Overview
The Make a Difference in a Day resource pack has been created for teachers who want to deliver a drop down day with children focusing on making a difference to a community space that’s important to them.
This free package of resources comprises:
- Set of teachers’ notes;
- PowerPoint slides;
- Pupil workbook;
- Social action activity suggestions;
- Stimulus pictures.
Taken together, the resources lead children through a mini community project focused on an issue identified as a local concern, such as tackling the problem of air pollution caused by traffic, protecting local biodiversity, improving access to community buildings or tackling issues of litter and plastic pollution.
Make a Difference in a Day is designed to be used with either the whole school, a year group, or a single class. It’s primarily pitched at key stage 2 pupils, but can be adapted for younger – or older – pupils.
The production of this resource was made possible through generous funding from the Co-op Community Foundation Community Spaces programme, which encourages and supports young people to identify and improve community spaces near them for the benefit of other young people and the wider community.

Suggested next steps:
- Browse case studies of youth-led action;
- Check out the free online course Social Action in Community Spaces;
- After your drop down experience, progress to the full Make a Difference Challenge.
More Lessons resources
Democracy (Part 3): Why Do We Have Laws?
This lesson forms the final part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law. They discover the different roles of parliament, government and…
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students examine what the rule of law is and why we need it. They consider how and why laws are made in the UK and what the…
More Community resources
Cultural Diversity in the UK
In this lesson pupils will be learning about cultural diversity in the UK and some of the historical factors that have contributed to the diversity of the UK population. Pupils…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate...
What is a Charity?
Pupils learn about the reasons why charities are created. They will be introduced to the main features of a charity and have the opportunity to research the work of a…
More Social Action/Active Citizenship resources
What is a Citizen?
In this lesson pupils will be encouraged to think of themselves as citizens with the potential to make a positive difference in society. The lesson opens with the traditional tale…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate...
Family Life
In this lesson pupils will think about what it means to be part of a family and how they can make a positive difference in their family life. Pupils will be…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
All at Sea: a story about fairness and the rule of law
During this lesson pupils use the story ‘All at Sea’ to explore how a group of citizens should organise a new society under a challenging set of circumstances. Each chapter…
Conflict: Part 2 – Mediation
In this lesson pupils will discuss the principles of simple mediation strategies and apply these in role play scenarios to explore how people can voice and resolve their differences. The…
What is a Charity?
Pupils learn about the reasons why charities are created. They will be introduced to the main features of a charity and have the opportunity to research the work of a…