Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Wellow, and I'm going to be your teacher for today's lesson.

Today's lesson is called, "Diversity in the Law in Modern Britain", and it fits into the unit, "Communities".

How can we understand and respect different types of relationships? During this lesson, we are going to be talking about discrimination, so for this lesson, we recommend that you have an adult with you.

If at any point during this lesson you do feel worried or uncomfortable, it's important that you stop the lesson and that you speak to a trusted adult.

Okay, let's make a start on today's lesson.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to explain diversity in Britain, legal protections, and the difference between acceptable and unacceptable protest.

Before we get started with today's lesson, we need to go over some ground rules.

These help to make sure that everyone feels safe and comfortable during today's lesson.

First of all, we have Laura, and she says that we need to listen to others.

It's okay to disagree with each other, but we should always listen properly before we make any assumptions, or before we decide how to respond.

When we disagree with someone else, it's important to challenge the statement and not the person.

Andeep says that we need to respect each other's privacy.

We can discuss examples, but we shouldn't use any names or descriptions that identify anyone, including ourselves.

If you want to share a story or an experience, we can refer to someone as, "My friend".

This means that we're not going to give away any identifying information.

Next, Jacob says, "No judgment.

We can explore any beliefs and misunderstandings that we have about a topic without fear of being judged by others." And finally, Izzy says that we can choose our level of participation.

Everyone has the right to choose not to answer a question, or to join in with discussion if they don't feel comfortable.

We should never put anyone on the spot.

Let's take a look at the key word for today's lesson.

Our key word for today's lesson is diversity.

This means involving people from a range of different backgrounds.

Today's lesson is split into three learning cycles.

Our first learning cycle is called, "What does diversity look like in modern Britain?" Our second learning cycle is called, "How does the law protect people?" And our last learning cycle is called, "What makes a protest acceptable or unacceptable?" Let's make a start on our first learning cycle.

What does diversity look like in modern Britain? David, who's a youth worker, says that, "Diversity means variety.

In Britain, people have many different cultures, ethnicities, languages, religions, sexualities, and family types.

Understanding and respecting diversity helps to create communities where everyone feels valued and included." First of all, we're going to talk about ethnic diversity, and what this means, and what this looks like in modern Britain.

Britain is home to people of many different ethnic backgrounds.

In the 2021 census, around 81% identified as white, 9% as Asian, 4% as Black, 3% as mixed, and 2% as other.

These figures show that millions of people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds call Britain home.

Sophia says that, "In my class, we have pupils with families from lots of different countries." Now, we're going to talk about languages in Britain.

Pupils in schools across Britain speak over 300 different languages at home.

Some of the most common after English are Polish, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, and Arabic.

This linguistic diversity enriches our communities and it reflects Britain's connections with the wider world.

Anna says, "At home, I speak Ukrainian with my mum, but I speak English at school." Now, we're going to talk about religion in Britain.

Britain is multi-faith.

Christianity is the largest religion in Britain, but there are also large Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities in Britain.

Millions of people also say that they have no religion.

People of all faiths and none live side by side in British communities.

Jack says, "Where I live, there's a church, a mosque, and a synagogue all within walking distance." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing.

I'd like you to complete the gap in the sentence.

"Britain is a blank faith society." Where I've said the word, "Blank," can you decide which word is missing? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that, "Multi," is the missing word.

Britain is a multi-faith society.

There are lots of different religions in Britain, and there are also lots of different people in Britain who have no religion.

Well done if you said the same thing.

Families in modern Britain are very varied.

Some are single parent families, some are blended, and some have same-sex parents.

In 2021, over 200,000 children in Britain were being raised by same-sex parents.

Families also include children cared for by grandparents, foster carers, or other family members.

What matters most in any family is that children are loved, safe, and cared for.

Daisy says, "I live with my two dads, and it's just normal family life for me.

They care for me and support me, just like any other parents." Now, we're going to talk about sexuality.

In the 2021 census, around 3% of adults identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

This represents over one million people across the UK.

Many others may not have disclosed their sexuality in the census.

Savannah says, "I'm married to my wife, and our relationship is recognized and respected just like anyone else's." Let's do another check for understanding.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

"According to the 2021 census, roughly 3% of adults identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual." What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

"According to the 2021 census, roughly 3% of adults identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual." Well done if you said the same thing.

Britain has an aging population, with more people over 65 than ever before.

Communities include people of all ages, working and living together.

Intergenerational connections strengthen communities and help to share knowledge and experience, so this means people who are younger connecting with people who are older, and vice versa.

Diversity in Britain also includes different regional and national identities.

People may identify as English, Scottish, Welsh, or Northern Irish.

Some people identify with more than one identity, or feel strongly connected to their local area or city.

They can also feel connected to multiple different areas or cities.

Let's do another check for understanding.

Which of these are national identities within the UK? Can you remember? A, Scottish; B, Welsh; C, English; or D, Canadian? Which of these are national identities within the UK? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that A, B and C are correct.

