SESSION

TOPIC/READINGS & DOWNLOADABLE HANDOUTS

1

Introduction   

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, People and their Identities   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 1.Country and People
2. Article-Activity-British Unity in Diversity.doc
3. Article-Spoken in the UK.doc

3

Geography and Regional Differences 

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 3.Geography
2. North-South divide-article from Wikipedia          DOWNLOAD AS PDF
3. Daily Mail-The Real North-South divide-newspaper article Feb 14 2013
4. Article-Well-spoken employess wanted

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 listening activities
3. VIDEO 1: UK Parliament Tour: Welcome to the Houses of Parliament
4. VIDEO 2: The Queen Formally Opens Parliament 
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   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 6.Political Life; 10. Elections
2. Article-Activity-A Tale of Two Houses
3. Article-British Electoral System (First Past the Post)
4. Activity-Britain, election system (vocabulary exercises)

6

Education   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 14. Education
2. Lecture 6: Education (powerpoint presentation)
3. Independent schools in Britain: Harrow (VIDEO, available in the ADDITIONAL SOURCES section. Click here to watch.)
   
4. Guardian: John Major is right to be shocked about the public-school elite's grip on Britain (newspaper article, 11 Nov 2013)
   

7

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) 

8

The Media   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 16. The Media
2. Activity-Newspaper headlines, (vocabulary exercises)
3. Kinds of Wordplay in British Newspapers
4. British daylies' website addresses

9

The Welfare State   

1. COURSEBOOK: Britain, 18. Welfare
2. Video worksheet-John Smith in Stornoway (from BBC video course People & Places, pages 73-77)
3. Article-British Health and Welfare System
4. Questions on article British Health and Welfare System
5. Article-Is the NHS Falling Apart

10

Northern Ireland   

1. BACKGROUND READING: Northern Ireland-article from Encyclopedia Encarta
2. Activity-home assignment for Brighton bomb classroom activity
3. Article-Guardian-Paisley and Adams agree deal, March 26, 2007

11

Scotland and Wales

1. BACKGROUND READING: Scotland-article from Encyclopedia Encarta
2. BACKGROUND READING: Wales-article from Encyclopedia Encarta
3. Article-Independent-Big Question What would happen if Scotland achieved its independence?
4. Article-Times-How Scots could be better off by going it alone
5. Activity-A Picture of Britain: Highlands & Glens

12

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: Net migration to UK falls by 49,000
6. Immigration to the United Kingdom since 1922 (Wikipedia article)         DOWNLOAD AS PDF