LESSON FOCUS: The role of the Commonwealth · 2016. 5. 16. · This fun-packed introduction to the Commonwealth features a class domino activity, a team race and the chance to create

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LESSON FOCUS: The role of the Commonwealth

Key stage KS4 (year 10) Key concepts 1c Key processes 2.2b Range and content 3m Curriculum opportunities 4a, 4b, 4c & 4h

PLTS: Team workers & effective participants FUNCTIONAL SKILLS: Literacy – paragraph sequencing

RESOURCES:

* Resource B needs cutting and laminating in advance*

Resource A - Images Resource B - Dominoes Resource C - Team

challenge Resource D – Team

challenge answers Resource E – Dominoes

answers Resource F – Advertising

brief Blu-Tack

OBJECTIVES:

I will explore what the Commonwealth is. I will discuss my opinions about the

Commonwealth with my class. OUTCOMES:

I can name the four key Commonwealth principles.

I can name the Head of the Commonwealth and the Secretary General.

Overview With so much talk of the EU, do your Year 10s understand what the Commonwealth is? This fun-packed introduction to the Commonwealth features a class domino activity, a team race and the chance to create an advert for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Keywords Britain, British Empire, Commonwealth, Commonwealth Games, education, equality, friendly, global, independence, poverty, principle, Queen, Secretariat, Secretary General, World War One and World War Two

The role of the Commonwealth


Introduction (5 minutes) Share lesson objective and outcomes.

Starter (10 minutes) Resources: A Instructions: Put students into small groups. Distribute images (resource A). Explain that ‘the Commonwealth’ connects all the images. Invite students to

comment on what the Commonwealth is and the relevance of the images. Provide a brief overview of the history of the British Empire and the development of

the modern Commonwealth (refer to recommended web links below for the latest updates).

Main (25 minutes) Resources: B, C, D & E Instructions: Activity 1 (15 minutes)

Give each student one domino (resource B). Explain that each domino forms part of an explanation of the Commonwealth.

Ask the student with the ‘start’ card to stand, read it out and stick it on the wall.

Ask any student who thinks his/her domino is next to stand, read it out and stick it on the wall underneath the ‘start’ card. Continue until everyone is standing. (Resource E gives the answers.)

Invite comments about what the students learnt from this task.

Example of good response: o ‘I thought that the Queen went to the Commonwealth Games for fun. I didn’t

realise that it’s because she’s Head of the Commonwealth!’

Activity 2 (10 minutes)

Split the class into small groups.

Ask each group to answer the questions on resource C as quickly as possible. Offer resource E to struggling teams.

Announce the winner (the quickest team to get all the answers correct). The answers are on resource D.



Plenary (20 minutes) Resources:

A–F

Instructions:

Distribute resource F. Refer students to the instructions - ask them to create an advert for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Invite a few students to share their work with the class, with reference to following questions:

1. How does your advert show that the Commonwealth Games is about more than sport?

2. Which of the four key Commonwealth principles seems the most important? Justify.

3. Some people feel uncomfortable about the Commonwealth because of the negative aspects of the British Empire. How does your poster give the Commonwealth a positive slant?

4. Which organisations would be appropriate sponsors for future Commonwealth Games, given its aims and principles?

Attainment

Level 1 I can ask questions about the Commonwealth. Level 2 I can give an opinion about the Commonwealth.

Level 3 I can acknowledge other students’ viewpoints about the Commonwealth.

Level 4 I can make informed contributions to discussions about the Commonwealth.

Level 5 I can describe situations in which rights and interests might conflict within the Commonwealth.

Level 6 I can discuss changing identities and communities in the UK, as relevant to the Commonwealth.

Level 7 I can make reasoned arguments about the positive features of the Commonwealth Games.

