Is the coronavirus affecting men and women differently? This resource encourages learners to study this question from several angles: from death rates, to the impact of lockdown to numbers on the front line. The activities help learners use evidence to draw their own conclusions and to assess the limits of the available data. Weigh up the evidence on questions like: Is COVID-19 worsening gender inequality? Are women better leaders during a crisis? Does we think hard enough about gender during a pandemic? The reflection activity invites learners to write 100 words about why it’s important to think about gender equality during the current crisis.

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?

These activities challenge learners to think about where they get their news from and to question what they are reading. It’s pakced full of questions like: What are the best and worst ways to get news? When can we trust what we read in the news? Why might news matter more to some people than others? What makes a story hit the headlines? We suggest supporting your child to complete the activities. We have developed this resource from a previous classroom version, available here:economistfoundation.org/resources

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.

This child-led learning resource is perfect for use at home independently, with a sibling or with adult input. The activities helps learners to think about what veganism means for society and lets them explore really interesting questions like: • Why do people choose to be vegan? • What factors are important when people make lifestyle choices? • Is a vegan society a better society? It will help learners to practise the critical-thinking skills which are important for understanding and discussing the news: reasoning, open-mindedness and scepticism, as well as the communication skill, speaking-up.

The Economist’s cartoonist, Kal, guides you through his creative process explaining how he takes on the role of journalist, satirist, commentator and artist before challenging young people at home to get drawing. These activities encourage learners to: Explore the aims of cartoons Understand the different audiences of political cartoons Discover the importance of “four hats” to the design process Plan and draw their own political cartoons Cartoons are also a great discussion starter, generating questions about purpose, meaning and interpretation - perfect to use alongside a written text. A classroom version of this resource is also available to download.

Numeracy in the news: behind the headlines Designed to be used at home by a child working alone or with an adult or siblings. These activities help learners make sense of the numbers in the news and empower them to make their own judgments based on evidence.  Through a combination of numeracy skills and discussion questions, learners are able to see behind the headlines and better-understand the media they consume. Engaging scenarios help them to: Investigate how numbers can be presented to support a viewpoint Interrogate the accuracy of claims in the headlines Adjust their thinking in light of new findings Analyse numerical evidence to help solve a social issue A classroom version of this resource is also available to download here.

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.

April 22nd is Earth Day, and this resource engages students with big questions about climate action. They’re challenged to consider the specific steps they can take over different timescales, to discuss the obstacles and to question where responsibilities lie. This resource will be used by schools worldwide as part of the Global Conversation from April 20th - June 1st 2020. Follow the discussion at BurnetNewsClub.com

This resource gives students the opportunity to discuss and make judgements on real examples of politicians’ behaviour, leading to ethical questions about justice, democracy, responsibility and power. It complements the National Curriculum for England: KS2-4 Citizenship, including the role and responsibilities of Parliament. This resource helps to develop the following skills: SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth 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. 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.

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

A POSITIVE HUMAN FUTURE: Designing the sustainable city of tomorrow Length: 4x sessions, 4 hours total, but you can pick out activities that interest you the most! Age: 9+. Older students should spend more time on sessions 2 and 3 Group size: This workshop would work best for 10-25 students This workshop was sponsored by PA Consulting, an innovation and transformation consultancy. The workshop is designed to support PA’s Raspberry Pi competition 2020, an annual contest which challenges school and college students nationwide to put their innovation and programming skills to the test. It can be used by schools taking part in the competition as a way to generate ideas for competition entries. However, this resource can also be used by schools that are not taking part in the competition. We hope lots of schools will enjoy using it to facilitate inspiring discussions in their classrooms about the future of cities! It’s a great subject to stimulate creative thinking and debate about real world issues, from social mobility to healthcare. In this workshop, students will: Build knowledge around the history of cities Explore and debate the opportunities and challenges of modern city living Unpick the data informing us about cities Research and evaluate case studies of technological innovation in cities Generate ideas of their own for future cities This resource helps to develop the following skills: SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth 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.

This resource introduces students to the news and gets them answering key questions about where the news can be found and how the importance of a news story will differ from person to person. It could be used as part of PSHE, before looking at a particular story, to give students a better understanding of a news-report task. This lesson helps to develop the following news literacy skills: SCEPTICISM: Questioning information to find the truth REASONING: Justifying a viewpoint This resource was 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.

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.

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.

There has been a worrying increase in knife crime with young people being directly affected. Across two 20 minute activities, students will look at some statistics surrounding the issue and explore suggested reasons and solutions. THESE RESOURCES: – Look at the rise of knife crime in the context of general crime – Explore statistics from 2018 – Considers the reasons behind the rise – Structures research into possible solutions Everything is provided to run two short activities for students aged 11 to 16.

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.

A 75 minute workshop exploring Roger Fenton, one of the earliest war photographers. Students will build a picture of Britain during the Crimean War; consider the impact of photography on the British public; and debate whether Fenton offered one of the earliest examples of fake news. This workshop: – Covers the context behind the Crimean War – Uncovers the impact of war photography on the British public – Evaluates several of Fenton’s photographs – Supports students to interrogate if war photography always tells the truth Everything is provided, from session guides to resource activities, to run the 75 minute workshop for students aged 11-15.

This scheme of work includes everything you need to run six one-hour sessions for key stage 2 or 3 students on the financial system ten years on since the crisis. It was produced by The Economist Educational Foundation, an independent charity 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. As a teacher, do I need to know anything about this topic? Not at all. All the necessary information is provided! What are the objectives? To build students’ knowledge, skills and confidence. STUDENTS WILL… Learn about the financial system, how it affects them, and how people’s decisions determine whether it works well or goes wrong. Build essential critical thinking and communication skills: reasoning, scepticism, curiosity, open-mindedness and storytelling. All the Foundation’s resources are designed to build these skills, as we believe they are essential for the modern world. Develop the confidence to have their say. The six sessions will enable students to make well-informed, sound arguments for their opinions on this important and complex issue. WHAT’S INCLUDED? Multimedia news content Detailed session guides for leading fun, interactive activities – no planning required This scheme of work is supported by the Bank of England. The Economist Educational Foundation maintained full editorial control. The Bank contributed a video resource which explains what banks do, what the Bank of England does, what happened in the financial crisis and what is being done to make banks safer. We would like to thank the Bank for adding this resource and for helping to support our work.

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.