Overview
Students examine ways in which a fictional town council could spend its budget. They consider the concerns of different residents and analyse how the budget could be spent most effectively. Finally students present and justify their budgets, defending their decision making in front of ‘local residents’.
Aimed at KS4 or Post-16, by the end of the lesson students will:
- Describe the role of local government;
- Consider some of the competing demands on local council budgets;
- Present their ideas on how a local council budget should be spent, reflecting on the different needs of the community.
Acknowledgements:
More Lessons resources
Pollution: Expedition to Planet Blueball
This lesson explores the issues of pollution of our planet and sustainable power. It is based around an animated story, involving the Go-Givers characters, in which creatures from a friendly…
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
Who Keeps us Healthy?
In this lesson pupils consider what being healthy means and who plays a role in keeping the population healthy. The coronavirus pandemic is given as an example of populations taking…
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
How Should We Farm?
In this lesson pupils will learn about different farming methods. They will consider the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and learn how to identify labels that indicate how food…
Consumer Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores the law concerning buying and selling goods and services highlighting what their rights and responsibilities are as a consumer. The lesson gives students the opportunity to practice…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Controversial issues: guidance for schools
Children are alert to information and images they see in the media. These may graphically influence their view of the world, and not always positively. Graphic images on TV and…
Democracy (Part 2): Local and Central Government
This lesson forms the second part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about the function of central and local government and the difference between MPs and councillors. Pupils explore…
The Economy Quiz
In this short, 15 minute activity students use all they have learnt from earlier lessons to complete a quiz...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Housing Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students explore a range of different housing situations someone can find themselves in. They examine some of the common legal issues concerning housing including common landlord and…
Biodiversity: Using the Law to Drive Change
During this lesson, students consider what biodiversity is, why it is essential to all life on Earth and what...
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Consumer Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores the law concerning buying and selling goods and services highlighting what their rights and responsibilities are...
Sexting and the Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores what the law says in relation to the sending of sexually explicit images by those aged under 18. The lesson examines two scenarios of young people involved…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate...