How can I get involved in politics? Lesson 2 of 6

How can I get involved in politics?

This lesson is part 2 of a sequence of 6 lessons addressing the key enquiry: How can we become the future political leaders?

This lesson explores the various ways students can engage in politics, emphasising the roles of political parties and local and national government. Students begin with a retrieval activity to review prior knowledge, followed by creating mind maps that detail how to get involved in politics, such as joining political parties or engaging with local representatives. Videos, links, and resources are used to highlight the accessibility of political participation and the importance of local government in daily life. Students also learn about their MPs and how voting records reflect democratic accountability.

The lesson concludes with a debate on whether the UK voting age should be reduced to 16. Students analyse arguments, articulate their positions, and participate in a referendum simulation to apply their learning. Assessment opportunities include mind maps, Q&A, written responses, and the debate. A takeaway task extends learning by encouraging students to explore forms of government and political terminology, fostering greater understanding of political systems.

Students will work towards answering the following questions:

1. What are the different ways I can become involved in politics?
2. Should the voting age be reduced to 16 in the UK?

This unit of work forms part of our model core curriculum, which is exclusively available to School and College Members. Check out the full key stage 4 curriculum overview map here.