Citizenship

Citizenship

Citizenship Studies is concerned with the kind of society we live in and want to influence and develop. It covers, too, the role of the public and private organisations in the process. School courses help prepare students to become active citizens. The best of them promote students’ personal and social development, and make them more self-confident and responsible, in the classroom and beyond.

All external examination courses emphasise developing awareness of the role of citizens in a variety of contexts.

Just about any educational visit will contribute to the students’ exploration of new experiences and new ideas about being a ‘citizen’, but venues and activities that bring students into contact with other communities, other social contexts and other attitudes will be particularly exciting. Many museums and venues specialise in giving hands-on experiences of what some aspects of life in earlier centuries was actually like. These tend to be attractive to primary school groups.

Secondary groups often visit civic centres and attend local council meetings. Both primary and secondary groups will be welcome at churches, chapels, synagogues, mosques and temple, some of which offer programmes of talks and exhibitions. In cities this is relatively easy to arrange but even in rural communities priests and lay church people are prepared to help schools.

The Citizenship Foundation would be an excellent starting point. It claims to help 80% of secondary schools to nurture citizenship, and sets out to inspire young people to contribute to society. The Association for Citizenship Teaching also provides advice and teaching resources, while the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law delivers law and justice education at national heritage sites.

Main organisations:

Citizenship Foundation 

Association for Citizenship Teaching

National Centre for Citizenship and the Law (NCCL)

PSHE Association

Democratic Life

Hansard Society

Inclusion: NASEN

Thought of visiting?

The Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green

National Trust Museum of Childhood, Sudbury, Derbyshire

Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh

The London Museum

The National Archives, Kew

Houses of Parliament

Welsh Assembly

Scottish Parliament

Northern Ireland Assembly

Venues for this Curriculum

The Glencoe Folk Museum was co-founded by Miss Barbara Fairweather MBE and Mrs Rae Grant in the 1960s, and for both ladies it was a life's work. In 1971 the museum was gifted  the two cottages, which create the main building, by the late Hugh Grant.

The museum takes you on a journey through time showing how local people lived and worked in Gairloch through the ages.
● Marvel at how stone age and bronze age people existed with relatively limited technology and (to us) primitive utensils.
● Fathom the mysteries of a Pictish symbol stone.

The Centre provides a focus for the work of Dunbeath Preservation Trust: Registered museum; archaeological exhibition, Neil M Gunn literary landscape, engaging approach to landscape interpretation through art installations, photography and unique floor map.

The Museum's award-winning displays use extensive research and the latest technology, including a tape tour of the town, to help you share the enthusiasm for Cromarty past and present.

Caithness Horizons Collection comprises approximately 8,050 artefacts relating to the following subjects/themes:

Archaeology: This Collection mostly consists of archaeological material from Caithness, although there is a small Collection of material from elsewhere in Scotland and from other countries

Come and explore the Viking Heritage of Caithness. Discover the pre-Viking kingdom of the Catti and follow the progress of the Norse settlers from their Scandinavian homes to Shetland, Orkney and Caithness.

The galleries integrate Shetland’s museum and archives collections for the first time to tell Shetland’s story in the most complete and accessible way. 

We have a wide range of tours, talks, films, workshops, trails and resources that will help you discover more about Shetland’s Past.

Built in 1803 as the Sheriff Court this is where Sir Walter Scott, author of such classics as The Heart of Midlothian and Rob Roy, dispensed justice to the people of Selkirkshire.

Explore Scott’s life, his writings and his time as Sheriff.

Jedburgh Castle Jail gives visitors a taste of what life was like in an 1820s prison, whilst also telling the story of the Royal Burgh of Jedburgh. 

Hawick Museum's parkland location and fascinating displays reflect the endeavour of the town and its people. The objects and fine works of art collected are not just about Hawick but a window on the world. 
The permanent displays allow many of our wonderful artefacts to be shown. The Jimmie Guthrie and Steve Hislop exhibitions make us a motorcyclists' Mecca. 

