ACT : Professional Association of Citizenship Teaching

The new exhibition at the British Library explores 1,000 years of struggle to secure the civil liberties we enjoy today. It gives visitors an opportunity, for the first time ever, to see the iconic and rarely seen documents and objects that have defined the political and social life as we know it in today's Britain. Some are universally important – Magna Carta (1215) and Death Warrant of Charles I (1649) - others private and personal – the suffragette Olive Wharry's prison diary (1911-12) – but all are testament to the men and women whose actions have changed the course of history, been subject to fierce debate and, more often than not, stirred civil unrest. The exhibition also puts you in the centre of current debates about vital rights and freedoms in society: detention without charge, the right to privacy, devolved government, free speech and so on.

Online resources

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/interactive.html

Where do you stand on today's issues? How do your views compare to everyone else's? Take this interactive journey and find out. You are placed right in the centre of current debates about vital rights and freedoms in society: detention without charge, the right to privacy, devolved government, free speech and so on. As you give your answers you can see, on clear and innovative 3D graphics, how your views compare to everyone else's. Are you content with things as they are or do you want change? How do you balance order with freedom?

Citizenship Workshops (90 minutes)

Workshops in the exhibition for secondary Citizenship groups are available now. Explore the development of democracy in Britain, uncovering the struggles and events that have shaped contemporary British society. The workshop will examine the balance between rights and responsibilities through discussion of contemporary issues and campaigns.

To find our more or to book a visit: http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/takingliberties/learning.html

Hansard Society is running a further six teacher conferences with the UK Office of the European Parliament to provide teachers with practical ideas for delivering engaging Citizenship lessons on the European Parliament. Each conference is made up of a series of workshops that introduce teachers to resources including The Democracy Cookbook and The EU: What’s That? and demonstrate how they can be used in the classroom. This training coupled with the resources being given to teachers (for free!) on the day means you’ll be ready to deliver more innovative lessons the next day.

The conferences are free and travel expenses will be covered.

The British Library is currently running the Taking Liberties exhibition, which explores the struggle for Britain's freedoms and rights and uncovers the roots of British democracy over a period of more than 900 years. To coincide with this exhibition, the British Library is working with the British Institute of Human Rights to present two free events for students and teachers of Citizenship and related subjects.

10am-3.45pm

This FREE event will engage KS4/5 students of Citizenship, Politics and related subjects in discussions about human rights and their relevance to our lives. Featuring high profile speakers and interactive workshops, students will have the opportunity to connect with what can often be distant and complex issues.

Throughout the day students will explore the development of democracy and the struggles that have shaped British society, investigate how young people can take action to protect human rights and debate contemporary issues covering everything from I.D. cards to lowering the voting age.

The British Friends of Neve Shalom - Wahat al Salam (NSWAS), is running a training workshop for Citizenship teachers to support their new teaching resource Dealing with Conflict Teaching Pack. The teaching pack is designed to explain conflict in the famous international context of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, and to give students skills to work trough conflicts in their own communities/lives.

NSWAS is a charity supporting an Arab/Jewish peace initiative and shared village. For more information and to book a workshop (?50-70) or to order the resource (?19.50), contact education co-ordinator Daniel Zylbersztajn on daniel.z@oasisofpeaceuk.org, 020-89524717, 07843630760

10am-3.30pm

This event aims to encourage understanding of the current debates surrounding human rights and their relevance for everyday life, to develop more confidence in delivering lessons about rights through the citizenship curriculum and increase awareness of the potential of the British Library as a learning resource.

Engaging, constructive workshops and the chance to hear influential speakers make this event an invaluable opportunity to progress the scope of citizenship education.

This is to let you know that the Hansard Society is running a further six teacher conferences with the UK Office of the European Parliament to provide teachers with practical ideas for delivering engaging Citizenship lessons on the European Parliament. Each conference is made up of a series of workshops that introduce teachers to resources including The Democracy Cookbook and The EU: What’s That? and demonstrate how they can be used in the classroom. This training coupled with the resources being given to teachers (for free!) on the day means you’ll be ready to deliver more innovative lessons the next day.

The conferences are free and travel expenses will be covered.