This document provides teaching instructions for a 20-minute session on protests. The session introduces the topic of protests by having students discuss what they could do if they disagree with something. It then explores the difference between disapproval and protest through an example about banning pineapple on pizza. Students are asked critical thinking questions to evaluate when disapproval turns to protest in the scenario.

1. TALK IN 20
Teacher instructions
Welcome to the BNC Talk in 20! We know that
with everything that’s going on, finding an hour a
week with your club might be hard. That’s why
we have condensed our Issue sessions into six
20-minute bursts - designed to give you all the
key information you need.
Each Talk in 20 consists of an easy-to-follow
activity followed by thought-provoking questions.
There’s no need to print anything, just have the
PowerPoint slides for the session ready to show.
Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?

2. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 1
Objective: to understand
what protests are
PARTNER TALK
What could you do if you
disagree with something?
Be ready to share.
3 MINS

3. Disapproval is when you dislike, disagree with, or want to
stop something. Protest is when you show you dislike,
disagree with, or want to stop something.
Can you spot when disapproval turns to protest?
1. Stand up
2. Three people should read through the Pineapple on pizza scenario on the
next slide. You will need a narrator, someone to play Fred and a manager
3. Sit down when you think Fred’s disapproval turns into protest (make sure
you can explain why)
4. If you change your mind, stand up again
10 MINS

4. WHEN DOES DISAPPROVAL
TURN INTO PROTEST?
STEP 1 Narrator: Fred goes into a pizza
restaurant and reads the menu.
STEP 2 Fred: YUCK! One pizza has pineapple
on it!
STEP 3 Fred: I DO NOT like pineapple on pizza!
STEP 4 Fred: Hey! Manager! Pineapple on pizza
should NOT be on the menu!
STEP 5 Manager: Actually sir, pineapple on
pizza is very popular.
STEP 6 Fred: Nope! It’s disgusting and I will
NEVER order it. BAN PINEAPPLE!
STEP 7 Manager: Well sir, that is sad… but I am
not changing the menu.
STEP 8 Fred: Well unless you change the menu
and BAN PINEAPPLE then I’m not
ordering ANYTHING from you!
STEP
9
Fred: Hey everyone! Close your menus!
Nobody should order anything until pineapple
is off the menu.
STEP
10
Narrator: A chef and a waitress in the
restaurant agree with Fred. They stop working.
STEP
11
Fred: I’ve posted #BANPINEAPPLE on my
social media. It’s already been shared 2,000
times!
STEP
12
Manager: It’s now the end of the night and
500 people are shouting “Ban pineapple!”
outside my restaurant!
STEP
13
Narrator: A story about Fred is shown on the
news and thousands of people all over the
country begin to gather in the streets to spread
an anti-pineapple message.
STEP
14
Fred: BAN PINEAPPLE! BAN PINEAPPLE!
BAN PINEAPPLE!

5. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. How did Fred show disapproval? How did he show
protest?
2. What do you think the manager is thinking after each
step? Why?
3. How did Fred have power in this situation? How did the
manager?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
7 MINS
Challenge: Which of the following types of protest can you spot
in the scenario?
VIRTUAL
ACTIVISM

6. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 2
Objective: to explore
how and why people are
protesting now
PARTNER TALK
What is the difference between
disapproval and protest?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

7. People protest for different reasons.
FOR EXAMPLE, TO…
6 MINS
CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE
For example, by changing a law or a system
CHANGE OPINIONS
For example, by making people think differently about an issue
RAISE AWARENESS
For example, by spreading the word about something unfair
STAND UP FOR OTHERS
For example, by disagreeing with how a group of
people are being treated

8. Show your answer to each question by making these sounds.
• If people were only allowed to protest for one reason, which should it be?
• Which is the worst reason for protesting?
• Which would a government be most concerned about?
Don’t forget to say why!
CLAP CLICK WHISTLE STAMP

9. 6 MINSLook at these protests in the news.
What are the reasons for these protests?
AIM
Protesters want to stop
police brutality and racism
towards Black people.
AIM
Protesters want all governments
to declare a "climate and
ecological emergency" and take
immediate action to address
climate change.
AIM
People want to change the
Chilean constitution
(a set of rules that decide
how a country works).
AIM
People want to get rid
of President Alexander
Lukashenko and have a
fair election.
AIM
Protesters want to get rid
of SARS and end police
brutality in Nigeria.

10. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. How do you feel about these protests?
2. Which of the protests in the news wants to
make the biggest change? Does this make it
less likely to work?
3. Which of the protests in the news wants to
make the smallest change? Does this make it
more likely to work?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
5 MINS

11. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 3
Objective: to compare
different perspectives
about current protests
PARTNER TALK
What protests in the news can
you remember? Why are people
protesting?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS
R.M. Nunes/Shutterstock

12. PROBLEMS FOR PROTEST
PROBLEM #1
POLICE BRUTALITY
Police brutality is when the police are
unfairly violent to protesters. It can mean
protesters are hurt and even killed.
PROBLEM #2
REPUTATION
A protest’s reputation can help or hinder
its progress. There are many examples
on the news of protests breaking the law.
5 MINS
How could each problem stop a protest from working?
PROBLEM #3
COVID-19
The protests in the news are happening
during a global pandemic.
PROBLEM #4
DIFFERENT IDEAS
Sometimes protests cause a clash of ideas,
either from different groups within the same
protest or from counter-protests (a protest
that argues for the opposite thing).

13. 1. Choose a character and play their
clip bit.ly/Character_clips
2. Split the group into two. Half should
give reasons why this character
SHOULD join a protest. The rest
should give reasons why they should
not. Try to use what you know about
the character to tailor your reasons
3. If this person joined a protest, could
they affect whether it worked?
7 MINS
POTENTIAL
PROTESTERS
Andreas LeBeck
Mayor Benson
Mr Norbert
Lulu Starlight

14. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Is it ever acceptable for protesters to break the law?
2. Is it responsible to protest during a pandemic?
Why / why not?
3. Is it a good thing or a bad thing that protests get
challenged by other ideas?
4. Is a celebrity joining a protest always a good thing?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
5 MINS
Challenge:
Try to argue for both sides of each question

15. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 4
Objective: to evaluate the
impact of the protests in
the news
PARTNER TALK
What can you remember from the
Issue so far?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS
Joe Seer/Shutterstock

16. Make sure you can explain why! Is this fair? Why/why not?
PICTURE 1
Ilze_Lucero / Shutterstock.com Sandor Szmutko / Shutterstock.com
PROTEST IN THE NEWS
Which of these is more
likely to be in the news?
PICTURE 2
VOTE
Picture 1 = hands on your head
Picture 2 = hands in the air
12 MINS

17. Untitled Title / Shutterstock.com Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock.com
Make sure you can explain why! Is this fair? Why/why not?
PICTURE 1
PROTEST IN THE NEWS
Which of these is more
likely to be in the news?
PICTURE 2
VOTE
Picture 1 = hands on your head
Picture 2 = hands in the air

18. Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Make sure you can explain why! Is this fair? Why/why not?
PICTURE 1
PROTEST IN THE NEWS
Which of these is more
likely to be in the news?
PICTURE 2
VOTE
Picture 1 = hands on your head
Picture 2 = hands in the air

19. Challenge: what have you seen about the following
protests in the news? Do you think they have been
shown positively or negatively? Could this affect
whether the protest works?
THINKING QUESTIONS
1. How does the news convince us to think in a certain way
about protest?
2. How can we make sure we see the full story?
3. How much power does the news have over whether a
protest works?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
10 MINS
PROTESTS
IN CHILE

20. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 5
Objective: to reflect
on prior learning from
the Issue
PARTNER TALK
Which of the protests in the news are
you most passionate about? Why?
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS
Jacob Lund/Shutterstock

