How can I take part in the democratic process? The role of select committees
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what a select committee is and how to get involved.
Key learning points
- Select committees scrutinise government policies to ensure accountability.
- Select committees gather evidence, question ministers and produce reports.
- Citizens can participate by submitting evidence or attending public consultations.
Keywords
Select committees - a group of members of a legislative body chosen to investigate and report on specific issues or topics
Government - the group of people with the authority to govern a country; in the UK, the Government is chosen and led by the Prime Minister (PM)
Common misconception
Only Members of Parliament (MPs) can be part of select committees.
The public can contribute to select committees by submitting evidence or attending public consultations.
Teacher tip
Allow pupils to research current inquiries to deepen their understanding of how select committees operate and the issues they address.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are the three branches of separation in the UK called?
Q2.Match the branch to its definition.
the branch of government responsible for putting laws into effect
the branch of the state that is responsible for enforcing the law
the law-making body of the state
Q3.The legislative branch has a bicameral system. What does this mean?
Q4.What is this describing? The transfer of political powers from a central government or Parliament to a national, regional or local government or Parliament.
Q5.Which of these statements is a reason why there is a separation of powers in the UK?
Q6.Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK are representatives who serve in the House of Commons.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the terms to the correct definition.
a group chosen to investigate and report on specific issues
the people who have the authority to govern the country
a group of MPs in charge of specific areas, e.g. health
Q2.Select committees help to hold the to account by scrutinising its policies and actions.
Q3.What is the purpose of select committees in the UK?
Q4.Can only MPs be part of select committees?
Q5.Some of the ways citizens can participate in select committees include submitting or attending public consultations.
Q6.Does the Government have to implement the recommendations from select committee reports?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How can I take part in the democratic process? The role of select committees, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: How can I take part in the democratic process? The role of select committees, 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 4 citizenship lessons from the Should the UK be called a democracy? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.