Is the physical set up of the House of Commons fit for purpose?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recognise the layout of the House of Commons and consider the benefits and drawbacks of this layout.
Key learning points
- The House of Commons (HoC) is rectangular in shape, with opposing sides facing each other.
- The debating chambers of the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Parliament / Senedd are laid out differently to the HoC.
- The House of Commons has a traditional layout and others follow a more modern layout.
Keywords
Parliament - the institution of Government in the UK; it comprises three parts: the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the monarch; its purpose is to debate, make laws and scrutinise the Government
House of Commons - elected body currently consisting of 650 members of Parliament, where MPs debate, make laws and scrutinise the Government; it is the lower house of Parliament and meets in the Palace of Westminster
Member of Parliament (MP) - the representative elected to represent a constituency in the UK's national legislative body
Common misconception
The Speaker is able to influence decisions in the House of Commons.
The Speaker is politically neutral and there to chair debates and keep order in the House of Commons.
Teacher tip
There is no correct layout to any debating chamber. It is about getting pupils to think and analyse what layout would allow for an improved debate.
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What type of government does the UK follow?
Q2.The building that the House of Commons is in is called ...
Q3.How many parts is Parliament made up of in the UK?
Q4.A Member of Parliament their constituency in the House of Commons.
Q5.Who can become a member of the House of Lords?
Q6.How can citizens get involved in democracy in the UK?
Assessment exit quiz
4 Questions
Q1.Where do Members of Parliament sit?
Q2.Which of the following people sit in the second chamber of Parliament?
Q3.What shape is the House of Commons?
Q4.Which of the following is an advantage of the layout of the House of Commons?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Is the physical set up of the House of Commons fit for purpose?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: Is the physical set up of the House of Commons fit for purpose?, 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.
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The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
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Explore more key stage 4 citizenship lessons from the What is the nature of the British Constitution? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.