What is a political party and what do they stand for? Lesson 4 of 6

What is a political party and what do they stand for?

This lesson is part 4 of a sequence of 6 lessons addressing the key enquiry: How can we become the future political leaders?

In this lesson, students explore the political spectrum and examine the key focuses of major UK political parties. They learn about manifestos and analyse how party priorities shift in response to national and global issues. Through discussions and interactive activities, students develop critical thinking skills, engage in reasoned debate, and gain an understanding of governance and democracy. The lesson emphasises political impartiality, ensuring a balanced exploration of different viewpoints.

Students participate in activities such as annotating a political spectrum worksheet, analysing party manifestos, and creating their own political party manifesto. They reflect on their political beliefs and discuss their ideas with peers, fostering an understanding of diverse perspectives. The lesson concludes with students sharing and critiquing each other’s manifestos, encouraging thoughtful discussion and engagement with political concepts.

Students will work towards answering the following questions:

1. What is the political spectrum and where are the key parties in the UK?
2. What is a manifesto?
3. What are the key parties’ focuses?

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.