CHECK OUT OUR MORE RECENT BREXIT RESOURCE HERE: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/brexit-and-democracy-debate-should-the-uk-have-a-second-referendum-12068930 This unit of work covers understanding and analysis of this important and topical issue. Students are asked to evaluate the facts and give their opinion through a range of activities. This issue asks students to create poems to reflect their opinions. This resource is an issue that students cover in the Burnet News Club (www.burnetnewsclub.com) ----------- INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE The European Union (the EU for short) is a club with 28 member countries from Europe. Its purpose is mainly to make it easier for member countries to trade (buy and sell things) with each other. There are laws and rules that member countries have to follow. On June 23rd Britain will hold a referendum in which voters will choose whether to stay in or to leave the EU. The outcome will have a big effect on our economy, on politics and on Europe.

CHECK OUT OUR MORE RECENT DEMOCRACY AND BREXIT RESOURCE HERE: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/brexit-and-democracy-debate-should-the-uk-have-a-second-referendum-12068930 Everyone is talking about 'fake news’ at the moment, after it became such a big thing during the American election. People accuse it of changing the election results and of deceiving the public. This 6-session scheme of work explores fake news, and teaches students how to spot fake news and challenge what they hear in the media. These fully-planned, interactive and multi-media resources help to develop your students’ critical thinking and literacy skills and to embed cognitively challenging conversations in your classrooms.

Published in response to recent events, these resources helps learners to explore questions like: What is prejudice? What does discrimination look like? Whose responsibility is it to end racism? Is racism always obvious? Is treating people equally always fair? Is racism getting worse? This resource includes Advice on managing sensitive conversations with young people. Links to further anti-racism resources for both children and adults. A special piece for older students with thinking questions.

This unit of work covers understanding and analysis of this important and topical issue. Students are asked to evaluate the facts and give their opinion through a range of activities. This resource is an issue that students cover in the Burnet News Club (www.burnetnewsclub.com) ----------- INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE In August the 2016 Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, a large city in Brazil. The Olympic Games are the biggest, broadest sporting event in the world. Every four years, hundreds of countries send a team of athletes to compete in sports ranging from running and jumping to swimming and basketball. This issue looks at how a big sporting event like the Rio Olympics can affect society, and helps students find out whether they think sport is good or bad for society.

This is a mini scheme of work for KS2 and KS3 students about the 2017 General Election. Over the three sessions, your students will learn what a general election is, who the main political parties are and decide who they would vote for. Content is accurate as of May 3rd 2017. Please check back over the course of the election as we will update the resources as the political parties release their manifestos. See more of what we do at www.burnetnewsclub.com

This resource helps students think more deeply about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. What challenges do the organisers face? What considerations need to be taken into account? And should the games go ahead? Straight-forward activities get students discussing the big questions and practising the Skills Builder skills: creativity, problem-solving, speaking and listening.

General election: What matters most? Length: 60 minutes This resource challenges students to think about how best to make decisions when faced with a general election. It encourages them to make the most of what they already know and recall events in the recent news to support their opinions. However, in-depth knowledge of politicians, parties and policies is not a prerequisite. It can be used at any point in the run-up to this year’s general election on December 12th 2019. This resource helps to develop the following skills: REASONING: Justifying a viewpoint SPEAKING UP: Confidently communicating a viewpoint OPEN-MINDEDNESS: Listening to other viewpoints These resources were produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that was set up by The Economist magazine. Combining The Economist’s journalistic know-how with teaching expertise, we specialise in supporting teachers to facilitate high-quality classroom discussions about the news. Cover image: dominika zarzycka / Shutterstock.com

For nearly three years now, Brexit and the EU has dominated the news in Europe and beyond. One persistent debate asks whether a second referendum is the best way forward. This workshop explores the arguments on either side of the debate and asks students to form their own opinions. The resources will develop understanding and analysis of this important and topical issue. Students are asked to evaluate the arguments and give their opinion through a range of activities. THIS WORKSHOP: – Familiarises students with important keywords – Covers the timeline of Brexit up to February 2019 – Unpicks the arguments for and against a second referendum – Structures a group discussion Everything is provided, from session guides to resource activities, to run a 75 minute workshop for students aged 11 to 15.

This unit of work covers understanding and analysis of this important and topical issue. Students are asked to evaluate the facts and give their opinion through a range of activities. This resource is an issue that students cover in the Burnet News Club (www.burnetnewsclub.com) ----------- INTRODUCTION TO THE ISSUE Everyone needs to live in a home. Your parents may rent their home, which means they pay some money each month to their landlord, or perhaps they bought their home. In Britain, both renting and buying homes has become very expensive in recent years. In fact, Britain is one of the world’s most expensive places to live.To buy a home people have to take out a very big loan from a bank. The average adult in Britain earns about £25,000 a year but the average home costs about £300,000. Why is it a problem that it is expensive to buy a home in the UK? One reason is that if people are struggling to find a suitable home, this can have lots of negative effects on the communities we live in. For example, it can lead to homelessness, inequality and conflict.

