Houses of Parliament Resources for your UK Parliament Week The Muslim Council of Britain www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 1
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What is UK Parliament Week? A programme of events and activities that connects people with the UK Parliament and democracy. There is something for everyone: whether you attend or organise an event or simply take part in the conversation online @YourUKparl. Organisations across the UK run events and activities throughout UK Parliament Week which explore what the UK Parliament means to them and their community. It s great to see that the Muslim Council of Britain is taking part in UK Parliament Week this year. We ve developed this resource to encourage groups to get involved. How do we take part? The ideas are designed to be flexible and adaptable to different group sizes, time slots and age ranges. Your organisation can take part in UK Parliament Week in almost any way you wish. From workshops to debates, film screenings to discussions, whatever works best for your audience. As long as your event helps your audience to engage with the work of Parliament, explore its history, and empowers then to get involved, there are no limits to taking part in UK Parliament Week. www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 3
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The Muslim Council of Britain has for years promoted the active participation of Muslims in the democratic process. As the UK s largest national representative Muslim umbrella body with over 500 affiliated mosques, charities and schools, one of the MCB s roles is to encourage Muslim individuals and organisations to play a full and participatory role in public life. For example the MCB s Muslim Vote platform launched in 2015 - a campaign to engage Muslims to participate in democracy has actively sought to promote voter registration and encourage Muslims to engage with their local prospective parliamentary candidates on issues that affect then. The MCB also urges Imams and community leaders to remind their mosque congregations on the significance of voting and voter turn-out as an important civic responsibility. Now in its 7th year, UK Parliament Week is a fantastic annual programme to encourage civic responsibility as well, by raising awareness about the important role of the Houses of Parliament in the functioning of our democracy. The MCB is proud to support UK Parliament Week by promoting it to our affiliates and co-producing this resource booklet for teachers and educationalist. So whatever your political views or affiliations, let us celebrate what democracy means in Britain today and find ever more innovative ways to engage our children ultimately the next generation of Britons with a deeper understanding of democracy too. Harun Khan Secretary-General Muslim Council of Britain www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 5
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Contents Assemblies... 6 Quiz... 7 Debating... 8 Ballot box...18 Art... 22 www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 7
Assemblies Power in your pocket Aim: To underline the power of voting and participation in the democratic process Tip! You will need a simple blank ballot paper. Host the assembly using the following steps: 1. Say that you have in your pocket something more powerful than any weapon. It can create whole countries, it can link or break links with other countries, and it can topple powerful governments and create new ones. It can make and change laws that affect everyone. [From your pocket produce the blank ballot paper] 2. Explain that it is a voting slip or ballot paper and it is so powerful because it gives equal power and equal rights to everyone who is eligible to vote. It doesn t matter who you know or what your background is, if you re allowed to vote this slip of paper gives you a voice that is as loud as anyone s in the land. [If appropriate you could ask for examples of where these are used, encouraging a wide range of responses including referenda, trades union elections, local and national elections, and school councils.] 3. This ability for everyone to have their say is the cornerstone of democracy, a system of government that gives the ultimate power to the people being governed. In our country and in successful democracies around the world we have Representative Democracy. This is where the people choose representatives to consider issues and take decisions. But this doesn t mean that an MP or any elected person can do whatever she or he wants when in power. They have to obey the law of the land just the same as everyone else, and if the people don t like what they do they can throw them out at the next election! Non-democratic systems do not offer this and so the people have no power. 4. Refer to the voting slip and suggest that you re sure that someone here is thinking that this isn t for them because they re too young to vote. Point out that voting is only one part of the democratic process. After all, someone has to have the ideas to vote on in the first place. Everyone, of whatever age, can get involved in doing democracy and making a difference. There are things you can vote for now (school councils, talent shows etc.), and you can get in touch directly with your local councillors, national assembly members, MSPs, MEPs or your MP. You can become involved in social media campaigns, discuss and debate the things that really matter to you, and find all sorts of creative ways to get your message across; and you can remind those in power that you will soon have your own vote! 5. Suggest that if the school has a school council, students could get involved by standing to be a councillor or by running a campaign. If the school doesn t have a council, perhaps they could start a campaign to form one. Quiet time of reflection Show the voting slip again and point out that is blank it has no question on it. What question would you like to put on the slip, and how will you use your democratic power to make a difference? A sample ballot paper is included: 8 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
