Lesson plan one: part two
Aim: To establish a basic understanding of the difference between Parliament and Government, and how Westminster works. To learn about the double checking and expertise aspects of the House of Lords.
The House of Lords and "double checking"
Duration: 20 - 40 minutes
Tell students that they must now make sense of the new words they have heard in the quiz and icebreaker. Write the words Parliament and Government on either side of the board. Explain the roles of the two, going into detail appropriate to learning level and making some notes on the board (see below for possible definitions).
Underneath Parliament, write the Monarch/Queen, House of Commons, House of Lords. Explain the Monarch and House of Commons to an appropriate level of detail.
Leave House of Lords blank and give students three minutes in pairs to brainstorm what this part of Parliament might do. Take feedback from students and clarify/explain the role of the House of Lords, placing emphasis on double checking and expertise. Review the information covered or choose one of the extension activities below to complete this session.
The role of the House of Lords is to:
Process and revise legislation
Bills (proposed laws) have to go through various stages in both Houses before they receive Royal Assent and become Acts. The Lords spends about two-thirds or its time revising or initiating legislation.
Act as a check on the Government
Members question the Government orally or by written questions and they debate policy issues.
It provides a forum of independent expertise
Specialist committees use Members' wide-ranging expertise in areas such as science, technology, healthcare, education, business, economics media and communications etc. The majority of committee meetings are open to the public. (Find out more about House of Lords committees in Lesson plan one: part three and Lesson plan two.)
It acts as the final court of appeal
The House currently fulfils this function through the Law Lords, however in October 2009 this remit will transfer to the new Supreme Court.
You (or your students) can find out much more information about the House of Lords from the House of Lords homepage.
Possible definitions of key terms
Government: The Government is like the management of the country. They are in overall charge of services like the health service, schools and the police. The Government is made up of around 100 members of whichever political party won the most seats at the general election. Many thousands of people work for the Government - making sure this work gets done.
Parliament: Parliament's role is making and changing laws in the UK as well as checking the work of the Government.
Monarch: In this country we have a hereditary monarch which means that the title is passed through the family. The monarch used to have a lot more power than they do now. Whenever a new Bill is passed (new law made), the Queen has to agree to it, but this is really a formality and the last time a monarch refused to agree to it was in 1707.
House of Commons: The House of Commons is made up of 646 Members of Parliament (MPs) who are elected by voters. MPs should represent the views of the people in their constituency (local area) in Parliament. The House of Commons makes laws and carefully checks what the Government is doing.