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
How Does the Budget Impact Me and Others?
The resource consists of two activities. The first is a notation task based on the information provided about the...
Conflict: Part 1 – Reacting to Conflict
In this lesson pupils will take part in discussions relating to situations of conflict. Pupils will consider actions which provoke conflict and actions which can help to calm conflict. They…
Water: Our Most Precious Resource
In this lesson pupils will learn about the qualities of water and why it is vital to life on Earth. They will consider the problems facing people who cannot…
More Community resources
Homelessness
In this lesson pupils will think about what home means to them through writing a poem inspired by the line ‘Home is where the heart is’. They will consider the…
Taking Responsibility
This lesson is based around the clever traditional poem about four children named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. It introduces children to the idea of taking responsibility in the context…
Crime and its Impact (SmartLaw Subscription)
Students explore the impact of crime on those surrounding the victim and the perpetrator and consider the financial, physical and emotional ripples that crime can have on a community. Please…
More Social Action/Active Citizenship resources
Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...
How to Create a Sponsor Form
Decided to do a sponsored event to raise money for charity but not sure what the sponsor form should look like? Download an example form here. To access this content,…
Protecting Local Habitats (KS2)
In this lesson pupils will learn about the importance of habitats and explore endangered British species and the threats to their habitat. Pupils will be guided through ways in which…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Martin Luther King: Sacrificing All for the Dream
This lesson looks at discrimination against African Americans in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement and how Martin Luther King achieved change through peaceful…
Caring About Other People’s Feelings (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Care About How Others Feel. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values,…
Rights and Responsibilities
In this lesson pupils will develop an understanding of the terms ‘rights’ and ‘responsibilities’ and how they balance one another. They will then discuss and prepare a class charter that…