Identity and diversity in the UK
England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own identity — and within each nation lies even greater diversity.
Part of your national curriculum
- Democracy and government: Understand the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Understand the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding
Key learning points
- • National and regional identity
- • Religious and ethnic diversity
- • Mutual respect
This lesson at a glance
- 22 minutes
- 14 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 14
Watch first
Identity and diversity in the UK
An English teaching video on this topic from Speaking Globally. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.
In a nutshell
Understand the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 14
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · National and regional identity
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 14
Learn
National and regional identity
The UK is made up of four nations, each with its own history, traditions and sometimes language, such as Welsh or Scots Gaelic. Within England too, regions have distinct accents, dialects and local pride.
Explore the idea
Part 4 of 14
Learn
Religious and ethnic diversity
The UK is home to people of many faiths, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism and Judaism, as well as those with no religion. Ethnic diversity has grown through centuries of migration, shaping food, music and communities.
Quick check
Part 5 of 14
Quick check
How many nations make up the United Kingdom?
Reset break
Part 6 of 14
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 2 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 7 of 14
Quick check
Which of these is a religion practised by people in the UK?
Learning cycle
Part 8 of 14
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Mutual respect
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 9 of 14
Learn
Mutual respect
Living well together means respecting differences while sharing common values such as the rule of law and freedom of speech. Understanding others' backgrounds reduces prejudice and helps communities cooperate rather than divide.
Quick check
Part 10 of 14
Quick check
What helps different communities live well together?
Challenge round
Part 11 of 14
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 12 of 14
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
____ diversity has grown through centuries of migration, shaping food, music and communities.
Mastery quiz
Part 13 of 14
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Identity and diversity in the UK
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. How many nations make up the United Kingdom?
2. Which of these is a religion practised by people in the UK?
3. What helps different communities live well together?
Lesson round-up
Part 14 of 14
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaDo the work
Your written work for this lesson
This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.
Should the town centre have a curfew for under-16s?
After a rise in reported vandalism, Harbrook council proposed that under-16s should not be in the town centre after 9 pm without an adult. Police recorded 62 incidents last year, most between 9 pm and midnight. Shopkeepers signed a petition supporting the plan.
A youth council objected. They pointed out that most young people in town at night were going home from sports clubs or work, that the plan punishes a whole group for the acts of a few, and that the library and the bus interchange are in the town centre. They asked instead for a late bus and a youth space.
The council voted to trial the curfew for six months and to publish the crime figures at the end.
Written for Good Learning Co.
Reading questions
- Give the strongest point on each side of the argument, using a fact from the case.
- Whose rights and whose responsibilities are involved here? Explain both.
- Write your own view on the curfew with reasons and one example.
Reading and response
ReadingRead the case in the lesson again and write what you think should happen, and why it is fair. Use one fact from the case as evidence.
2 paragraphs (PEE)
Extended writing
WritingWrite your answer to the lesson's big question in full: the strongest point on each side, then your own view with reasons and an example.
250–350 words
Reading log
ReadingFind one news story this week that links to this lesson. Note the headline, where you read it, and how it connects.
1 story, 4–5 sentences
Two sides of the argument
WritingWrite the strongest point for, the strongest point against, and then your own view with a reason.
3 paragraphs
Poster or leaflet plan
DiagramPlan a leaflet that explains this right or responsibility to someone your age, then photograph it.
1 planned page
Saved as you type.
Part 1 of 14 · Watch & discover
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Understand the diverse national, regional, religious and ethnic identities in the United Kingdom and the need for mutual respect and understanding