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Parallel Elections Project: Week 4

Key stage 3 (ages 11-14) • Politics, Parliament & Government • Assemblies & fact sheets

Professor John Curtice on polling

Elections, Polls, and Hustings

Week 4: 

As the election draws closer, we focus on hustings and polling, exploring how these can influence voters and shape elections. Pupils will have the opportunity to explore the world of political opinion polls and investigate how they can influence campaigning and any undecided voters.

Pupils will also focus on the process of election hustings, and the opportunity this gives the electorate to engage with candidates on issues they care about and gain insight on those canvassing for their votes. 

This week also provides an opportunity to review progress so far, particularly for settings using the Parallel Elections Project resources to run a parallel election as part of an active citizenship project. Review and evaluation are important components of the active citizenship cycle. Pupils should be encouraged to look not only at their own knowledge and skills development (including the use of the Skills Builder passports) but also at how they are working towards the aims of their team and running a successful parallel election.

Lesson 1: An investigation into the purpose of opinion polls and hustings in a General Election, and how these can be useful to the political campaign team. Additionally, pupils will consider the potential impact opinion polls can have on undecided voters.

Lesson 2: In this session, pupils are in the final stages of planning their campaign and gathering the information and logistics they need to run a successful parallel election. They will also need to consider how they can influence any undecided voters. This should also be an opportunity for self-evaluation and time to reflect on individual and team progress to date. Pupils are encouraged to identify areas for improvement and amend any final plans to allow for a successful election.

Visit our dedicated General Election page