Have you thought about running a mock election in your school?
Mock elections can be held at any time by schools who want to give pupils the opportunity to explore the political process.
They can be held as a class event or a whole school event. Mock elections are a great opportunity to develop active citizenship.
Find out who won the Y Vote Mock Elections 2005.
With the election campaign in full swing, there are lots of resources available to support teachers and pupils exploring the 2005 General Election.
Y Vote Mock Elections
The Y Vote Mock Elections project aims to boost young people's interest in politics by providing a unique opportunity to get involved in the excitement of organising a school election. It is a joint initiative run by the Hansard Society, the Electoral Commission and the Department for Education and Skills.
More than 1200 schools nationwide have signed up to take part in the 2005 Y Vote Mock Elections, making this year the most successful in the programme's history.
Free teachers' resource pack
The Mock Elections 2005 website is designed to help teachers and pupils hold a mock election in their primary or secondary school.
A free teachers' resource pack is available which includes a step-by-step election guide, suggested activities and election factsheets. It also provides downloadable materials to help conduct a mock election, including voter registration forms and polling cards.
On registering with the Y Vote project, schools are also sent a colour poster detailing the election process and some lesson ideas.
Hints and tips for students
The site also has a student section allowing pupils to find out more about a particular political party or to read hints and tips about winning those votes in their own election. As well as up-to-date facts and links to relevant websites, there are interactive quizzes and games.
To encourage participation and discussion, schools are provided with a password which allows pupils to register their Y Votes and take part in the Newsround vote on issues relevant to them.
Did you hold a mock election in your school?
We'd love to hear the pupils' stories about preparing speeches and winning over voters in their school. Tell us about it through our feedback form.
Useful links and sources of election 2005 information
BBC Election 2005 website
The BBC website offers a range of facts and polls on UK-wide election issues, including a poll tracker and an online swingometer. There is also a dedicated Scottish section of the election site.
Channel 4 Election 2005 Cartoons
Channel 4's election website includes online diaries from candidates from a range of parties, information on policies and cartoons on topical issues from the campaigns.
CBBC Newsround Election 2005
This site contains interviews of politicians by young people, easy-to-read information on party policies and an election bathtime quiz. Pupils are encouraged to take part in online forums and votes to say which issues most interest them.
HeadsUp website
An online forum run by the Hansard Society for young people to express their views on political issues. The site also provides accessible information on political parties and their policies. Includes a 'jargon buster' of election terms as well as a range of quizzes and materials.
The Electoral Commission - Do Politics: Scotland
A wide range of election activities, quizzes and resources such as posters and giant floor games are available from this Electoral Commission website. Speakers for your school or group can also be arranged.
Scottish Parliament: Games and Knowledge Zone
The Scottish Parliament website provides an extensive range of resources with lesson plans, teachers' notes and interactive materials for young people. All activities are clearly linked to the 5-14 curriculum or to subject areas. Online activities include jigsaws, quizzes, wordsearches and games. A wealth of attractive educational materials to support classroom teaching.
Article 12
Article 12 is a network of young people working to raise awareness of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It has produced a report on the issues regarding lowering the voting age to 16 after a consultation exercise with young people (this can be found on the Resources page).
BBC Schools: Citizen X
Find lesson plans and materials to help pupils understand how Westminster and elections work. In particular, there is an online lesson plan for teachers on Government and Parliament.
BBC News articles on politics and young people
BBC News: Teens 'know little' of politics
OFSTED survey which revealed that only a quarter of 14-16 year olds questioned knew that Labour were in power and that the Conservatives were the official opposition party.
BBC News: Young people 'need strong voice'
A report from children's charity Barnardos disputes the idea that young people are politically apathetic.
It must be emphasised that inclusion of these web links does not in any way represent endorsement by Learning and Teaching Scotland, nor are we responsible for the content of external websites.