The Commonwealth Class education pack is a dynamic, exciting resource for teachers who want to teach young people about Commonwealth values like rights and responsibilities, protecting the environment and what people need to lead healthy lives. The pack contains cross-curricular activities, short films and discussion guides with learning outcomes that link to key skills, curriculum subjects and Commonwealth values. The activities can be used to support lesson planning and teaching across your curriculum. The flexible and wide ranging materials are mainly targeted at 7-14 year olds.

The British Council’s Year of the Horse education pack contains classroom resources focusing on China and designed to help introduce primary school children to some of the differences and similarities between the lives and culture of people in the UK and China. The pack was produced by the British Council in connection with the IOE Confucius Institute for Schools. It is also available in Welsh. For more information, to access supporting materials and to download individual chapters, please visit http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/projects-and-resources/year-of-the-horse

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important festival in the Chinese lunar calendar after Chinese New Year. In 2019 the festival will fall on 13 September. Each education pack contains lesson plans, an assembly plan, activities and supporting materials to introduce Chinese culture to the classroom, keep your young people engaged and look forward to next year when, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar, we enter the Year of the Horse.

British Council has joined forces with The FA, Premier League + Football League to commemorate the 1914 Christmas Truce. The pack includes photos, eye-witness accounts + letters from soldiers. Perspectives from British, French, Belgian, German + Indian witnesses are included with activities for English, language, drama, art, sport, history + moral education. Schools are invited to design a memorial with the winner chosen by The Duke of Cambridge + Arsenal/ England forward Theo Walcott to be built at the National Memorial Arboretum. http://schoolsonline.britishcouncil.org/football-remembers

Focusing on China, the materials which were prepared in connection with the IOE Confucius Institute for Schools will help introduce primary school children to some of the differences and similarities between the lives and culture of people in the UK and China. Each education pack contains an array of resources for the classroom including; lesson plans, Chinese poems, assembly plans, posters and activities to keep your young people engaged throughout.

This Shakespeare Lives schools’ pack has been created by the British Council in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death in 2016. The pack celebrates Shakespeare as a writer who still speaks for all people and nations, addressing big questions and themes about the human experience and what it means to be a citizen in the twenty-first century. This pack encourages teachers and pupils to engage with some of the key issues, themes and ideas in Shakespeare’s plays, and to explore the ways they remain relevant and current in our lives today, wherever we are in the world. Specially designed to encourage learning across the curriculum, the resource is split into five key themes; Leadership and Power, Family and Relationships, Identity and Equality, Fate and Destiny, Justice and Rules. Within each themed section you will find a wide range of activities for pupils aged 7-14. These can be used as starting points in individual lessons or as elements of a cross-curricular project, which could be carried out with a partner school overseas. Shakespeare’s plays have been staged many times since they were written over 400 years ago, and there are still so many different ways of interpreting his work. Each interpretation will draw out different themes and ideas. We hope you and your pupils will enjoy exploring the ones we have developed in this pack, which is available to download now.

The Arab world is a fascinating, diverse geographical region with a rich culture and history. Arabic is spoken by more than 300 million people. The education pack is designed to help primary school teachers introduce aspects of both Arabic language and Arab culture to your pupils, including: well known Arabic fables, teaching students moral lessons. counting to 10 in Arabic perfecting your pronunciation of Arabic greetings exploring the intricate geometric patterns of Arabic mosaics The Arabic Language and Culture pack is an excellent way to introduce young learners to the Arab world while also challenging their preconceptions of Arab culture. This education pack has been created as part of the British Council’s Arabic Language and Culture Programme in partnership with Qatar Foundation.

Eleven-year-old Sean has a condition called cerebral palsy. It means his muscles don’t always work properly. This sometimes makes it harder for him to speak and to control his legs. Sean goes to school at Multikids Academy in Ghana. Any child can come here - whether they have special needs or not. There are six children in Sean’s class. About half of them have a special need. Keeping class sizes small means the teacher can give all the children the right amount of attention. Around 1 in every 300 children in Ghana has cerebral palsy, which is caused by complications at birth.

Kofi goes to school at Multikids Academy in Ghana, West Africa. It is unique because it’s inclusive: any child can come here, whether they have special needs or not. Kofi has severe cerebral palsy and needs a wheelchair. There are seven pupils in his class, all with special needs. Extra helpers make sure everyone gets enough attention. Although Kofi’s friends think he&‘s around 16 years old, nobody really knows. He was abandoned near a graveyard three years ago, and he&’;s not able to say where he came from.

