Elections parties and manifestos Teaching activities Do Now

Elections, parties and manifestos Teaching activities

Do Now • Discuss in pairs as many occasions as you can think of when you might vote. – In a General Election (to elect MPs to Parliament). – In a local election (to elect councillors to local council). – TV Programmes – X Factor, Dancing on Ice, Strictly Come Dancing, Let’s Dance for Comic Relief. – To make a decision. – To elect you reps. for school/student/class council.

We are learning about: Elections and manifestos You will be able to: 1. Understand what a manifesto is. 2. Explain how a manifesto is used in the election process.

What is a Manifesto? A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially of a political nature A statement which describes what you stand for and what you will do if you are elected to govern the country People read the manifesto to help decide who to vote for in an election Each of the main political parties will have a manifesto for the General Election 2017

Your Manifesto policy • In pairs you are going to write a manifesto policy on the issue of: – Should cars be banned from city centres? • Your manifesto policy should be appealing and give reasons for why you think your policy is right • You will present your manifesto policy as a group to the rest of the class • Use the your own research to develop your policy. What are the different political parties saying about this issue?

Election issue: Should cars be banned from city centres? • Many people drive cars in the centre of British cities. They use space on the road and contribute to pollution, while also helping people get to the places they need to go to. • London and other cities have reduced traffic by charging drivers who bring their cars to the city centre. • Do you think it’s time to go further, and ban private cars completely in cities?

When developing your manifesto policy think about… • Are public transport options good enough to survive without cars in most cities? • Would this policy make public transport better? Why or why not? • Why might people want or need to drive their own car? • Are those reasons important enough to outweigh any harms that driving in cities can cause?

Manifesto policy • In pairs or on your own if you prefer you are going to write a manifesto. • Your manifesto is appealing to voters. • You must come up with some great reasons why you think what you do. • You will be presenting your manifesto as a group to the rest of the class. Purpose – to learn about what makes a good manifesto and the purpose of a manifesto. Resources – ‘The Manifesto’ Sheet, pen. In or out of seats - in Noise – group voices Time – 30 mins

The VOTE! • We are going to discuss the issues and vote for the best Manifesto policy • Be prepared to say why you think what you think • You all get one vote, but are NOT allowed to vote for your own policy

Exam Style Question ‘It should be made compulsory for people to vote in General Elections’. Do you agree? Include more than one point of view. Use the sheet you have been given to help you structure your response.

Published by ACT May 2017 With thanks to Helen Blachford and the English Speaking Union (ESU) More examples of election related debate motions are available from the ESU