Critical Mass: Gender, race & nuclear weapons.

*** Free, new 5-lesson teaching pack featuring cross-curricular lesson plans for teaching gender, race and nuclear weapons issues!

In this five-lesson teaching resource, students discover how gender and identity are embedded in nuclear issues, by learning from different geographical and historical examples. Aimed at Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, the resource also features tips on how to differentiate for younger years, as well as higher- and lower-ability classes, and is packed with external links for extra materials and further information.

Critical Mass lesson plans fulfill SMSC and Prevent requirements, and are particularly applicable to English, History, Government and Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, Citizenship, Drama, Art and Design, and Geography.

This pdf file is free to browse and download, though you can download a lesson plan, PowerPoint presentation and supporting materials for each of the following lessons via our tes site for free:

1. International disagreements, nuclear negotiations and gender — what role does gender play in how we think about strength and security? Students negotiate conflicts competitively and co-operatively.

2. The women of Greenham Common — to what extent have people used their gender as a successful part of their anti-nuclear weapons activism? Students explore primary sources through drama and English exercises.

3. Art and atomic bomb survivors — what is the difference between a victim and a survivor? Students create art in response to testimony of the ‘Hibakusha’ of Japan.

4. Uranium mining in Australia — does anyone have a right to the Earth? Students hold a ‘town meeting’ with multiple stakeholders to evaluate resource extraction controversies.

5. Philosophy for children, colleges and communities (P4C) — stimuli and facilitation tips to support relevant philosophical enquiry in the classroom.

PRAISE FOR CRITICAL MASS

‘I think this is a very good collection of lessons World wide there are issues that involve us all and we need to prepare children for what might come … The lesson would easily work into a term’s work [and] I could also adapt it to work with different age groups.’
– Darren Willison, Teacher, King Edward’s School, Bath

‘Timely, appropriate, useful and accessible! The materials are very engaging and appropriate and presented in a balanced, informative way … I envisage students enjoying taking ownership of a viewpoint, being active learners and sharing ideas’
– Elena Lengthorn, Senior Lecturer and PGCE subject Lead, University of Worcester