Should environmental issues be decided by referendum?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can create a reasoned argument whether environmental decisions should be decided by a referendum.
Key learning points
- Referendums allow citizens to directly vote on important environmental policies.
- The Irish Citizens' Assembly allowed citizens to discuss and advise on biodiversity issues.
- Referendums for environmental issues can be costly and time-consuming.
- Many environmental topics are complex and may require expert knowledge that the general public might not have.
- In the UK, elected representatives make environmental laws and follow global agreements like the Paris Agreement.
Keywords
Referendum - a general vote by the electorate on a single political issue which has been referred to them for a direct decision; it is a form of direct democracy
Citizens' assembly - a group of people who are brought together to learn about, discuss and make recommendations on a specific issue, such as climate change
Common misconception
The UK does not have to follow international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement because they are not UK laws.
While international agreements like the Paris Agreement are not UK laws, the UK chooses to follow them and often updates its national laws, like setting a net-zero target, to meet the promises made globally.
Teacher tip
Use videos or extracts from real citizens’ assemblies or referendum debates to make the lesson more relatable. Ireland’s Citizens’ Assembly has publicly available clips that show youth engagement and informed discussion.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What are the two houses in the UK Parliament called?
Q2.The House of Commons and the House of Lords both take part in committees.
Q3.Why is it important that select committees involve citizens?
Q4.Match the way citizens can get involved in select committees to the correct definition.
a written explanation or summary that supports a particular viewpoint
a formal document sent to a committee to express views
speaking directly to the committee during a public hearing
Q5.Do select committees only want evidence from experts?
Q6.Do select committees have the power to implement changes in government policies?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the words with the correct definitions.
a public vote on a specific issue
a group of citizens who discuss and advise on specific issues
a choice or action that has an impact on the environment
Q2.In the UK, environmental decisions are made by representatives and can be influenced by international agreements.
Q3.Which of the following is a reason why referendums on environmental issues may not always be effective?
Q4.What is one benefit of using a citizens’ assembly to make environmental decisions?
Q5.In 2022, in Ireland, a citizens’ assembly was held that included children and young people aged 7–17 to give their views on loss.
Q6. can help raise public awareness of environmental issues by involving everyone in a national vote on a specific policy.
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Should environmental issues be decided by referendum?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: Should environmental issues be decided by referendum?, 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 How can politicians involve citizens in direct decision making? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.