Citizenship at Key Stage 4

[This page will print, from most browsers, without the menus and page header, and without this sentence.]

This page suggests (in  emphasis  ) ways in which J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings can be used to meet the teaching objectives set in the National Curriculum. The popularity of Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is also used. The ethical dilemmas faced by the characters in The Lord of the Rings, particularly those made by Frodo Baggins, Aragorn and Gandalf, makes this a particularly suitable book to inspire discussions about citizenship.

Knowledge, skills and understanding

Developing confidence and responsibility and making the most of their abilities

1) Pupils should be taught:
  1. to be aware of and assess their personal qualities, skills, achievements and potential, so that they can set personal goals Pupils could be encouraged to talk and write about the qualities, etc. of their favourite character in The Lord of the Rings as a prelude to thinking reflectively about their own.
  2. to have a sense of their own identity and present themselves confidently in a range of situations
  3. to be aware of how others see them, manage praise and criticism, and success and failure in a positive way and learn from the experience
  4. to recognise influences, pressures and sources of help and respond to them appropriately Pupils could be encouraged to talk and write about the pressures faced by characters in The Lord of the Rings as a way to start thinking about the pressures they themselves face.
  5. to use a range of financial tools and services, including budgeting and saving, in managing personal money
  6. about the options open to them post16, including employment and continuing education and training, and about their financial implications
  7. to use the careers service to help them choose their next steps, negotiate and plan their post16 choices with parents and others, develop career management skills, and prepare and put into practice personal action plans.

Developing a healthy, safer lifestyle

2) Pupils should be taught:
PSHE Opportunity > Sc2 Life processes and Living Things 2) (popup)
or
Sc2 Life processes and living things 2) (popup)
  1. to think about the alternatives and long and short term consequences when making decisions about personal health
  2. to use assertiveness skills to resist unhelpful pressure Pupils could be encouraged to identify the skills used by characters in The Lord of the Rings as a way to rehearse those skills.
  3. the causes, symptoms and treatments for stress and depression, and to identify strategies for prevention and management
    PSHE Opportunity >  PE 4) (popup)
  4. about the link between eating patterns and self image, including eating disorders
  5. about the health risks of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, early sexual activity and pregnancy, different food choices and sunbathing, and about safer choices they can make
  6. in the context of the importance of relationships, how different forms of contraception work, and where to get advice, in order to inform future choices
  7. to seek professional advice confidently and find information about health
  8. to recognise and follow health and safety requirements and develop the skills to cope with emergency situations that require basic aid procedures, including resuscitation techniques.
    Note for 2h (popup)  

Developing good relationships and respecting the differences between people

3) Pupils should be taught:
  1. about the diversity of different ethnic groups and the power of prejudice Pupils could be encouraged to talk and write about the issues raised in The Lord of the Rings as a prelude to discussing these in the real world.
  2. to be aware of exploitation in relationships Pupils could be encouraged to talk and write about the exploitation in The Lord of the Rings, including the class issues raised in the Frodo/Sam relationship, the power relationship between Saruman and Gandalf, and the positions of the female characters.
  3. to challenge offending behaviour, prejudice, bullying, racism and discrimination assertively and take the initiative in giving and receiving support
  4. to work cooperatively with a range of people who are different from themselves Pupils could be encouraged to work cooperatively with The Lord of the Rings fans across the world.
  5. to be able to talk about relationships and feelings Using a literary text, such as The Lord of the Rings can provide pupils with an easy and comfortable route into talking about relationships and feelings.
  6. to deal with changing relationships in a positive way, showing goodwill to others and using strategies to resolve disagreements peacefully
  7. about the nature and importance of marriage for family life and bringing up children,
  8. about the role and responsibilities of a parent, and the qualities of good parenting and its value to family life and i) about the impact of separation, divorce and bereavement on families and how to adapt to changing circumstances The Lord of the Rings might seem a strange place to begin talking about these issues, however death and marriage are key themes, which could be explored.

Breadth of study

4) During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through opportunities to:
  1. take responsibility [for example, by representing the school to visitors and at outside events]
  2. feel positive about themselves [for example, by gaining recognition for the role they play in school life, such as organising activities for younger pupils or working in a resource centre]
  3. participate [for example, in an initiative to improve their local community; in challenging activities involving physical performance, public performance or organised events outside the school]
  4. make real choices and decisions [for example, about their priorities, plans and use of time; about their choices post16, with regular review and support]
  5. meet and work with people [for example, through activities such as work experience and industry days; through having an employer as a mentor]
  6. develop relationships [for example, by discussing relationships in single and mixed sex groups] All the above points could be met by encouraging pupils to participate in fandom; through contributing to websites and fanzines or by 'gophering' at events.
  7. consider social and moral dilemmas [for example, young parenthood, genetic engineering, attitudes to the law] Pupils could be encouraged to identify the dilemmas addressed in The Lord of the Rings and relate them to those they face themselves.
  8. find information and provide advice [for example, by providing peer support services to other pupils]
  9. prepare for change [for example, in relation to progression to further education and training]