WEEK

TOPIC & HANDOUTS

1

Introduction: National Identity   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 4. Identity; 5. Attitudes
2. Activity-Defining the Nation-activity.doc
3. Text-Quotes on Britishness.doc
4. Article-BBC readers views on what makes British British.doc

2

The Country and its Nations   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 1.Country and People
2. British Unity in Diversity (The Times article)
3. Devolution in the United Kingdom (article published by the Constitution Society)
   

3

Geography and Regional Differences   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 3.Geography
2. A country divided: why England's North-south divide is getting worse          DOWNLOAD AS PDF

         NEWSPAPER ARTICLES YOU NEED TO GET READY FOR A DISCUSSION ACTIVITY IN CLASS:

1. NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE GROUP 1 - HEALTH: Independent-Decline in life expectancy        Mail Online-Cancer rates
   
2. NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE GROUP 2 - EDUCATION: Guardian-A Tale of Two Academies       BBC News-Takeaways from GCSE results
   
3. NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE GROUP 3: - ECONOMY: Guardian-England North-South divide deepening       Mail Online-Electric cars shunned in North
   
4. NORTH-SOUTH DIVIDE GROUP 4: - TACKLING THE ISSUE: Guardian-Stop running everything from London       Guardian: North a self-governing state?
   

4

System of Government   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 7. The Monarchy; 8.The Government; 9. Parliament
2. The workings of the UK parliament: instructions for classroom video watching activities
3. VIDEO 1: UK Parliament Tour: Welcome to the Houses of Parliament
4. VIDEO 2: State Opening of Parliament: The pomp and ceremony of the King's Speech
5. VIDEO 3 & 4: The House of Commons Chamber: How the Chamber Works
6. VIDEO 5: UK Parliament tour - the House of Lords

5

British Politics 

6

Education

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 14. Education
2. ADDITIONAL READING: Public school (United Kingdom)
3. VIDEO: Harrow Documentary 2013: A Very British School Episode 1, (other episodes available in the ADDITIONAL RESOURCES)
   

7

Mid-semester written test on topics 1-6

8

Law and Order

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 11. The Law
2. BBC NEWS article 1- debate on introduction of firearms
3. BBC NEWS article 2- debate on introduction of firearms
4. Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom (Wikipedia article) 

9

The Media

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 16. The Media
2. Activity-Newspaper headlines, (vocabulary exercises)
3. British dailies' FRONT PAGES (Feb 5, 2020): Daily Express, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror, Daily Star, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Sun, Times

10

The Welfare State

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 18. Welfare
2. VIDEO 1: Introduction to the NHS (by Guardian Explainers)
3. VIDEO 2: Origins of the NHS (by GCSE History Rapid Revisions)
4. VIDEO 3: Structure of the NHS (by Nottingham CityEast)
5. VIDEO 4: Challenges faced by the NHS (by Lancashire and Cumbria Local Medical Services)

11

Northern Ireland

1. VIDEO 1: Modern Irish History (episode from BBC's The Story of Ireland, episode 5)
2. VIDEO 2: What Were the Troubles (Imperial War Museum footage)
   
3. VIDEO 3: A Legacy of Divisions (Financial Times documentary)

12

Scotland and Wales

1. VIDEO WORKSHEET: Scotland Grand Tour

13

Britain and the World

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 12. International relations
2. Activity-Public Debate on immigration to the UK 
3. Article-Economist-Immigration: Give & Take, article in Economist, Dec 2018
4. Article-The Pros and Cons of Immigration (Oxbridge Applications)
5. BBC News: Smugglers just part of wider migration problem for UK