1. Vote for, Cruise with, Send to the Jungle
You are going to see three well known faces, you need to decide who you would vote for to be your next prime minister, who you would go on a round the world cruise with and who you would send to the I’m a Celebrity Jungle…
Last lesson students started thinking about how to choose who to vote for in general elections. Start this lesson with a quick voting based activity. Show three famous faces on the PPT slide and ask students which one they would vote for to be their next prime minister, which one they would go on a round the world cruise with and which one they would send to the I’m a Celebrity Jungle.
Simon Cowell
Clare Balding
Adele

2. Vote for, Cruise with, Send to the Jungle
Davina McCall
David Attenborough
Will Smith

3. Vote for, Cruise with, Send to the Jungle
Alan Sugar
Beyonce
Jessica Ennis-Hill

4. Voting
Learning Objective: To explore our key question ‘should voting be compulsory?’.
I can reflect on my own views on whether voting should be compulsory.
I can explore voter turn out in the UK.
I can create my own campaign to encourage under 24 voters.

5. How far do you agree with this statement:
Agree or Disagree?
How far do you agree with this statement:
It is important to me have my say through voting in general elections when I’m 18.
Ask students to share their initial opinions on voting. On the PPT are four statements on voting. Students need to indicate whether they agree or disagree with the statement with 5 being agree and 1 being disagree. It is up to you how you do this, you could do this as a continuum line or ask students to use their fingers to indicate their opinion. Take some feedback after each statement.
Disagree
Agree

6. How far do you agree with this statement:
Agree or Disagree?
How far do you agree with this statement:
I feel my vote will make a difference in how the country is run.
Disagree
Agree

7. How far do you agree with this statement:
Agree or Disagree?
How far do you agree with this statement:
I don’t think you should be allowed to vote if you don’t understand politics.
Disagree
Agree

8. How far do you agree with this statement:
Agree or Disagree?
How far do you agree with this statement:
I think the voting age should be lowered to 16.
Disagree
Agree

9. How far do you agree with this statement:
Agree or Disagree?
How far do you agree with this statement:
I think it should be compulsory for everyone over the age of 18 to vote.
This question leads into our key question this lesson – should you vote?
Disagree
Agree

10. Compulsory Voting
The right to vote is a freedom fiercely sought by people all over the world, but Australians do not have a choice.
The continent is part of a small minority of just 23 countries with mandatory voting laws. Only 10 of those enforce them.
Registering to vote and going to the polls are legal duties in Australia for citizens aged 18 and over, and failing to do so can result in a fine and potentially a day in court.
Although small, the A$20 (about $18, £12) fine is enough to drive voters to the polls in substantially greater numbers than countries with voluntary voting.
Supporters of the system say Australia boasts some of the highest civic participation in the world, with a reported 94% voter turnout in the last federal election, compared with about 65% in the UK's 2010 general election and an estimated 57% in the 2012 US presidential election.
Explain how voting is compulsory in Australia. Use the link to show the clip of voter’s opinions on this in Australia.

11. Key Question
This lesson we will be focusing on our key question ‘should voting be compulsory?’
Do we have a duty to vote?
Is voting something good, but not obligatory, like giving to charity?
Explain to students we will be focusing this lesson on the question, should voting be compulsory. Get students to continue their first thoughts on this by posing some of the further questions on the PPT – do we have a duty to vote, should you be free to choose whether or not to vote, should you honour those who fought for the right to vote, should be disapprove of people who don’t vote, is voting something good but not obligatory like giving to charity?
Should you be free to choose whether or not to vote?
Should you honour those who fought for the right to vote?
Should we disapprove of people who don’t vote?

12. Voting
Learning Objective: To explore our key question ‘should voting be compulsory?’.
I can reflect on my own views on whether voting should be compulsory.
I can explore voter turn out in the UK.
I can create my own campaign to encourage under 24 voters.

13. Voter Turn Out in the UK
Match the percentage of people who voted in the 2017 General Election with each age category:
61%
64%
57%
77%
59%
84%
71%
66%
18-19
20-24
25-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70+
To explore the key question further explain to students that we will be looking at voter turn out in UK general elections. On the PPT are age categories and percentages of how many people in each category voted. Students need to see if they can correctly match up the percentage with the age category.

14. Voter Turn Out in the UK How did you do?
Reveal to students the voter turn out by age group. Ask whether this is what they expected and why they think year olds are the least likely to vote and 70+ are most likely.

15. Voting and Young People
Traditionally, people under the age of 24 are the least likely to vote in a general election – why is this?
Keyword: Apathy
Behaviour that shows no interest or energy and shows that someone is unwilling to take action, especially over something important. E.g. voter apathy.
In order to explore voting turn out further show students the BBC documentary ‘An Idiot’s Guide to Politics’ (on Google Drive folder) which explores reasons behind apathy among young voters. Show approx. 15 mins depending on how much time you have.

16. ‘Should voting be compulsory?’
Key Question
Does this impact your views on our key question?
‘Should voting be compulsory?’
Go back to our key question this lesson – should voting be compulsory? Ask them to reflect on what they have found out about voting turn out and whether this influences their views in any way.

17. Voting
Learning Objective: To explore our key question ‘should voting be compulsory?’.
I can reflect on my own views on whether voting should be compulsory.
I can explore voter turn out in the UK.
I can create my own campaign to encourage under 24 voters.

18. How can young people be encouraged to vote?
Think back to the manifesto you created last lesson, how would you encourage voters to come out and vote for you?
You need to come up with at least 3 strategies for getting 18-24s to come out and vote for your manifesto.

19. Voting
Learning Objective: To explore our key question ‘should voting be compulsory?’.
I can reflect on my own views on whether voting should be compulsory.
I can explore voter turn out in the UK.
I can create my own campaign to encourage under 24 voters.