21. All of the protests in the news have made a difference in
some way. But how well have they met their aims?
Can you remember which protest had which aim / aims?
END SARS PROTESTS
PROTESTS IN CHILE
PROTESTS IN BELARUS
BLACK LIVES MATTER
EXTINCTION REBELLION
Change the way things
are done
Raise awareness
Stand up for others
Change opinions
PROTEST IN THE NEWS12 MINS

22. BLACK LIVES MATTER
• Millions of people now support Black Lives Matter:
by sharing their message, educating themselves or
speaking out against racism
• In America, many cities (but not all) have new laws
to help stop police brutality
• Thousands of organisations have
pledged to reduce racial inequality
• Protests are still happening
Has this protest worked?
Why / why not?
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Shutterstock.com / Crush Rush
BLACK LIVES MATTER

23. PROTESTS IN CHILE
• Shown on the news all over the world
• The Chilean government agreed to hold a vote to
decide whether there should be a new constitution -
78% of voters said yes
• The new constitution will be drawn up by a
group of politicians chosen by the people
Has this protest worked?
Why / why not?
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Shutterstock.com / abriendomundo
PROTESTS IN CHILE

24. EXTINCTION REBELLION
• The UK government has declared a climate emergency
and environmental matters are a top priority
• Protesters are often on the news
• Some acts of civil disobedience, such as
blocking roads to stop several national
newspapers from going to print, have
been very unpopular
• Protests are still happening
Has this protest worked?
Why / why not?
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Shutterstock.com / Jessica Girvan
EXTINCTION REBELLION

25. END SARS PROTESTS
• People from all over the world joined the protest after
seeing posts online. Some sent money to help
• The Nigerian government has promised to get rid of
SARS and improve the police (but they have promised
this before)
• Many Nigerian protesters have realised
their power against the government
• Protests are still happening
Has this protest worked?
Why / why not?
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Shutterstock.com / Vic Josh
END SARS PROTESTS

26. PROTESTS IN BELARUS
• President Alexander Lukashenko is still in charge
• News of these protests has been shared worldwide and
other countries’ governments are angry. Many have put
restrictions on the Belarusian government, for example,
by refusing to lend it money
• Many Belarusian politicians have been
banned from other countries
• Protests are still happening
Has this protest worked?
Why / why not?
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?
Shutterstock.com / Alex Bar
PROTESTS IN BELARUS

27. THINKING QUESTIONS
1. Which protest has worked the most?
Why?
2. Which protest has worked the least?
Why?
See what other
people think!
Join the discussion
on the Hub and ask
your questions to
the experts.
5 MINS
Challenge:
Is this true? Why / why not?
Try to use examples from protests in the news in your reasons.
If a protest does not meet every
single one of its aims completely,
then it has not worked.

28. Issue 3 | Protest: does it work?
Session 6
Objective: to reflect on
prior learning from the
Issue
PARTNER TALK
Sum up the Issue in a sentence.
Feed back to the group.
3 MINS
Holli/Shutterstock

29. SKILLS
REFLECTION
These skills are essential for creating
positive changes in society. Let’s think
about how each one affects protest…
12 MINS

30. 1. Why is this skill
helpful for
protest?
2. What would
happen to
protest if this
skill didn’t exist?

31. 1. Why is this skill
helpful for
protest?
2. What would
happen to
protest if this
skill didn’t exist?

32. 1. Why is this skill
helpful for
protest?
2. What would
happen to
protest if this
skill didn’t exist?

33. 1. Why is this skill
helpful for
protest?
2. What would
happen to
protest if this
skill didn’t exist?

34. 1. How did you use each of the
news-literacy skills during this
Issue: speaking, listening,
problem-solving and
creativity?
2. Which of these skills is the
most important for the
protest? Why?
Can you summarise whether
you think protest works or not
in one sentence?
What would happen if every
protest worked?
What’s one thing that you’ve
heard during the Issue that’s
made you change your mind?
Next time you see a protest
in the news, what could you
do to help you to be more
open-minded about it?
5 MINS
WANT TO KEEP THE
CONVERSATION GOING?
Join the discussion
on the Hub!