Celebrate Parliament Week (31/10 – 6/11) with FREE resources and events
The initial annual Parliament Week is launching on 31 October 2011 and running through 6 November. This is an exciting chance for educators and younger people to explore the work and function of Parliament and, through the theme of ‘Stories of Democracy’, to see how decisions made in Westminster have an impact on everyone’s lives. It’s additionally a great chance for you to invite your MP in to learn about his/her work and demonstrate all the good work done through the citizenship education curriculum.
Below are some proposals for how educators and younger people can participate in Parliament Week: For further guidance, see the relevant UK information.
- Hansard Society Young People’s Question Time The Hansard Society is hosting a special gathering in Parliament to encourage younger people to put their queries to a cross-party panel of MPs, chaired by Krishnan Guru-Murthy (Channel 4 news). The event is free to attend and open to all young individuals. Monday 31 October, 2011, 6.30pm, Houses of Parliament.
- Parliament and Schools A material pack to prepare learners for a visit from either an MP or a member of the House of Lords.
- MyUK online A material that enables players to take charge of Britain as the prime minister and to choose and pass new laws, customise their nation and pursue their own vision of the UK.
- Schools Questions and Answers An chance for learners to run their own query time webcast, broadcast live on the BBC website or host an edition of BBC Radio 4’s Any Queries at their school.
- UK Youth Parliament Debate in the House of Commons On the 4th November, Members of the UK Youth Parliament will travel from all elements of the UK to debate and vote on the top five topics from their manifesto in the House of Commons chamber. Why not hold your own debate in your school in the same week?
- Speak Free This Amnesty material contains assembly and lesson plans sharing the story of Peter Benenson, founder of Amnesty International. The resource explores the right of freedom of expression and asks learners to think about how they can participate in democracy and stand up for the rights of those whose democratic freedoms are denied.
- I Talk Out Loud A film that tells the story of the extra-curricular Amnesty Youth Group at Eastlea School and their campaign to end stoning in Iran. It’s a great example of how ordinary younger people can engage in democracy through campaigning and make a real difference in the world. Why not demonstrate the DVD during Parliament Week and inspire your learners to get campaigning for human rights?
- Picturing Democracy This national photography project encourages people to take a picture that commemorates an historical gathering or person that contributed to the development of democracy, or an image that represents a modern story of democracy in the UK.
Whatever you do to celebrate Parliament Week, let us know!
