What change has protest achieved?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify and evaluate different examples of protests and explain how they created change.
Key learning points
- Protests have led to significant changes, and usually address social, political, economic and environmental issues.
- Effective protests often involve large numbers of participants and sustained efforts over time.
- The success of a protest often depends on public support, media attention, and the clarity of its goals.
Keywords
Protest - a public demonstration or action expressing disapproval or objection to a policy, decision, or situation, often aimed at raising awareness or demanding change
Justice - fair treatment and equality under the law
Injustice - violation of rights or unfair treatment
Collective action - acting together to achieve a common goal
Common misconception
Protests always lead to immediate change.
Change brought by protests can take time and often requires persistence and widespread support. While some protests have led to quick reforms, others have taken years or even decades to achieve their goals.
Teacher tip
Encourage pupils to relate protests discussed in the lesson to current events they are aware of. This helps pupils see the relevance of the topic and strengthens their engagement by making connections between real-world activism and classroom learning.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the right to protest?
Q2.Match the word with the correct definition.
a public action expressing disapproval, aimed at raising awareness
the state of peace and security maintained by laws
a recognised member of a community with rights and responsibilities
Q3.What is the purpose of protests in a democracy?
Q4.Why must protests be regulated by law?
Q5.What are the main legal limits on protests in the UK?
Q6.What year was the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act introduced?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match each term to the correct definition.
acting together to achieve a common goal
fair treatment and equality under the law
violation of rights or unfair treatment
a public demonstration or action showing disapproval to a situation
Q2.What makes a protest most likely to influence government policy?
Q3.How do protests help shape public debate, even without immediate policy changes?
Q4.What lesson can be learned from protests that take years to achieve change?
Q5.Why is public support crucial for protest movements?
Q6.What was the name of the campaign founded by Amika George?
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What change has protest achieved?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 citizenship lesson on: What change has protest achieved?, 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 Why do we need the right to protest in a democracy? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.