On 5 September, Liz Truss was announced as the next leader of the Conservative Party, and the UK’s new Prime Minister, replacing Boris Johnson. She won 57% of the vote to beat Rishi Sunak. 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.
Oracy
The UK is a democracy – this means that every citizen has a say in choosing who’s in charge. But when Boris Johnson resigned, it was only Conservative Party Members who were allowed to decide on his replacement. Is this really fair? Surely if there’s a new leader, it’s only right to ask everyone if they are still happy with how things are? Or is it sensible that party members choose their own leader? What do you think?
Writing skills
Imagine that you are good friends with Liz Truss and she has sent you an email, the day before she is due to make her first speech as prime minister. She’s feeling nervous, and is asking for advice. What would you tell her? Compose an email that will give her confidence.
OR
Write a recipe for ‘the perfect prime minister’, to be printed in a magazine. List the ingredients, and step-by-step instructions – and include some ‘top tips’.
Investigate
Liz Truss was invited to form a government by Queen Elizabeth II – making her the 15th prime minister to have been appointed by this monarch. Can you find out who the other 14 have been? Create a table, listing their names, dates when they were in power, and one notable event that each of them presided over.
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download in our Topical Tuesdays collection.
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 The Week Junior website.