As we approach the start of the new academic year you may be using this time to plan lessons, discussions and debates for the year ahead. To help you plan lessons around sensitive topics such as extremism and radicalisation we’ve rounded up five free, tried-and-tested classroom resources to help you facilitate discussions, build students’ resilience to extremism and teach about fundamental British values.
We’ve also created a calendar for teachers that highlights awareness dates in the academic year that might provide opportunities to discuss things like extremism and radicalisation with your students. To help you with this, we’ve highlighted relevant advice, resources, and guidance suitable for use on or around those important dates.
Created by the Educate Against Hate team, Let’s Discuss consists of four resource packs to help KS3 and KS4 teachers with difficult classroom conversations about:
- the extreme right-wing
- Islamist extremism
- fundamental British values
- extreme left-wing, anarchist and single-issue extremism.
Each resource pack contains a short film, teacher guidance, a classroom task and PowerPoint presentation to help facilitate classroom conversations and build students’ resilience to extremist ideologies.
An interactive classroom resource developed by the Department for Education and London Grid for Learning, which aims to help KS3 and KS4 students understand extremism and how certain online behaviour may be illegal or dangerous. With modes for both teachers and students this interactive resource includes videos, case studies and scenario-based activities to promote discussion.
Be Internet Legends is a curriculum plan from Parent Zone and Google to help keep KS2 pupils safe, vigilant, and confident online. The curriculum is built around five pillars — Sharp, Alert, Secure, Kind and Brave — and is designed to equip children with the key skills needed to stay safe online, including critical thinking and empathy.
This resource for KS3 and KS4 pupils follows the real-life story of Mike Haines and his brother David, a humanitarian who was killed by ISIS. The lesson plan and interactive presentation are designed to be used together to help pupils consider and discuss a wide range of themes around terrorism and the value of unity, in the face of division.
5. Conspiracy Theories in the News
A one-hour lesson plan for KS2 and KS3 pupils which explores why conspiracy theories are more common in times of crisis, why people spread them and how they should be debunked.
Next steps: Check out our new Educate Against Hate 2022/23 school calendar – where we’ve highlighted key dates for your diary, such as Safer Internet Day to help you with lesson planning for the academic year.
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