Ballot paper www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 9
Assemblies Magna Carta Aim: To underline the power of voting and participation in the democratic process Tip! You will need a simple blank ballot paper. Background information Magna Carta has had a strong influence on the development of rights in England and later the UK; it has also influenced the development of democratic rights across the world. Agreed by King John in 1215, this important document became known as The Great Charter or, in Latin, Magna Carta. It contained 63 clauses that outlined universal rights some are still in place today, including the right to trial by jury; in 1215 this would have been a trial by your equals. The clauses were revised over time and new versions were issued. Host the assembly using the following steps: 1. Produce an exam paper or important test paper and say that it s just a piece of paper with a monetary value of less than a penny, but it could make a big difference to a life, perhaps to the whole future of someone here today. Documents can seem like they mean virtually nothing at all, but they can have a huge impact on individuals, communities and even whole nations. 2. If appropriate, ask for examples of important documents or mention the Ten Commandments and other ancient religious texts, the death warrant of Anne Boleyn or of other historical figures, the American constitution, peace treaties and so on. Introduce the short film, saying that this is about an early document that is a vital part of our history and of democracy in this country and across the world. www.parliament.uk/education/teaching-resources-lesson-plans/stories-from-parliament-magna-carta 3. Conclude that Magna Carta stated that nobody, not even the king or queen, was above the rule of law and it set out some key rights for everyone. Over time this led to our modern democratic system that allows people to vote for their leaders. You may even have your own democratic bodies fighting for school rights for example a school council. Quiet time of reflection Magna Carta, the Great Charter, established important rights that still exist today and that have led to our modern democratic system. The challenge for everyone is to get involved in changing our world for the better. How will you use your democratic power? 10 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
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Quiz What do you know about your UK Parliament? Aim: To introduce and test knowledge about the UK Parliament using a fun quiz format Introduction There are 30 questions about Parliament and democracy which you can use in a variety of ways. They are grouped in 3 sections, Easy, Harder and Hardest. Random questions for form time Use the questions in a quick-fire unstructured fashion whenever you have a moment to fill during form time. Team quiz In History lessons or when focusing on Citizenship organise the class into teams. You can either select the fastest responders by hands-up, ask a question of each team in turn (with points lost for an incorrect answer), or run a more formal quiz where each team writes down their answers like a pub quiz. Quiz night for parents Run a quiz night as a fund-raiser using the questions below, or you can find a complete set of 60 questions in 6 categories for adults at www.ukparliamentweek.org Questions Easy 1. In which part of London are the Houses of Parliament? Greenwich, Westminster, Hounslow (Westminster) 2. What is the title of the Leader of the United Kingdom Government? Supreme Leader, Head Minister, Prime Minister (Prime Minister) 3. What is someone elected to Parliament called? a Member of Parliament, a Councillor, a Governor (a Member of Parliament) 4. There are two chambers in Parliament, the House of Commons and the House of? Uncommons, Lords, Senators (Lords) 5. What is the name of the largest bell in the clock tower? Big Bertie, the Westminster Clanger, Big Ben (Big Ben) 6. Which river is right next to the Houses of Parliament? the Ooze, the Thames, the Trent (Thames) 7. MPs are elected by people in areas called what? Constituencies, Constitutions, Conglomerates (Constituencies) 8. The Prime Minister and Ministers are known as what? the Board, the Senate, the Cabinet (the Cabinet) 9. The box in which voters put their votes is known as what? Ballot box, Voting box, Election box (Ballot box) 10. Where does the Prime Minister live? the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street (10 Downing Street) 12 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
