Overview
Young people are, and will continue to be, some of the most impacted by COVID. However their voices have been largely kept out of public conversations about it and our country’s recovery plans.
Dr Dania Thomas and Young Citizens have developed a classroom resource to introduce young people to the inevitable social and economic consequences that a steep rise in public borrowing will entail for their futures. This is the start of a conversation aimed at exposing young minds to the impact mounting national debt poses to their rights as citizens – thinking about healthcare, education, welfare and pensions.
This session is also designed to validate their lived experience of this crisis, giving young people the resources to better understand what this means for them as well as build their confidence and agency to hold governments to account in the future.
Who’s Really Paying for COVID? is aimed at Key Stage 4 and 5.
It consists of a pre-recorded presentation delivered by Dr. Dania Thomas, as well as accompanying teaching and learning resources that are available to download for free.
These resources were developed as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences 2020 and aimed to raise the profile of social sciences with teachers and young people. Although the festival has passed, we are very keen for you to benefit from these topical resources. Please share your school’s involvement on social media using #ESRCFestival.
More Lessons resources
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Students research what the law says about the rights of individuals to become UK citizens and critically examine whether...
Why Do We Pay Taxes? (Part 1)
Pupils will learn that public services are largely funded through the payment of taxes to the government. To access this content, register for our School Subscription.
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COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
Housing Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students explore a range of different housing situations someone can find themselves in. They examine some of the common legal issues concerning housing including common landlord and…
What is Tax?
During this lesson, students will look at the purpose and collection of taxes. They will explore how public services...
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Fake News: The Evolution of Media
In this lesson, students explore how media has changed since the 1900s and the impact this has had on...
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Children are alert to information and images they see in the media. These may graphically influence their view of the world, and not always positively. Graphic images on TV and…
Democracy (Part 1): What is a General Election?
This lesson forms the first part of a three-part unit on Democracy. Pupils explore the meaning of ‘democracy’, and the ways in which citizens can participate in democratic life in…
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What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
An Introduction to Discrimination Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson looks at the history of anti-discrimination law, the different types of discrimination (i.e. direct and indirect discrimination) and how the law deals with discrimination. It can be delivered…
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Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...
Sexting and the Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores what the law says in relation to the sending of sexually explicit images by those aged under 18. The lesson examines two scenarios of young people involved…
Who’s to Blame? (SmartLaw Subscription)
This activity is based on the case of R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) – two sailors accused of murdering cabin boy Richard Parker, after being cast adrift on the…