Some national identities within the UK are Scottish, Welsh, and English.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving onto our first practice task, and well done for your hard work so far.

For this task, I'd like you to answer the question: why is modern Britain often described as a diverse society? I'd like you to explain your answer in one paragraph.

Pause the video, and we'll go through a model answer in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

To answer the question, "Why is modern Britain often described as a diverse society?" You might have said something like this.

"Modern Britain is described as a diverse society because it includes people from many different backgrounds, cultures and communities.

People in Britain have a wide range of ethnicities, languages, religions, sexualities and family types.

For example, pupils in British schools speak over 300 different languages; Britain has Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh communities, and millions of people follow no religion too.

Families also come in many forms, including blended families and same-sex parents.

Britain's diversity means that people of all ages, beliefs and backgrounds live, learn and work together in the same communities." Everyone's paragraph will have looked slightly different for this, but well done if you had some of these ideas.

We're now moving onto our second learning cycle.

How does the law protect people? Living in a diverse society means that we all have different experiences and different identities.

Laws exist to ensure that everyone is treated fairly, regardless of who they are, or the communities that they're in.

Laws set out the rule for how people should be treated.

They protect us from being treated unfairly because of who we are.

First of all, we're going to talk about the Equality Act 2010, and the Equality Act 2010 is the main law protecting people from discrimination in Britain today.

The Equality Act protects people from discrimination because of certain characteristics, and these are called the protected characteristics.

These include age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

These are all protected characteristics, and it's unlawful to discriminate against someone because of a protected characteristic.

Helena works in human resources, often called HR, and she says, for example, if someone was treated unfairly at work because of their sexuality, for example if they were gay or bisexual, this law is designed to protect them.

Discrimination means treating someone unfairly because of who they are.

It can happen in jobs, schools, housing, and public places.

Helena says that, "For example, in job applications, employers must judge candidates on their skills and experience, not on characteristics like their sexuality, sex or religion.

Choosing or not choosing someone based on these characteristics instead of their abilities would be discrimination." We're now going to do another check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle.

I'd like you to decide if this statement is true or false.

"The Equality Act 2010 protects people from being treated unfairly because of their religion." What do you think? Is this true or false? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that this is true.

It's true that the Equality Act 2010 protects people from being treated unfairly because of their religion.

It also protects people from discrimination based on other characteristics too, such as sex, sexuality, and pregnancy and maternity.

Well done if you remembered this.

The Equality Act 2010 also protects people from being treated unfairly because of their sexuality.

This means that people cannot be discriminated against for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, or heterosexual.

Savannah says, "When my wife and I applied for a mortgage, we had the same rights as any other couple.

That's because the law protects us." The law also protects people from harassment because of their sexuality.

Harassment creates hostile environments and it can seriously affect someone's wellbeing.

Helena says that harassment includes unwanted comments, bullying, or being made to feel unsafe at school, work, or in public.

Harry says, "If someone made repeated jokes about me being gay, that would be harassment, and the law says that it isn't allowed." Other laws also protect people, such as laws against hate crimes, and laws to ensure equal pay for men and women.

A hate crime is when someone is targeted because of their identity, such as their race, religion, disability, or sexuality.

It also includes their perceived race, religion, disability, or sexuality.

Hate crimes are taken very seriously.

Police officer Kofi explains that, "If someone was attacked because of their sexuality, that would be treated as a hate crime, and it could result in a stronger sentence in court." Let's do another check for understanding.

What does the law mean when it says that harassment based on sexuality is not allowed? Pause the video, talk to the people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that it means that people cannot be bullied, mocked, or made to feel unsafe because of their sexuality.

Let's move onto our second practice task, and well done for your hard work in this lesson so far.

I'd like for you to read this scenario, and then answer the questions.

Here's our scenario.

"Greg works as a mechanic at a local garage.

He enjoys his job and gets along well with most of his team.

After mentioning that he has a boyfriend, his supervisor begins making jokes about it in front of customers.

Soon after, Greg notices that he's being given fewer opportunities for overtime and promotion, even though he works hard and has good experience.

Greg feels humiliated, and believes that he's being treated unfairly because of his sexuality." I'd like you to answer these questions about this scenario.

Question number one.

"What kind of unfair treatment is Greg experiencing?" Number two.

"Name a law which protects Greg in this situation." And finally, question three.

"How does this law help to keep workplaces fair?" Pause the video, and we'll go through what you might have said in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For question one, "What kind of unfair treatment is Greg experiencing?" You might have said that Greg is experiencing harassment and discrimination because of his sexuality.

His supervisor's comments and decision are unfair and they create a hostile environment.

For question two, "Name a law which protects Greg in this situation," you might have said that the Equality Act 2010 protects Greg from being treated unfairly, bullied, or denied opportunities at work because of his sexuality.