The dramatic increase in population has led greater production of physical waste and carbon emissions to the point where the average person produces 4.2 tonnes of carbon per year. The scale of the problem may appear too large or unsolvable, but it is possible to focus on the progress that has already been made in countries around the world with regard to waste reduction and processing. Pupils can explore the multiple causes of climate change and learn about the approaches that are being taken to mitigate it. Waste management is the principle discussion point in this resource, as it is something that all communities all over the world can change. Pupils can design and implement mini-projects to help reduce personal carbon footprints by considering waste management solutions in local communities. The learning materials can be adapted to each school and the needs of specific students and are designed as ten lessons of 60 minutes each for pupils of nine to 16 years.

Our primary languages downloadable pack is designed for Language Assistants and other native speakers who are new to teaching languages at primary level as well as giving advice to the host schools. The pack includes guidance on how to get started, examples of best practice, specific teaching ideas and resources for use in the classroom.

Felicia lives in Isleworth in London. She’s studying hard for her art A-Level exam. Today she has taken time-out to visit her grandparents, Eileen and Henry. Felicia lived with her grandparents for the first eight years of her life as her mum was working full-time. She has always shared a special bond with her granddad. But in recent years things have become increasingly difficult. Although Henry looks very healthy, he has a disease called Alzheimer&'s. Alzheimer&’;s is a type of dementia or disease of the brain.

Going to school is no guarantee of learning, as it is estimated that 250 million children worldwide are unable to read, write or count well, even if they have been to school. The education Global Goal for Sustainable Development (SDG) focuses on access to education and inclusive quality education. This resource combines knowledge about this global issue with tasks that focus on pupils’ own schools. By understanding the situation in different parts of the world, pupils gain understanding about their own situation. Use the resource to help pupils make proposals and take action within and beyond their schools. The resource can be adapted for each school, the age of the class, and the needs of specific pupils. The ten lessons of 60 minutes are designed for 7-11 year olds and can be adapted for 11-14 year olds.

193 world leaders have committed to The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to help make the world safer, fairer and more just for everyone. There 17 Sustainable Development Goals aim to accomplish three things by 2030: tackle extreme poverty fight inequality and injustice protect the planet. The resource challenges you and your students to discuss the 17 goals and think of practical solutions to contribute to a more sustainable world. Exploring the themes of the SDGs is an excellent way to get your students thinking about their wider community and environment, while also delving into the life obstacles faced by others.

The Ragdoll Foundation is dedicated to developing the power of imaginative responses in children through the arts.‘What Makes Me Happy’ is a series of short, fun films showing that even where lives are difficult children can still find happiness. The films were produced in-country by working with the children themselves. These are their own stories about what makes them happy and we want to share them with you and as many children as possible around the world. There is so much you can learn about your own happiness and the happiness of others.

‘The Second Freedom&’ follows Jack Brown as he goes through life, and explores the various benefits he may receive as a result of National Insurance.

Discover what 2016’s Year of the Monkey symbolises using our new pack filled with fun activities based on Chinese culture and traditions. Start preparing for Chinese New Year, explore the mythology behind the Chinese zodiac and uncover what the Year of the Monkey actually means in 2016. Take your students along on a journey with the Monkey King as he steals the pills of invisibility and then sets out to the west with his magical companions. Or, using the pack, teach them how to make traditional opera masks, draw monkeys using Chinese brush strokes, create decorative DIY kites and even learn some basic Chinese. There are plenty of creative and fun ideas for you and your students to learn about the rich history and culture of China. Note: To listen to embedded sound clips, please download the education pack and open with Adobe Reader.

From 16-27 March 2016, Five short films from BFI Flare, the British Film Institute’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Film Festival, was available to audiences around the world through the BFI player. The festival has now closed, however you can find out more about this year’s films here. Films and resources Although the main festival has closed, you can still use our resource and watch our film ‘London Loves You’ to stimulate discussion in the classroom. The film was made in a London secondary school and shows students discussing how they and their school community feel about LGBT issues. You can watch it here (https://vimeo.com/158625035) and it can also be found in the resource pack. Please note, in some countries you may prefer to use this material with older students.

We have developed a series of resources, in partnership with The Royal Society, to enhance science learning in schools. This second resource in the Commonwealth Science Class series is centred on how the prevent the spread of infectious diseases and is packed with activity ideas to help your students investigate and explore the subject in more depth. Before downloading the resource, and to help you get started, we recommend you watch the accompanying video with your class.

We have developed a series of resources, in partnership with The Royal Society, to enhance science learning in schools. The first in the Commonwealth Science Class series focuses on the topic of renewable energy and is filled with activity ideas to help students discuss and explore the subject in more depth. Before delving into this resource, we recommend that teachers show students the accompanying video.