our British Values lessons so that teachers can pick up and teach a topic to their class with confidence.
We have chosen to use a balance of interactive tools and 'unplugged' creative activities.

Lessons can be taught directly from the LessonUp slides but work best when children have access to the pupil app
Lessonup.app

If you have any questions or want to know more, please do get in touch. We'd love to show you how LessonUp can make 'Every Class Better Than The Last'

Items in this lesson

British Values
Democracy
Lower KS2: What makes a great school council member?

Slide 1 - Slide

This lesson supports British Values. It can be used to compliment your existing schemes of learning or as an ad-hoc session.
It also links with the PSHE Association Programme of Study for KS2:
L1. to recognise reasons for rules and laws; consequences of not adhering to rules
and laws
L2. to recognise there are human rights, that are there to protect everyone
L3. about the relationship between rights and responsibilities
L4. the importance of having compassion towards others; shared responsibilities
we all have for caring for other people and living things; how to show care and
concern for others
L5. ways of carrying out shared responsibilities for protecting the environment
in school and at home; how everyday choices can affect the environment (e.g.
reducing, reusing, recycling; food choices)

In this lesson we will:
  • Think about why we have laws
  • Consider what the word 'democracy' means to us
  • look at some of the qualities that our representatives need.

Slide 2 - Slide

Key Vocabulary for this session:

Democracy
Human Rights
School Council
Representative
Same
Different
Qualities
Describe the sunflowers in this field

Slide 3 - Mind map

Pupils should be able to describe the sunflowers.
Draw out that the sunflowers are all very similar.

'We Are All Born Free' by Amnesty International ISBN 978-1847806635 has a wonderful illustration which can compliment this slide.
Describe the people in this slide.

Slide 4 - Mind map

All of these people are humans but all are different in so many ways. You can look at differences in their hair colour, eyes, skin tone, jobs, expressions. 
These ideas can be sorted and discussed as a whole group.

The sunflowers were virtually all the same but humans are all different in so many amazing ways.

Slide 5 - Slide

This item has no instructions

EVERYONE has the right to be protected by the law.’
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948

Slide 6 - Slide

This is a very famous photo of Elizabeth Roosevelt with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Please click the link for further information.



Think of some laws that you have to follow? Explain why we ALL need to follow this law.

Slide 7 - Open question

Pupils can write or upload ideas into this slide for discussion.
You might ask your class to respond creatively to this question and then share responses.
Adults vote for the people they want to help us to make the laws.

Everyone has a say, even if the person we want isn't chosen. This is 'democracy'

Democracy

Slide 8 - Slide

There are some really fantastic resources on the UK Parliament website including a short Introduction which is suitable for KS2 

You may wish to show this clip in the session or at another point.
We vote for the children who we think will represent us well.

What qualities should our representatives have?
In our school, the school council help to make our school better.

Slide 9 - Slide

This item has no instructions

Qualities I'd like to see in my school council member
Not suitable
fair
assertive
stubborn
caring
trustworthy
insensitive
faithful
tolerant

Slide 10 - Drag question

Feel free to add or adapt these drag and drop boxes to suit your class or context.

We have a short how to guide here


Think of other qualities which might help or hold back our council.

Slide 11 - Mind map

You may wish to support children by having a class word bank.
Engage your more able by offering them a thesaurus to encourage them to consider a wider vocabulary.

Write a short speech or create a poster to explain why you (or maybe a fictional character) would make a great school council member. 

Slide 12 - Open question

This activity will enable the pupils to explore some of the qualities that they wish to see in a school council member.
If they do not wish to join the council, then why not choose a fictional character (good or bad) and write a speech for them.
Ideas could be:
Harry Potter
Elsa from Frozen
Yoda
Groot
Lisa Simpson
SpiderMan

I can talk about the important qualities in a school council member
😒🙁😐🙂😃

Slide 13 - Poll

This poll can give you a quick snapshot of the class and an insight into who may need to explore the issue in more detail. The results will be displayed anonymously but you can look into how each child has answered the poll in the assessment view.

There is a how to guide here.

Slide 14 - Slide

This item has no instructions