For question three, "How does this law help to keep workplaces fair?" You might have said that the law ensures that all employees are judged on their skills, experience, and performance, not on personal characteristics, like sexuality.

This helps to make workplaces safe, respectful, and equal for everyone.

Well done if you had some of these ideas in your answers.

We're now moving onto our final learning cycle.

What makes a protest acceptable or unacceptable? In a democracy, people have the right to express their views and campaign for change.

However, this right comes with responsibilities.

A protest is when people come together to their views about an issue.

Protests can take different forms, so marches, which is walking together through streets; petitions, which is collecting signatures; demonstrations, which can involve gathering outside buildings to show views, or online campaigns.

David says that we all have the right to protest, but it has to be done fairly and peacefully.

In Britain, people have the right to protest peacefully.

This is protected by law as part of freedom of expression and assembly.

Ms. Walsh explains that peaceful protest is part of democracy.

It helps people to have their voices heard, and it can lead to positive social change.

In 2013, people gathered peacefully outside parliament to support equal marriage.

They carried placards, gave speeches, and made their voices heard respectfully.

This campaign, along with many others across the country, helped lead to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013, which legalized same-sex marriage in England and Wales.

Xavier says, "I joined the equal marriage protest in 2013.

It was peaceful and it showed public support for change." Let's do a check for understanding to see how you're doing with this learning cycle.

Why was the 2013 equal marriage protest an example of acceptable protest? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

You might have said that it was peaceful, respectful, and allowed people to express their views without violence or hate.

Well done if you said something like this.

Acceptable protests include petitions, writing to MPs, and peaceful demonstrations that don't harm people or property.

Organizing community meetings, creating awareness campaigns, and using social media responsibly are also ways that people can protest peacefully.

Jack says last year, he signed a petition at school about improving recycling.

That's protest, too.

Protests are unacceptable if they involve violence, harassment, hate speech or damage to property.

These actions break the law.

Police officer Paula says that it's fine to disagree, but it's never okay to threaten or to hurt people, including if they have different views to ours.

Police officer Paula goes on to explain that protests become unacceptable if they target people with hate or discrimination, such as against their race or ethnicity, religion or sexuality.

Even if someone disagrees with another person's identity or beliefs, they don't have the right to intimidate, threaten, or spread hatred towards them.

Police officer Kofi says that if a protest becomes violent or hateful, people can be arrested.

The police have the powers to stop protests that break the law, and organizers can be held responsible for illegal actions.

Hate crimes or violent acts can lead to serious punishments in court, but breaking the law can also mean being fined, or even going to prison for other offenses like criminal damage or public disorder.

Let's do another check for understanding to see how you're doing.

Which of these would make a protest unacceptable? A, a peaceful march outside parliament; B, hate speech against a group; C, collecting signatures for a petition; or D, writing to an MP.

Which of these would make a protest unacceptable? Pause the video, talk to people around you, or have a think to yourself.

Well done if you said that B is correct.

Hate speech against a group would be an example of what would make a protest unacceptable.

Well done if you got this right.

We're now moving onto our final practice task, and well done for your hard work in this lesson.

I'd like you to answer the following questions.

Number one: "What are three examples of acceptable protest in Britain?" Number two: "Provide one example of what would make a protest unacceptable." Number three: "What might happen if a protestor breaks the law?" Pause the video, and we'll go through some potential answers in a few minutes.

Okay, let's see what you might have said.

For question one, "What are three examples of acceptable protest in Britain?" You might have said that examples of acceptable protests are a peaceful march, writing to an MP, or signing a petition.

These methods allow people to express their views without violence or intimidation.

Number two: "Provide one example of what would make a protest unacceptable." You might have said that a protest would be unacceptable if it involved hate speech, violence, or targeted people with discrimination, because of their race or ethnicity, religion or sexuality.

Even if someone disagrees with others, they cannot intimidate or threaten them.

Finally, for question three, "What might happen if a protestor breaks the law?" You might have said that if a protestor breaks the law, they could be arrested by the police.

Depending on what they did, they might face serious punishments in court, be fined, or even go to prison.

Organizers of illegal protests can also be held responsible.

Well done if you had some of these ideas.

We're now going to summarize the key learning from today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we've learned that modern Britain is very diverse, with people of different ethnicities, languages, religions, family types, sexualities, ages, and regional identities.

This diversity is one of Britain's strengths, and should be valued and respected.

The law, including the Equality Act 2010, protects people from discrimination, and supports equal rights, including equal marriage.

The law also helps to protect people from harassment and hate crime.

These protections ensure that everyone can live without fear of unfair treatment.

And finally, we've learned that protests are acceptable when they're peaceful, respectful, and lawful, but unacceptable if they involve violence or hate.

During this lesson, you might find that you got some worries or questions, and if you do, it's really important that you share these with a trusted adult.

There's also a resource on the screen that's there to help you too.

Well done for your fantastic hard work today.

I hope to see you again soon.