How should budgets be spent? And how similar are considerations for personal and government budgets? Use this one-hour Headline lesson to help your students: Explore the challenges of state budgeting Discuss considerations for personal budgeting Decide how to spend a government budget Looking for more news-based resources? Check out our resource library!

This unprecedented COVID-19 crisis has brought debates around freedom of speech into the spotlight. This resource provokes thinking about what people should be allowed to say, and who should make the rules. These activities challenge learners to think about questions like: Should people be allowed to say whatever they want? Is censorship necessary during a pandemic? What’s more important - freedom to say what you want, or safety from harmful words? Learners can complete the activities on their own but it’s even better if an adult can push them to develop their reasons and see other perspectives. The reflection questions can provoke extended discussions. For example, when (if ever) is it acceptable for a leader to withhold information?

It’s been 100 years since some women got the vote in the UK. This year, hundreds of famous entertainers have launched a campaign against the harassment of women. The campaign, called ‘Time’s Up’, is a reminder that women are still sometimes mistreated simply because they are female. This 6-session scheme of work explores barriers that women face both in and out of the workplace and asks questions which encourage all genders to consider how they and society are affected by this issue. There is also an additional optional session covering sexual harassment. Use these fully-planned, interactive and multi-media resources to develop your student’s critical thinking and literacy skills and to embed cognitively challenging conversations in your classrooms. If you’d like to find out more, visit burnetnewsclub[dot]com

Extreme weather is one of the biggest threats facing our world. To minimise the impact, communities, economies and health care systems need to respond and adapt. But how? This six-lesson scheme of work explores the answer to this question and many more. These activities encourage learners to: Investigate how extreme weather affects different communities Consider links to climate change Evaluate different responses that the world can make Reflect on the responsibilities countries have to each other There are opportunities to make connections with the COVID-19 pandemic and draw parallels between different crises. This scheme of work is student-led, which means it is perfect for use at home independently, with a sibling or with parental input.

Coronavirus and wellbeing. Help children reflect on their wellbeing in the current climate and consider how they could help themselves and others. This resource encourages learners to think about how others are coping during the pandemic and the factors that can affect this. Get learners to explore questions like: What kind of things help your wellbeing? How has the coronavirus impacted your mental health? How could you help someone else stay positive during this time? Learners can also find links to further support on mental health.

This resource introduces students to the climate emergency and gets them discussing a range of big questions. It’s suitable for students aged 10 and over. This lesson helps to develop the following news literacy skills: SPEAKING UP: Confidently communicating a viewpoint OPEN-MINDEDNESS: Listening to other viewpoints This resource was produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that was set up by The Economist magazine. We combine The Economist’s journalistic know-how with teaching expertise, and we specialise in supporting teachers to facilitate high-quality classroom discussions about the news.

This resource looks at the purpose of political cartoons and how an expert produces them. It will take 60 minutes to run and is aimed at 10- to 15-year-olds. We suggest running it with 12 to 30 students. Teachers are encouraged to adapt it as necessary for their students’ needs. – This lesson helps to develop the following news literacy skills: SPEAKING UP: Confidently communicating a viewpoint SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth – This resource was produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity that was set up by The Economist magazine. We combine The Economist’s journalistic know-how with teaching expertise, and we specialise in supporting teachers to facilitate high-quality classroom discussions about the news.

In this lesson students will build their knowledge of news literacy, misinformation and disinformation. They’ll work through examples in groups to spot the difference between mis- and disinformation, before deciding what “news-literacy actions” they could take to avoid being misled in future. This resource was created as part of an online teacher-training course: how to teach the news. See full course: bit.ly/TT-springboard

How might artificial intelligence affect the UK general election? Debate what should be allowed during election campaigns and consider solutions to address the problems caused by generative AI. Use this one-hour lesson to help your students: Consider the impact of generative AI during elections Decide whether AI should be allowed during election campaigns Identify and analyse solutions for the problems that generative AI might cause Looking for more resources on elections and democracy? Explore our full collection of free resources.

This student-led learning activity helps young people to investigate the coronavirus pandemic and explores really interesting questions like: How do we know what information to trust? Why do people do things that they know are wrong? Whose views do we need to see the whole picture? Young people can give this a go on their own, but if there’s someone at home to work with, why not have a go together? You could also connect with someone by telephone or video. We’ll practise some critical-thinking skills which are important for understanding and discussing the news: reasoning, open-mindedness, scepticism and speaking-up.

During the first UK lockdown, many families reverted back to the traditional set-up of mothers doing more childcare. Experts say we are at a “coronavirus crossroads”: without more support for working mothers, the gender pay gap could widen. So what should be done? These activities help your learners: Analyse statistics about pay discrimination Consider the impact of a culture of secrecy around salaries Suggest solutions to help close the gender pay gap Learn about the law on equal pay Understand the impact of the coronavirus on the gender pay gap See this issue from different perspectives