Our current hot lesson To some students, religion is the most important thing in life. To others, it is totally irrelevant. What is the place of religion within modern society and how will it impact upon future generations? [National, regional, ethnic and religious cultures] Beliefs about religion 1 provides a Citizenship-tinted angle on religion; one that will be accessible to all of your learners. Use this lesson to identify ways in which teenage citizens’ lives can be shaped by their religious beliefs or their lack thereof.

With February seeing the twentieth anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release, this is an apt time to discuss equality issues. The world’s approach to equality has changed significantly since 1990, so why not explore some recent issues with your learners?

What will your class make of the Sarika Singh case? This Sikh teenager’s determination to wear a religious bangle to school became a High Court issue. See [National, regional, ethnic and religious cultures] But wearing that is one of my human rights!

How will your students react to Nicolas Sarkozy’s negative appraisal of the burka? Will his opinions strike them as anti-equality or the reverse? See [National, regional, ethnic and religious cultures] The burka debate.

Most young people, once prompted, have strong views on equality. Take advantage of the lessons above to prompt discussion from those who don’t often put up their hand. Recommended ice-breakers include exploring relevant local newspaper headlines, analysing the lyrics from popular chart-toppers, discussing powerful soap opera storylines and debating minority group representation within sport.  

An equality timeline also has a huge impact. Challenge students to supply a steady trickle of local and global images/articles about equality. Update your walls weekly with a chronological display of how their world is changing before their eyes. After all, who knows what the next twenty years will bring.

Victoria Marston
Citizenship editor