Lesson activity: weekly media sessions, with future AV poll as an example

A good idea for encouraging students to keep up-to-date with political developments is to slot into the weekly timetable a regular media slot.

This is an idea I co-developed with a collague a few years ago, and have been steadily tweaking it.

For the AS course, it is widely reckoned that there is more than enough slack in the timetable to get through the course whether it be a January and May entry, or May only entry. And if the course is split asymmetrically where one teacher has an extra period to teach their half of the course, then this is where the media lesson can fit in.

Essentially, students are set the task of sourcing a relevant political story from the week’s press or TV, which is distilled into five key points in their own words, with the last point being a personal comment on the significance of the story, or why it was of interest, or what future developments may occur, etc.

This is especially useful at the start of a course since it is important that students get into good habits early. Also, as an extra ‘stick’ I make sure I take them in and treat it as a mini-homework.

As an example there was a brief story in yesterday’s Guardian which reported on a committee appearance by the chair of the Electoral Commission.

Jenny Watson, the watchdog’s chief, stated that the legislation on the proposed referendum on changing the voting system would have to reach its final stages 6 months before the poll took place, otherwise it couldn’t be scheduled to take place on the same day as the Celtic fringe devolved and English local elections.

This offers up all sorts of avenues for debate, and is an issue that should be followed closely. Why? First, it should serve as a practical example to support a whole variety of arguments about the pros and cons of direct democracy. If the poll is to go ahead it will be only the second UK wide poll in the nation’s history.

What does it say about fair questioning on the ballot paper?
What about the balance of funding for the Yes and No campaign?
What is turnout likely to be?
Should there be a minimum threshold as there was for the devolution referendums in 1979?
Will voters receive enough information to make an accurate judgment?
Should we even have a referendum at all?
Why isn’t there an option about a PR based system on the ballot?
Should the timing of the vote be determined by the government?

As I say, an issue that is well worth tracking. And if the poll does go ahead there are going to be some interesting positions taken by various senior members of the parties, and unlikely coalitions could form on the pro and anti side as we saw in 1975 in the EEC poll.

I should also add that as a teacher I always hold a story in reserve, either from Channel 4 news or another site that contains video clips. I wouldn’t ask students to do something I wasn’t prepared to do myself!