Working in politics – what can we do?
I can describe different roles in politics and analyse what is needed to succeed and create change.
Working in politics – what can we do?
I can describe different roles in politics and analyse what is needed to succeed and create change.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.
These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Roles in politics range from elected officials to civil servants and advisers, all supporting government functions.
- Politics-related careers include MPs, civil servants, journalists, and NGO workers, each helping to create change.
- Key qualities like communication, empathy, and resilience are essential for creating change in politics.
- Practical experience and developing essential skills are crucial for making a lasting impact in politics.
Keywords
Career - an occupation pursued over a significant period of a person's life, offering opportunities for progression and development
Change - in this context, making improvements in society, policies, or government actions to address issues, solve problems, and create positive outcomes for communities and individuals
Common misconception
Working in politics is only about becoming an elected official, like an MP.
There are many other important roles, such as civil servants, journalists, and NGO workers, that also contribute to shaping policies and creating change.
To help you plan your year 11 citizenship lesson on: Working in politics – what can we do?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 11 citizenship lesson on: Working in politics – what can we do?, 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 What are the different ways we can become involved in politics? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
having a one-sided view of a person or group
a system where one person or a small group controls the country
a method used to decide which candidate wins an election
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
represents a constituency in government and makes laws
provides expert advice to political leaders on key issues
implements policies, especially in public services
researches, investigates and writes news stories