Topical Tuesdays: MPs - Is One Job Enough? - KS2 News Story and Reading and Writing Activity Sheet from The Week Junior

Owen Paterson has resigned (quit, or stepped down) as a Member of Parliament (MP), after a report found that he broke Parliament’s lobbying rules. This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.

Debate

Although MPs have every right to have a second job, it seems that this can lead to problems, including what is called “conflict of interest”. This is where MPs appear to have to choose between representing the people who elected them or the businesses that pay them. Isn’t it time to ban MPs from having second jobs altogether? Or is it important to be represented by people from all walks of life, including business? What do you think?

Writing challenges

The longest-serving MPs are known as the Father and Mother of the House. Using a playscript format, write a dialogue between them as if all the other MPs really are their children and they have just put them to bed.

Or

Members of the public are allowed to go and watch debates in the Houses of Parliament from the viewing galleries. Write an advertisement, promoting this as a great attraction.

Investigate

Create a fact file for Big Ben, writing at least five interesting sentences about it, arranged as bullet points.

Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download here.

What is The Week Junior?

The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.

To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to https://schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.

This resource is part of the News Activities Archive collection.
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• News story
• Activities sheet