What is Parliament and what are its functions? Lesson 2 of 6
GCSE • Politics, Parliament and Government • Model curriculum
What is Parliament and what are its functions?
This lesson is part 2 of a sequence of 6 lessons addressing the key enquiry: What are the strengths and weaknesses of the UK as a parliamentary democracy?
This lesson deepens students’ understanding of Parliament and its role in a democratic system. It begins with a baseline activity where students reflect on their prior knowledge of Parliament, supplemented by video resources and class discussion. The lesson explores the link between democracy and Parliament, focusing on how Parliament represents the people and acts as a check on government power. Through guided activities, students discuss the purpose of Parliament, its structure, and the organisation of the UK government, fostering a critical examination of the balance of power in a democracy.
The centrepiece of the lesson is a scavenger hunt activity, where students work in pairs to investigate how the prime minister is checked through mechanisms like the judiciary, legislature, and media. This hands-on task encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and synthesis of information. The lesson concludes with a plenary discussion revisiting the question of whether the prime minister has too much power, allowing students to reflect on and articulate their views. A takeaway task, such as a virtual tour of Parliament or an interactive game, extends learning and connects it to real-world applications.
This lesson has been designed for delivery as a double lesson. Timings for each task are given as guidelines.
Students will work towards answering the following questions:
- What is the link between Parliament and democracy?
- What is Parliament’s purpose?
- How are the UK Parliament and government organised?
- Are there enough checks on the prime minister?
- How do the monarch, legislature, executive and judiciary work together?
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