Harder 1. Which feature film was the first to be granted permission to shoot in the Houses of Parliament? The Dam Busters (1955), The Iron Lady (2011), Suffragette (2015) (Suffragette) 2. Who can choose the date of a general election? voters, the Prime Minister, the House of Lords (the Prime Minister) 3. In what year were women first given the vote in parliamentary elections? 1818, 1918, 1938 (1918) 4. What happened to the Houses of Parliament in October 1834? They were destroyed by fire, they were opened to the public, they were closed because of a plague of rats (destroyed by fire) 5. What happened to the House of Commons in May 1941? The doors jammed trapping the MPs, a light fitting fell on the Prime Minister s head, it was bombed by the Luftwaffe the German air force (it was bombed by the Luftwaffe) 6. What do we call the people who try to ensure that MPs vote with the way the leaders of their party want? Enforcers, Whips, Prodders (Whips) 7. What is the title of the person in both the Lords and the Commons who announces business, the result of votes and keeps order? the chair, the Speaker, Black Rod (the Speaker) 8. What do the letters PMQ stand for? Prime Minister s Questions, Particular Marked Questions, People s Main Queries (Prime Minister s Questions) 9. Every year, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who is in charge of the country s finances, makes a special speech announcing plans for the economy. What is this known as? the Accounts, the Audit, the Budget (the Budget) 10. In what does the Chancellor carry the notes for this speech? A red leather case, a locked metal box, a velvet bag with purple ribbons (a red leather case) www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 13
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Hardest 1. The youngest MP ever was Christopher Monck, who was elected in 1667. How old was he at the time? 13, 16, 18 (13) 2. The tower with a large clock usually known as Big Ben has a proper name. What is it? the Common s Tower, Victoria Clock Tower, the Elizabeth Tower (the Elizabeth Tower) 2. What is the diameter of the clock faces on this tower? 5 metres, 7 metres, 12 metres (7 metres) 3. To the nearest 10, how many staircases are there in the Palace of Westminster? 50, 75, 100 (100) 4. Which of these is not allowed to stand as a member of Parliament? People who have been in prison for 6 months, police officers, people under 21 (police officers if still serving; people who have been in prison for less than a year are allowed to stand) 5. How many speakers of the House of Commons have been executed? 2, 4, 7 (7 between 1393 and 1535) 6. Pitt the Younger was the youngest Prime Minister to date. How old was he when he became Prime Minister? 18, 22, 24 (24) 7. In the House of Lords, what is the name of the seat on which the Lord Speaker sits? the High Chair, the Throne of Justice, the Woolsack (the Woolsack) 8. In 1605 who was John Johnson? Prime Minister, Guy Fawkes false name, the man who arrested Guy Fawkes (Guy Fawkes false name) 9. Spencer Perceval was Prime Minister from 1809 to 1812. What makes him special? He was the first PM to live in Downing St., he bought his dog Shiner into the Commons, he was assassinated in the House of Commons (he was assassinated) 10. There are purple ribbons next to MPs coat hangers in their cloakroom. What are they for? so that MPs can hang up their swords, to be put on a seat to reserve it, to tie up scrolls (so that MPs can hang up their swords) Extension Working in teams, students research and devise their own questions about democracy. Topics can include: National Assemblies and Parliaments Our school council History of democracy (ancient Greeks, early parliaments, votes for women etc.) www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 15
Debating Creating Debate Aim: To explore and give practice in debating, bringing out the key elements in a fair and successful debate Tip! The UK Parliament s Education Service has produced pdf debating resources: Create the debate booklet and Get debating worksheets. These can be found at www.parliament.uk/education Debating definitions Introduce the topic of debating and ask for examples of different types of debate and where they may happen: informal with friends or family, formal in class or inter-school competitions, in school council meetings, local councils, national assemblies and parliaments, United Nations Ask the students to suggest (or write) definitions of some or all of the debating terms below, adapting if your school uses different terminology. Compare and discuss the answers, seeking to clarify the use of these terms and how they relate to formal debates. Abstain: To choose not to vote for one side or the other. Argument: A statement or reason for or against a point. Debate: A formal argument with agreed rules about a particular subject, usually with a method for deciding which side has won. Loaded question: A question designed to trip up an opponent by giving a limited range of possible responses. Example: Is this the first time you ve made up the facts? Yes means you have made up the facts; No suggests that you made them up in the past. Moderator: The person who runs the debate ensuring fair-play and that the rules are kept. In the Houses of Parliament, the moderator is known as the Speaker. Motion: The question that the debate is addressing. This is sometimes called a Resolution. Opposer: Someone who speaks against the proposal. Proposer: The person putting forward the subject of the debate. Rebuttal: Answering an opponent s arguments, demonstrating why you consider them to be incorrect. Seconder: Somebody who backs up the proposer or the opposer. Strategy: Planning to give yourself the best chance of winning the debate. For example, having facts ready to rebut any challenge; considering in advance the arguments your opponent(s) might put forward. Summary: Giving the main points of your argument at the end of the debate in a concise and clear fashion. This is the last opportunity to get your message across. Vote: The system by which those involved in the debate (whether or not they have spoken) choose which side they support. This can be achieved by various methods including a show of hands, physical movement (such as splitting into groups), electronic voting or voting on paper. We talked about whether the Speaker Should be an elected MP or a parliamentary clerk instead. Good arguments for both cases. UK Parliament Week Participant 2016
