What rights do you think we have in Britain? Write down as many as you can think of. Talk about them with a partner and decide which you think are the most important.

Children also have rights and they are written about in the Children’s Act, 1989. What rights do you think children should have?

People have recently been worried about the low levels of voting in Britain in elections. In the 2001 general election only approximately 59% of the population voted. Why do you think some people chose not to vote? What could be done to encourage more people to take part?

What duties do you think companies should have? What responsibilities do they hold? There are laws, which companies must obey, for example, on health and safety, caring for their employees and making sure that their products are safe.

Produce an employer’s charter, which outlines all the duties an employer may have. Discuss them in your class to see if you think your charter is realistic.

Choose a subject for a class debate. It should be something topical you are interested in. To debate the subject you will need at least two speakers for each side of the argument. The speakers can then answer questions from the audience. When the debate is complete, the class should vote on the issue to find out the majority view.

To find out more about our rights, find out about some of the laws, which have been passed to protect people. (You may want to look at The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, The European Convention of Human Rights, 1950 and the Human Rights Act, 2000). What do you think should happen if these laws are broken?

Working individually, write down three issues, which are of concern to teenagers in your area. They could be based on local, national or international issues.

Work with a partner or small group to compare your issues. Try to choose one issue that you all feel strongly about. Write out a plan of things you could do together to have an impact and make a change.

A manifesto is a list of policies which political parties publish. They are things the parties claim they will do if they are elected to power. Write a manifesto of policies that you think would appeal to people of your own age. Present your ideas to your class and debate which of them would be successful.