Active citizenship in practice
Active citizenship blends voting with everyday actions like volunteering and campaigning that shape decisions between elections too.
Part of your national curriculum
- Democracy and government: Understand the different ways a citizen can participate actively in democratic and electoral processes, including through community volunteering and campaigning
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Understand the different ways a citizen can participate actively in democratic and electoral processes, including through community volunteering and campaigning
Key learning points
- • Beyond the ballot box
- • Volunteering as participation
- • Campaigning for change
This lesson at a glance
- 22 minutes
- 17 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 17
Visual introductionPicture this
Active citizenship in practice
Active citizenship blends voting with everyday actions like volunteering and campaigning that shape decisions between elections too.
In a nutshell
Understand the different ways a citizen can participate actively in democratic and electoral processes, including through community volunteering and campaigning
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Beyond the ballot box
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
Beyond the ballot box
Democracy relies on more than casting a vote every few years. Joining a political party, attending council meetings, or becoming a school council representative are all ways of practising democracy actively.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 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.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Volunteering as participation
Volunteering with local charities or campaign groups builds skills in organising and persuading others, and it often directly supports the causes that matter to a community, from the environment to homelessness.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 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.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Campaigning for change
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Campaigning for change
Campaigns can be local, such as petitioning for a safer road crossing, or national, such as raising awareness of an issue through social media, marches or media coverage, keeping decision-makers accountable between elections.
Quick check
Part 11 of 17
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 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.
Challenge round
Part 13 of 17
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 14 of 17
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
Joining a political party, attending council meetings, or becoming a school council representative are all ways of practising democracy ____.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
Which of these counts as active citizenship?
Card 1 of 3
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Active citizenship in practice
3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Which of these counts as active citizenship?
2. What skill does volunteering with a campaign group often build?
3. What is an example of a local campaign?
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
Not sat
Games
Not played
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 LunaPart 1 of 17 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Understand the different ways a citizen can participate actively in democratic and electoral processes, including through community volunteering and campaigning