Step one: choosing a subject The class work in small groups. Give each group a copy of a national or local newspaper either printed or online. The groups have 5 minutes to choose from their paper 3 stories that they think will make good debating subjects. Allow 5 minutes more to whittle the choice down to one subject and to list the main points for and against. Get each group to report back to the whole class; ask the group to describe the method they used to agree their final choice, such as discussing or arguing, secret voting, open voting, coin toss etc. Draw out the key elements of: individual ideas, opinion forming, influencing others, rational argument, citing facts and accepting the majority opinion. Tips for choosing a subject Does this story offer a focused debate subject and single agree/disagree motion? Look for stories that are creating a lot of interest. What are people talking about? What s trending on social media and what s dividing opinion? Do you know or can you get the facts? Facts need checking. Never rely on one source such as a single newspaper. Is your chosen topic interesting enough? If it doesn t grab you as important and interesting, you ll soon lose your listeners, and perhaps the debate! UK Parliament, Jessica Taylor www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 17
Step two: running a House of Commons style debate in the classroom Preparation You may wish to set up the room to look like the House of Commons chamber, with rows of chairs facing each other and the Speaker s chair centrally placed at one end. UK Parliament, Catherine Bebbington Divide the class into two sides, For the team proposing the motion, and Against the team opposing the motion. Give the two teams 10 minutes to discuss their opening argument and key points (at least 3) for their side. Remind the teams that their challenge is to argue their case effectively and persuade the members of the other team to change their mind. To help these large teams organise, you may wish to subdivide each into three smaller teams to work out the arguments, and then agree the main points with the whole team. Some classes may need additional help at this stage. At the end of this section the teams should: Have a clear grasp of the subject of the debate; Have their opening argument ready; Have at least three key points to support their argument; Know who is going to lead on each point. Step three: running the debate Before you begin, outline the rules for the debate: All arguments must be heard. If anyone shouts out or heckles, you as the Speaker will have to call for silence. Once the floor is opened for further comments at the end, those wishing to speak must stand to get the Speaker s attention and wait to be called to speak. All other members of each team should listen carefully to the arguments to decide if they will vote For or Against at the end of the debate has anyone changed their mind? Set a time limit for the entire debate at which point the vote must be taken (Guide time 15 minutes, but this is flexible depending on the age and interest of your group, as well as the time available). Take the role of the Speaker and bring the House to Order before inviting the For team to propose their motion. Next, give the Against team a chance to use their own opening statement in a response. The debate should now move back and forth between the sides until the prepared arguments are finished. The team members may want to amend their arguments as the debate progresses. Once all the statements have been made, the debate can be opened up to the floor so that each side may add their own points. Remind them that they must stand to get the Speaker s attention and wait for permission to speak. Step four: summing up and voting Once the debate has come to a natural lull, or when you have run out of time, ask each main spokesperson to sum up their side, beginning with the opposing team. They can use their opening statement as a basis for summing up and add any other ideas from the debate that they feel may persuade people. As the Speaker bring the debate to a close and propose the question to the house for a vote. You can either vote with your feet (division) by assigning two sides of the room as the For or Against, or by counting hands. 18 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
UK Parliament, Catherine Bebbington www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 19
Ballot box Ways to use the ballot box Aim: To create art and design projects with a democracy focus The box brings all of the discussions and activities around democracy to life. Casting an actual ballot is a moment of drama, a decision made in a physical way. Using the box helps students to understand that: Once a ballot is cast, it cannot be un-cast; Democratic decisions require careful consideration; Democracy involves people in a collective act. Using the ballot box alongside other activities You can incorporate the ballot box into other activities in this pack: In the Power in your pocket assembly, produce the box alongside the voting slip. In quizzes: students place their written answers in the ballot box to symbolise that they cannot now be changed, and to link the activity to democracy. In debating: For or Against votes can be cast in the ballot box. In the school