If you’re a teacher, how about trying this activity out in one of your lessons?

Million Futures Lesson Plan

Title: A Million Futures
Year group: 5/6
Lesson length: 60 mins

The purpose of this lesson is to help young people to think about their future and
how they can positively influence it – regardless of background – in order to raise
their aspirations.

Context
Research evidence suggests that what can separate one young person from
another, with respect to future happiness and prosperity, is simply having
aspirations and hopes for the future.
For most young people aspirations are developed through their social and cultural
experiences – often outside the school gates. However, for many young people life
outside school is less than inspiring – this in turn can provide young people with
the impression that their future achievements and prospects are limited, which
results in many living up to this unfortunate scenario.
The Every Child Matters agenda clearly states that every child should:
• stay safe
• be healthy
• enjoy and achieve
• make a positive contribution
• achieve economic well-being

Aim
To explore the aspirations of young people with respect to the Every Child
Matters agenda.
To foster a belief that they (the young person) can make a positive impact on their
future and that of their community and the wider environment.

Objectives
1. To raise aspirations amongst young people.
2. To raise awareness amongst teaching staff of the aspirations of the young
people in their class.
3. To foster a dialogue between young people, their peers and teachers with
regards to their aspirations for a healthy, safe and happy future.
4. To raise an awareness amongst young people that they can make a positive
contribution to their own future and that of others.
Resources required
• 6 x sets of photos of people doing a range of activities at home, at school, in
their community, somewhere else in the country and in a different country
• computers and access to a printer
• sugar paper/coloured pens/plasticene/scissors/glue/card/pipe cleaners/
stickers/glitter
• prepare a space of wall in your classroom that can fit 5 posters – label the space
‘The Wall of Aspirations’
• optional: Polaroid camera/disposable camera

Starter (15 mins)

1. In small groups – provide the children with the photos (home setting, school, the
local community, somewhere else in the country (picture of the UK) and a global
picture (the world or a specific photo that tells a story, eg melting ice caps and
polar bears).
Note: the purpose of the photos is to stimulate discussion around their hopes for
their immediate environment and that of the world.
2. Ask young people to discuss (and feedback) their photo talking about: Place
(where is it taken); People (who is there); Activity (what are they doing); Effect
(what effect will/could it have on something in or out of the photo)
3. As a whole class – hold up one photo at a time and ask the children to talk
through where they think the picture was taken and what is happening in each
one. Try and elicit that the pictures are taken in someone’s home, at school, in
their local community, somewhere else in the country and an overseas location.
4. As the discussion flows, write down key words on the board, eg home, school,
community, the world.
5. Ask the children what they like in each picture and what they don’t like and how
they might wish to change what they see in the picture if they had a magic wand
and could make anything happen.

Main development stage (30 mins)

1. Split the class into 5 groups of 5 or 6 children. Allocate one picture to each
group and place that picture onto a large piece of sugar paper (2 pieces
selotaped together). Provide the children with pens, pipe cleaners, plasticene,
stickers/glitter/scissors and card.
2. Ask each group to write at the top of their large piece of paper a word that
describes where the picture was taken, eg school or home.
3. Ask the children to talk about what they would like to change in the picture
to make that space better for doing things they would like to do, eg a new
youth club with facilities to match their hobbies and interests, or maybe in the
community they may wish to have computer screens in the walls of shops on
their high street, so they can log on to the internet when they like.
4. Ask each group to draw on their poster what and who they would like to have
in that space if anything was possible (remember the magic wand) – they may
wish to add labels to their diagrams to help explain what is going on.
Plenary (15 mins)
1. Each group feeds back what they would like their home, school, community, the
world to be like and look like and feel like in the future.
2. Tell the young people that they are now going to send their ideas to Mr
Brown the Prime Minister and his Government! Access the website www.
millionfutures.org.uk and ask each group to post their answers to any of the
following questions:
What are your hopes for the future?
What do you want your country to be like?
What do you want your community to be like?

Note: Over the coming weeks and even months – refer back to the wall to
encourage young people and to keep their aspirations alive. They can act to
change their futures!