How do elections work?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what elections are and describe the process of a UK general election.
Key learning points
- A general election is a formal process for the electorate to choose their representatives (MPs) in the House of Commons.
- Each general election process is the same, starting with the dissolution of Parliament.
Keywords
Election - when people vote to choose their leaders or representatives
Constituency - the specific geographical area that is represented by each MP in the House of Commons
Prime Minister - the leader of the political party that is in power and the head of the Government
Common misconception
The Prime Minister is directly elected by the public during the general election.
The Prime Minister is not elected by the people; instead, they are the leader of the party that has the most seats in the House of Commons after the election.
Teacher tip
You could make this more relevant by running a mock election to demonstrate how the election process works in action. Pupils could run campaigns and then vote.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words to their correct definitions.
Q2.What is the role of the Government in the UK?
Q3.How is Parliament structured?
Q4.What is the main difference between the Government and Parliament?
Q5.Who is responsible for making laws in the UK?
Q6.Who is the leader of the Government?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What process does this definition explain? A formal process for the electorate to choose their representative in the House of Commons.
Q2.Match the word to its correct definition.
Q3.A general election starts with the dissolution of ...
Q4.What kind of government is characterised by citizens having the power to choose their leaders and representatives?
Q5.Which of these is not a type of election in the UK?
Q6.Which is not a method that candidates use to persuade the electorate to vote for them?
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: How do elections work?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: How do elections work?, 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 the political system work in the UK? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.