council role play, use the ballot for each group to make their decision (empty and pass on to each group in turn, or make a box for each group). Secret ballots Discuss the notion of a secret ballot. Give the following scenarios and ask whether they should be decided by a show of hands or a secret ballot. Drawing out the following: We use the word anonymous meaning that no one knows how a person votes. Anonymous ballots prevent bullying and intimidation. They prevent improper influence such as bribery. They can be used to spare people s feelings. Scenario 1 In the early days of spaceflight there were 7 astronauts who each wanted to be the first American to go into space. They were all asked who it should be. How did they decide this, by a show of hands or a secret ballot? (A secret ballot was used in which each astronaut wrote down a name on a piece of paper, they were not allowed to write their own name.) Scenario 2 There are 2 kit designs available for a school sports team, each class is asked to vote on which to choose. A show of hands would be fine here as no-one is personally involved. If individual votes are to be counted, as opposed to a class decision, some form of recording would be required but it need not be secret. Scenario 3 Two students from the same class have produced films for a national competition, but the school is only allowed one entry. How should the decision be made? A secret ballot is best to avoid hurting anyone s feelings and to allow the vote to be on merit not favouritism. Scenario 4 The country is holding a general election. There are big discussions and arguments. Some people accuse others of telling lies and using abusive language. General elections are always decided by a secret ballot why is this? Does anyone think that it would be better if MPs were elected by a non-secret method so that everyone would know how everyone voted? 20 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
Hold a class referendum Explain that a referendum is a way of giving everyone the opportunity to vote on a single question. Unlike an election where people are choosing a person, in a referendum a decision is being made about an issue. Recent examples include whether we should change our voting system, whether Scotland should be independent of the United Kingdom, and whether the United Kingdom should remain in the European Union. A referendum always has a binary question (agree/disagree, yes/no, this or that), never an open question. Choose a subject on which there is likely to be some disagreement in your class. This can be either a real-life school issue or an imaginary one. Examples include: Should the school have a school council? Should we have a new sports block or a music studio? Should we change the times of the school day? Should this controversial speaker be allowed to address students in assembly? Discuss the chosen question, feeding in objections if necessary to promote debate. Explain the need for a referendum question that: Will be clear and easy to understand; Is specific (change the times of the school day to ); Is succinct (as few words as possible); Is binary (an agree/disagree or yes/no question). Working individually or in small groups, students devise and revise a question for the referendum. Point out that a specific suggestion will be needed for the question about the times of the school day. Collate the suggested questions and agree a final version. This can be printed on individual ballot papers or written on the board or delivered and counted electronically. A printed version is best as this is most like a real-life referendum. Allow time for class members to discuss and argue the case for or against. Make sure that everyone understands the ballot paper and how to use it. Votes are cast and counted. Appoint vote-counters as well as checkers who will watch over them to ensure fairness and accuracy. I want to get involved with politics because I would like to have my say. UK Parliament Week 2016 Participant www.ukparliamentweek.org Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week 21
Art Activities and games Colouring sheets We have included two colouring-in images for younger children. The Clock Tower Show images of the Elizabeth Tower, which many people call Big Ben, explaining that this is actually the name of the largest bell inside the clock tower. You could ask the following questions: Who s the Elizabeth Tower named after? (Her Majesty the Queen) When does Big Ben (the bell) strike? (To mark the hours) What colour should the bus be? (Red) Encourage them to think imaginatively: What kind of clock face should it have - with hands or a digital display? Should it have a bell, another sound, or a voice? Point out: The colours green benches and carpet. Green is the main colour of the House of Commons, red is the main colour of the House of Lords. The Speaker s chair, and explain the role of the Speaker in organising business and keeping order. The red lines MPs are not allowed to speak in the chamber if they are standing between the lines. The perspective the way that things further away appear smaller. The red lines give a clear guide to getting the perspective right. If they could choose the colours of House of Commons chamber, what would they choose any why? What other things might the tower include: a viewing platform, a roller coaster, a giant screen? Children could also play the game to be found at www.parliament.uk/education/teachingresources-lesson-plans/big-ben-game. Inside the House of Commons 22 Muslim Council of Britain Resource Booklet UK Parliament Week
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