The central point of the exhibitions is the magnificent 15 × 4ft tapestry which was sewn by local ladies to commemorate the Great East Coast Fishing Disaster of 1881, when 189 local fishermen were drowned. There are exhibitions also on farming, milling, the occupations of blacksmith and wheelwright, and of course the fishing heritage.

Permanent displays relating to the Coldstream Guards and the town of Coldstream, featuring artefacts on loan from the Coldstream Guards, the Provost's Robes and Chain of Office. There is a changing exhibition programme in the Courtyard Gallery. 

Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle located on the north bank of the River Thames in central London.

The Tower of London was constructed in 1066 immediately after the Norman Invasion led by William the Conqueror, with the White Tower being built in 1078. It was then expanded under Kings Richard I, Edward III and Edward I.

The museum, run on a voluntary basis by Friends of the Cathedral, incorporates a small visual exhibition and a separate History Centre Reading Room. A church and social history collection contains church, community and family memorabilia and records including The Scottish Horse regimental records. An audio guided tour of the museum and cathedral precincts is available.

Here in the Atholl Country Life Museum, once the village school, you are able to capture that life of the past and learn about the great characters of the area, their skills and achievements, not only in the community but far beyond.

The Orkney Museum tells the story of Orkney, from the Stone Age, to the Picts and Vikings, right through to the present day. There is a large collection of old photos and activities to amuse younger visitors. The Museum’s collection is of international importance and it has a changing temporary exhibition programme.

Unique survival in Northern Europe of a traditional rural dwelling with central hearth and stone

Kirbuster Museum was opened to the public in 1986. It is the last un-restored example of a traditional ‘firehoose’ in Northern Europe. The house has a central hearth and a stone neuk bed, a unique survival. Kirbuster was occupied up until the 1960s and was once the home of the Spence and Hay families.

Corrigall Farm Museum is a traditional ‘but and ben’ house. It portrays a typical Orkney farmhouse and steading in Victorian times - late 19th Century. The working barn and grain kiln, horse-drawn machinery and livestock make for an interesting visit for children and adults.

An exhibition on the history of Whitburn and its coal mining heritage in particular

The permanent exhibition tells the story of Whitburn and its industrial and social past. Coal mining was very important in Whitburn but other industries from hand loom weaving to the manufacture of Levi’s jeans also feature. Aspects of social history from the Baillie family on Polkemmet Estate to the leisure pursuits of miners are also covered.

The Museums Service cares for the Council's collections, runs museums in the community, a touring exhibition programme, education and reminiscence services

West Lothian Council Museums Service has three stores, a workshop and an office at Connolly House in Blackburn. The role of the service is threefold. First we care for the Council’s collections and record them using manual and computerised systems.

Surgeons' Hall Museum is the major medical museum in Scotland, and one of Edinburgh's many tourist attractions. The museum is recognised as a collection of national significance by the Scottish Government.

Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments ranks among the world's most important collections of musical heritage. All the main types or musical sound-making device are represented, and are presented to the public in two museums. The c.

Prestongrange is a site of major importance in the story of Scotland’s Industrial Revolution. Visitors can discover the story of the harbour, glass works, pottery, colliery and brickworks. A Cornish Beam Engine is available to visit via a guided tour. The Visitor Centre includes an exhibition area, shop and café.

The National Mining Museum Scotland is the national coal mining museum for Scotland and cares for the Lady Victoria Colliery and the national coal mining collections. The collections at the museum comprise over 60,000 items, including objects, archive material, photographs and books.

Musselburgh Museum offers a fascinating visit for all ages. Discover the history of the Honest Toun from its earliest days, through Roman settlement and medieval upheaval, to its fame as a thriving fishing harbour and valuable industrial site. The museum has a programme of changing displays and exhibitions, so there is always something new to see. There are also activities for children.

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