LESSON FOCUS: The role of the Commonwealth

LESSON FOCUS: The role of the Commonwealth Key stage KS4 (year 10) Key concepts 1c Key processes 2.2b Range and content 3m Curriculum opportunities 4a, 4b, 4c & 4h PLTS: Team workers & effective participants FUNCTIONAL SKILLS: Literacy paragraph sequencing RESOURCES: * Resource B needs cutting and laminating in advance* Resource A - Images Resource B - Dominoes Resource C - Team challenge Resource D Team challenge answers Resource E Dominoes answers Resource F Advertising brief Blu-Tack OBJECTIVES: I will explore what the Commonwealth is. I will discuss my opinions about the Commonwealth with my class. OUTCOMES: I can name the four key Commonwealth principles. I can name the Head of the Commonwealth and the Secretary General. Overview With so much talk of the EU, do your Year 10s understand what the Commonwealth is? This fun-packed introduction to the Commonwealth features a class domino activity, a team race and the chance to create an advert for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Keywords Britain, British Empire, Commonwealth, Commonwealth Games, education, equality, friendly, global, independence, poverty, principle, Queen, Secretariat, Secretary General, World War One and World War Two www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 1 of 28

Introduction (5 minutes) Share lesson objective and outcomes. Starter (10 minutes) Resources: A Instructions: Put students into small groups. Distribute images (resource A). Explain that the Commonwealth connects all the images. Invite students to comment on what the Commonwealth is and the relevance of the images. Provide a brief overview of the history of the British Empire and the development of the modern Commonwealth (refer to recommended web links below for the latest updates). Main (25 minutes) Resources: B, C, D & E Instructions: Activity 1 (15 minutes) Give each student one domino (resource B). Explain that each domino forms part of an explanation of the Commonwealth. Ask the student with the start card to stand, read it out and stick it on the wall. Ask any student who thinks his/her domino is next to stand, read it out and stick it on the wall underneath the start card. Continue until everyone is standing. (Resource E gives the answers.) Invite comments about what the students learnt from this task. Example of good response: o I thought that the Queen went to the Commonwealth Games for fun. I didn t realise that it s because she s Head of the Commonwealth! Activity 2 (10 minutes) Split the class into small groups. Ask each group to answer the questions on resource C as quickly as possible. Offer resource E to struggling teams. Announce the winner (the quickest team to get all the answers correct). The answers are on resource D. www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 2 of 28

Plenary (20 minutes) Resources: A F Instructions: Distribute resource F. Refer students to the instructions - ask them to create an advert for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Invite a few students to share their work with the class, with reference to following questions: 1. How does your advert show that the Commonwealth Games is about more than sport? 2. Which of the four key Commonwealth principles seems the most important? Justify. 3. Some people feel uncomfortable about the Commonwealth because of the negative aspects of the British Empire. How does your poster give the Commonwealth a positive slant? 4. Which organisations would be appropriate sponsors for future Commonwealth Games, given its aims and principles? Attainment Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5 Level 6 Level 7 Level 8 Exceptional performance I can ask questions about the Commonwealth. I can give an opinion about the Commonwealth. I can acknowledge other students viewpoints about the Commonwealth. I can make informed contributions to discussions about the Commonwealth. I can describe situations in which rights and interests might conflict within the Commonwealth. I can discuss changing identities and communities in the UK, as relevant to the Commonwealth. I can make reasoned arguments about the positive features of the Commonwealth Games. I can show a detailed understanding of rights and responsibilities within another Commonwealth country. I can debate challenging questions about the relationship between the UK and other Commonwealth countries. Recommended links www.glasgow2014.com www.thecommonwealth.org http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/br/british_empire www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 3 of 28

http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/th/the_commonwealth_of_nations www.thecommonwealth.org/news/222027/310310sgsportspeech.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_1790000/newsid_1793900/1793997.stm www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 4 of 28

RESOURCE A Images 1. RULE BRITANNIA 2. FIJI FLAG www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 5 of 28

3. AFRICAN PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY BRITISH ARMY DURING BOER WAR 4. BRITISH EMPIRE MAP 5. OLD QUEEN ELIZABETH STAMP www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 6 of 28

RESOURCE B Dominoes START: The Commonwealth is like a large family of many nations. It has 54 member countries across the world, which www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 7 of 28

voluntarily work together to ensure that every citizen s life is made better through friendship, education and democracy. This means all members are treated www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 8 of 28

equally. There are over 2 billion member citizens of the Commonwealth, over half of whom are under the age www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 9 of 28

of 25 years. The Commonwealth is constantly growing, but most member nations were once ruled by Britain. Therefore, the common language within the Commonwealth is www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 10 of 28

English. All member nations are now independent from Britain, but many member countries in the past had to fight for their independence. However, once it was gained, many countries decided to work alongside each other as a www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 11 of 28

Free Commonwealth of Nations. The British Queen is the Head of the Commonwealth. This means that she visits many member nations around the world to ensure that www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 12 of 28

discussions are held between Commonwealth leaders, and that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also attends sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, which are held www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 13 of 28

every four years and are known as the friendly games (because athletes compete against each other individually, rather than as countries). Sport www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 14 of 28

is a great way of encouraging unity, which is important to the Commonwealth. The next Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow in 2014. The most recent games were held in www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 15 of 28