Level 8 I can show a detailed understanding of rights and responsibilities within another Commonwealth country. Exceptional performance

I can debate challenging questions about the relationship between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

Recommended links www.glasgow2014.com www.thecommonwealth.org http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/br/British_Empire



http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/th/The_Commonwealth_of_Nations www.thecommonwealth.org/news/222027/310310sgsportspeech.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_1790000/newsid_1793900/1793997.stm



RESOURCE A – Images

1. RULE BRITANNIA

2. FIJI FLAG



3. AFRICAN PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY BRITISH ARMY DURING BOER WAR

4. BRITISH EMPIRE MAP

5. OLD QUEEN ELIZABETH STAMP



RESOURCE B – Dominoes

START: The Commonwealth is like a large family of many

nations. It has…

…54 member countries across the world, which…



…voluntarily work together to ensure that every citizen’s life is

made better through…

…friendship, education and democracy. This means all

members are treated…



…equally. There are over 2 billion member citizens of the

Commonwealth, over half of whom are under the age…



…of 25 years. The Commonwealth is constantly growing, but most member

nations were once ruled by… …Britain. Therefore, the common

language within the Commonwealth is…



…English. All member nations are now independent from Britain, but many member countries in

the past had to… …fight for their independence. However, once it was gained,

many countries decided to work alongside each other as a…



… ‘Free Commonwealth of Nations’.

The British Queen is the… …Head of the Commonwealth.

This means that she visits… …many member nations around

the world to ensure that…



…discussions are held between Commonwealth leaders, and that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also attends sporting

events such as the… …Commonwealth Games, which

are held…



…every four years and are known as the ‘friendly games’ (because

athletes…

…compete against each other individually, rather than as

countries). Sport…



…is a great way of encouraging unity, which is important to the

Commonwealth. The next Commonwealth Games

will be held… …in Glasgow in 2014. The most

recent games were held in…



…New Delhi, India. The person responsible for the

Commonwealth is called…

…the Secretary General. The current Secretary General is

Kamalesh Sharma. He ensures…



…that all member countries’

governments work together to meet the Commonwealth’s main goals and programmes. Some of

the programmes involve…



...supporting democracy at election time, equality for women, reducing poverty, developing education, and

supporting equality and human… …rights for all. If you break the

rules of the Commonwealth, your member country can be…



…suspended or expelled from the Commonwealth. The Fiji islands

have been suspended since… …2009 because the military

overthrew the Government, which the Commonwealth felt to be

unfair because…



…this action goes against the principles of democracy. The Commonwealth celebrates its

work once every…

…year on the second Monday of March, on ‘Commonwealth Day’…



On Commonwealth Day, the Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries. All their

flags fly from Marlborough House in London (the home of the

Commonwealth Secretariat, which…



…is responsible for ensuring that everything in the Commonwealth

runs smoothly and that…

…everyone co-operates with each other to make the Commonwealth

effective). FINISH



RESOURCE C – Team challenge

1. How many nations and citizens are members of the Commonwealth?

2. Which THREE things does the Commonwealth stand for?

3. Most member nations of the Commonwealth were once ruled by which country?

4. Give TWO examples of the programmes the Commonwealth works on to help all its member citizens.

5. What happens on Commonwealth Day?

6. Where will the Commonwealth Games be held in 2014?

7. The Commonwealth Games are known as the friendly games. Why?

8. Who is the Head of the Commonwealth, and what responsibilities does she have?

9. Who is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and what are his responsibilities?

10. Why was Fiji suspended from the Commonwealth in 2009?



RESOURCE D – Team challenge answers

1. How many nations and citizens are members of the Commonwealth?

54 nations (2 billion citizens)

2. Which THREE things does the Commonwealth stand for?

Friendship, education and democracy 3. Most member nations of the Commonwealth

were once ruled by which country?

Britain 4. Give TWO examples of the programmes the Commonwealth

works on to help all its member citizens.

Human Rights, support during election time, equality for women, eradicating poverty and educational development 5. What happens on Commonwealth Day?

The Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries and all member

flags fly from Marlborough House in London (the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat).

6. Where will the Commonwealth Games be held in 2014?

Glasgow (Scotland) 7. The Commonwealth Games are known as the friendly games.

Why?

Athletes compete as individuals rather than as countries. 8. Who is the Head of the Commonwealth, and what

responsibilities does she have?

Queen Elizabeth. She holds discussions with Commonwealth leaders, so that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also conducts state visits to

member countries and attends the Commonwealth Games. 9. Who is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth and

what are his responsibilities?

Kamalesh Sharman. He ensures that all member countries’ governments work together to meet the Commonwealth’s

main goals and programmes.



10. Why was Fiji suspended from the Commonwealth in 2009?

The military overthrew the civilian Government, which goes against the Commonwealth’s principles of democracy.



Resource E – Dominoes answers

START: The Commonwealth is like a large family of many nations. It has… …54 member countries across the world, which…

…voluntarily work together to ensure that every citizen’s life is made better through… …friendship, education and democracy. This means all members are treated…

…equally. There are over 2 billion member citizens of the Commonwealth, over half of whom are under the age… …of 25 years. The Commonwealth is constantly growing, but most member nations were once ruled by…

…Britain. Therefore, the common language within the Commonwealth is… …English. All member nations are now independent from Britain, but many member countries in the past had to…

…fight for their independence. However, once it was gained, many countries decided to work alongside each other as a…

… ‘Free Commonwealth of Nations’. The British Queen is the… …Head of the Commonwealth. This means that she visits… …many member nations around the world to ensure that…

…discussions are held between Commonwealth leaders, and that the Commonwealth maintains its values. She also attends sporting events such as the…

…Commonwealth Games, which are held… …every four years and are known as the ‘friendly games’ (because athletes… …compete against each other individually, rather than as countries). Sport…

… is a great way of encouraging unity, which is important to the Commonwealth. The next Commonwealth Games will be held…

…in Glasgow in 2014. The most recent games were held in… …New Delhi, India. The person responsible for the Commonwealth is called…

…the Secretary General. The current Secretary General is Kamalesh Sharma. He ensures… …that all member countries’ governments work together to meet the Commonwealth’s main goals and programmes.

Some of the programmes involve…



...supporting democracy at election time, equality for women, reducing poverty, developing education, and supporting equality and human…

…rights for all. If you break the rules of the Commonwealth, your member country can be… …suspended or expelled from the Commonwealth. The Fiji islands have been suspended since…

…2009 because the military overthrew the government, which the Commonwealth felt to be unfair because… …this action goes against the principles of democracy. The Commonwealth celebrates its work once every…

…year on the second Monday of March, on ‘Commonwealth Day’… On Commonwealth Day, the Queen broadcasts a message to all member countries. All their flags fly from

Marlborough House in London (the home of the Commonwealth Secretariat, which… …is responsible for ensuring that everything in the Commonwealth runs smoothly and that…

everyone co-operates with each other to make the Commonwealth effective). FINISH



RESOURCE F – Advertising brief

Create an advert to promote the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 Include:

where the Commonwealth Games will be held why they are held (think about the key principles below)

three or more key points about the history/role of the Commonwealth.

1. democratic and honest government

2. equality for women

3. access to education for all

4. eradication of poverty

Key Facts This will be the 20th Commonwealth Games The Games will be held between 23 July and 3 August 2014

Seventeen sports will be played over the 11-day competition

4,500 athletes will compete in over 30 events Each Commonwealth Games take nine years to plan

THE FOUR KEY PRINCIPLES OF THE COMMONWEALTH

Sports include: aquatics, athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, judo, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, triathlon, weightlifting and wrestling.

Documents

LESSON FOCUS: The role of the Commonwealth · 2016. 5. 16. · This fun-packed introduction to the Commonwealth features a class domino activity, a team race and the chance to create