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ACT : Association for Citizenship Teaching
ACT is the professional subject association for those involved in citizenship education. This website offers resources and information to help you deliver excellent citizenship education.
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Info Pages
- Citizenship and PSHE Primary event
- What is Citizenship education?
- The Curriculum
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Teaching Resources (Secondary)
- Emergency help for non-specialists
- Assessment in Citizenship-a module for trainers
- Using ICT to Campaign for Change
- Community Cohesion and Preventing Violent Extremism
- Haitian Earthquake
- Exploring Identity and Diversity:Living Together in the UK
- Citizenship education and Employment Challenge Toolkit
- Citizenship through Careers learning
- The leadership of schools through Citizenship education
- Community Cohesion and Citizenship
- Five Nations Network
- Citizenship education outside the UK
- Discussion Forum
- ACT's Journal: Teaching Citizenship
Members Only Area
Free Resources for use in the classroom
Emergency Help for non-specialists
Many schools still use non-specialists to teach Citizenship. This is a challenge for them and the Citizenship subject leader. However it's a reality. Some non-specialists even find themselves as subject leader for Citizenship education.
Using ICT to campaign for change
Young people are already conversant with ICT. They are engaging with the world around them through bebo, facebook, online news, online forums and much more.
In Citizenship it's our role as teachers to equip these young people with the necessary skills and knowledge to play active roles in society. Campaigning for change is an inherent part of this. And the internet is an essential tool for any campaign.
It's up to you to guide your pupils through creating a campaign for something they believe in and that means online campaigning.
Community Cohesion and Preventing Violent Extremism
The duty on schools to Prevent Violent Extremism - DCSF guidance for schools - is highly controversial. Many teachers feel that much of the PVE strategy potentially drives a wedge between them and their pupils and the community the school is set in. Teachers are nevertheless being asked to do this and in many schools the Citizenship teacher has been identified as the leader of such work.
Haitian Earthquake
Use the Haitian earthquake as a starting point for a discussion with your class about the role of the government and the global community. This guides you through starters about the illegal drugs trade, global interdependence, immigration, the role of the British government and responsibility.
The ACT/DWP toolkit for the Centenary Challenge
The challenge, aimed at Years 9 and 10, asks pupils to explore the role of the state in supporting unemployed young people and create a digital presentation of their findings. With the support of ACT, teachers will have two months to help pupils explore the challenge and submit their entry. The winners of the challenge will receive a cash prize!
A toolkit for teachers and pupils has been designed to help teachers and pupils with the challenge.
Exploring Identity and Diversity:Living Together in the UK though dedicated resources
A collection of web resources to support teaching about identity and diversity derived from WDWTWA Weeks 2008-1001
These resources are derived from the former DCSF Who Do We Think We Are Week activities, jointly developed by ACT, the History Association, the RGS, Schools Linking Network and Citizenship Foundation between 2008 and 2010
Also have a look at our Theme of the Month with its related resources and the Theme Archive.
ACT exists to further the aims of Citizenship teaching and learning
We support teachers and schools in delivering the subject. We connect teachers to regional and national networks, offering training, CPD, support and advice.
Citizenship is not just about the lesson content it is also about embedding the concepts and practices of democracy into the culture of the school. So, as well as the Citizenship teacher, ACT also supports the whole school in delivering Citizenship education in and beyond the classroom.
Citizenship education should equip young people with the skills and knowledge to exercise their democratic responsibility and engage in public life.
Citizenship helps your school deliver on Every Child Matters and on the school’s duty to promote community cohesion as well as to pass an Ofsted inspection.
ACT members can also access the members only area with lots more resources on the topics:
Primary
RESOURCES CONCERNING THE 2008-9 INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF THE PRIMARY CURRICULUM BY SIR JIM ROSE - Download key documents from the Rose Review and also a summary of the Cambridge Review
PRIMARY PSHE AND CITIZENSHIP SELF EVALUATION TOOL - The Primary PSHE and Citizenship Self Evalutaion Tool is produced by ACT and DfES and helps Primary schools plan their PSHE and CItizenship provision and consider an audit of current practice and furutre development.
GENERAL PRIMARY CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION TEACHING RESOURCES - Cross curricular resources, website recommendations etc
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES - From looking after pets to the rights of the child and from crime and safety to labour contract!
DEVELOPING GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP - It is very important for primary children to understand themselves in the context of the rest of the world. Here are some excellent starting points for primary teachers.
IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY - Resources looking into our diverse backgrounds and identities and how we work, live and play together.
CFSA RESOURCES - Resources produced by the Council for Subjects Association
Secondary
WHOLE SCHOOL CITIZENSHIP PROVISION - Tools to help evaluate the provision of Citizenship education in secondary schools
ASSESSMENT - Assessment using the 8-level scale, relative merits of the three exam boards, QCDA on assessment and ACT experts. Also whole-school assessment.
COMMUITY COHESION - Resources for classroom teaching and ideas for the whole school.
IDENTITY AND DIVERSITY - LIVING TOGETHER IN THE UK - Resources for teaching the new strand of the secondary curriculum "Identity and Diversity - Living together in the UK
JUSTICE - Fairness and the fule of law, power and authority and accountability...
DEMOCRACY AND POLITICAL LITERACY - A selection of the best resources for teaching about democracy and political literacy. These range from hosting mock elections in schools to visiting Parliament.
HUMAN RIGHTS - The concept of human rights is central in Citizenship teaching. There are many resources from organisations ranging from Amnesty to the British Army. Here you'll find just some that ACT thinks are useful.
INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF CITIZENSHIP AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP - This includes global citizenship and teaching about the EU
CROSS CURRICULAR RESOURCES - Using the whole school approach it is useful to demonstrate that Citizenship affects all spheres of our school lives. You should already be working with other subject teachers. Here are some resources to try including links to Every Child Matters and inspection advice.
