How is local government different to central government?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain some of the key differences between local and central government.
Key learning points
- The UK is a democracy which gives citizens the right to vote for people to make decisions on their behalf.
- The government is made up of two main branches, local and central, which have different roles and responsibilities.
- Central government makes laws and decisions about national issues. It is at the centre of decision-making.
- Local governments make decisions regarding how services are carried out in the local area.
Keywords
Government - the individuals who have been elected and given the authority to run the state, led by the Prime Minister (PM) in the UK
Authority - the power or right to have official responsibility, to give orders and make decisions
Policies - courses of action or goals that people plan to carry out, or are in the process of carrying out
Democracy - a system of government in which citizens vote in regular, fair elections for representatives, who then make laws and decisions on their behalf
Common misconception
Local governments make laws.
Laws are made by central government, which must be followed by local councils. However, they can lobby the central government and influence policy through campaigns, consultations and public pressure.
Teacher tip
When teaching about central and local governments in the UK, try to relate these abstract concepts to things pupils encounter in everyday life like school, rubbish collection, public transport and parks.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The name for the group of elected people who run the UK is the ...
Q2.Which of these is not an example of a democracy?
Q3.Which of these are reasons why it is important to learn about democracy at school?
Q4.Which is the most accurate description of an 'active citizen'?
Q5.Match the word to its correct definition.
people living in the same place or having particular characteristics
something that is in, represents or affects a small area, e.g. town
something that is in, represents or affects an entire nation/country
people living together in ordered communities
Q6.Every person who lives in the UK is allowed to vote to choose the leaders of their town or city. True or false?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the definition for the word 'authority'?
Q2.If the definition is, 'a group of people given the authority to govern a group of people, e.g. community, state, country', what is the word?
Q3.Which kind of government does this statement best describe? 'Holds power over the whole of the UK on many issues'
Q4. are courses of action or goals that governments plan to carry out or are in the process of carrying out.
Q5.The leaders of local governments are called ...
Q6.From largest to smallest, order these types of government by the size of the area they control.
To help you plan your 7 citizenship lesson on: How is local government different to central government?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 citizenship lesson on: How is local government different to central government?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the How does local democracy work? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.