New Delhi, India. The person responsible for the Commonwealth is called the Secretary General. The current Secretary General is Kamalesh Sharma. He ensures www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 16 of 28

that all member countries governments work together to meet the Commonwealth s main goals and programmes. Some of the programmes involve www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 17 of 28

...supporting democracy at election time, equality for women, reducing poverty, developing education, and supporting equality and human rights for all. If you break the rules of the Commonwealth, your member country can be www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 18 of 28

suspended or expelled from the Commonwealth. The Fiji islands have been suspended since 2009 because the military overthrew the Government, which the Commonwealth felt to be unfair because www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 19 of 28

this action goes against the principles of democracy. The Commonwealth celebrates its work once every year on the second Monday of March, on Commonwealth Day www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 20 of 28

On Commonwealth Day, the Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries. All their flags fly from Marlborough House in London (the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 21 of 28

is responsible for ensuring that everything in the Commonwealth runs smoothly and that everyone co-operates with each other to make the Commonwealth effective). FINISH www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 22 of 28

RESOURCE C Team challenge 1. How many nations and citizens are members of the Commonwealth? 2. Which THREE things does the Commonwealth stand for? 3. Most member nations of the Commonwealth were once ruled by which country? 4. Give TWO examples of the programmes the Commonwealth works on to help all its member citizens. 5. What happens on Commonwealth Day? 6. Where will the Commonwealth Games be held in 2014? 7. The Commonwealth Games are known as the friendly games. Why? 8. Who is the Head of the Commonwealth, and what responsibilities does she have? 9. Who is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and what are his responsibilities? 10. Why was Fiji suspended from the Commonwealth in 2009? www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 23 of 28

RESOURCE D Team challenge answers 1. How many nations and citizens are members of the Commonwealth? 54 nations (2 billion citizens) 2. Which THREE things does the Commonwealth stand for? Friendship, education and democracy 3. Most member nations of the Commonwealth were once ruled by which country? Britain 4. Give TWO examples of the programmes the Commonwealth works on to help all its member citizens. Human Rights, support during election time, equality for women, eradicating poverty and educational development 5. What happens on Commonwealth Day? The Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries and all member flags fly from Marlborough House in London (the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat). 6. Where will the Commonwealth Games be held in 2014? Glasgow (Scotland) 7. The Commonwealth Games are known as the friendly games. Why? Athletes compete as individuals rather than as countries. 8. Who is the Head of the Commonwealth, and what responsibilities does she have? Queen Elizabeth. She holds discussions with Commonwealth leaders, so that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also conducts state visits to member countries and attends the Commonwealth Games. 9. Who is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and what are his responsibilities? Kamalesh Sharman. He ensures that all member countries governments work together to meet the Commonwealth s main goals and programmes. www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 24 of 28

10. Why was Fiji suspended from the Commonwealth in 2009? The military overthrew the civilian Government, which goes against the Commonwealth s principles of democracy. www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 25 of 28

Resource E Dominoes answers START: The Commonwealth is like a large family of many nations. It has 54 member countries across the world, which voluntarily work together to ensure that every citizen s life is made better through friendship, education and democracy. This means all members are treated equally. There are over 2 billion member citizens of the Commonwealth, over half of whom are under the age of 25 years. The Commonwealth is constantly growing, but most member nations were once ruled by Britain. Therefore, the common language within the Commonwealth is English. All member nations are now independent from Britain, but many member countries in the past had to fight for their independence. However, once it was gained, many countries decided to work alongside each other as a Free Commonwealth of Nations. The British Queen is the Head of the Commonwealth. This means that she visits many member nations around the world to ensure that discussions are held between Commonwealth leaders, and that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also attends sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, which are held every four years and are known as the friendly games (because athletes compete against each other individually, rather than as countries). Sport is a great way of encouraging unity, which is important to the Commonwealth. The next Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow in 2014. The most recent games were held in New Delhi, India. The person responsible for the Commonwealth is called the Secretary General. The current Secretary General is Kamalesh Sharma. He ensures that all member countries governments work together to meet the Commonwealth s main goals and programmes. Some of the programmes involve www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 26 of 28

...supporting democracy at election time, equality for women, reducing poverty, developing education, and supporting equality and human rights for all. If you break the rules of the Commonwealth, your member country can be suspended or expelled from the Commonwealth. The Fiji islands have been suspended since 2009 because the military overthrew the government, which the Commonwealth felt to be unfair because this action goes against the principles of democracy. The Commonwealth celebrates its work once every year on the second Monday of March, on Commonwealth Day On Commonwealth Day, the Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries. All their flags fly from Marlborough House in London (the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which is responsible for ensuring that everything in the Commonwealth runs smoothly and that everyone co-operates with each other to make the Commonwealth effective). FINISH www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 27 of 28

RESOURCE F Advertising brief Create an advert to promote the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 Include: where the Commonwealth Games will be held why they are held (think about the key principles below) three or more key points about the history/role of the Commonwealth. 1. democratic and honest government 2. equality for women THE FOUR KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE COMMONWEALTH 3. access to education for all 4. eradication of poverty Key Facts This will be the 20 th Commonwealth Games The Games will be held between 23 July and 3 August 2014 Seventeen sports will be played over the 11-day competition 4,500 athletes will compete in over 30 events Each Commonwealth Games take nine years to plan Sports include: aquatics, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling. www.citizenshipteacher.co.uk 2011 15025 Page 28 of 28