Overview
During this lessons pupils will look at the history of the Magna Carta and consider how it has helped shape the laws we have today.
Pupils consider what ‘fairness’ and ‘justice’ mean by taking on the role of head teacher at a new school, deciding what rules the school should have. The lesson concludes with pupils exploring what is meant by the following clause from the Magna Carta, ‘no free man shall be imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions … except by the lawful judgement of his peers’ and how this is put into practice in today’s justice system.
You might like to run this lesson as a precursor to the lesson ‘Why do we have rules?’ which looks at how laws are made in the UK in more detail.
More Lessons resources
What is a Vote?
In this lesson pupils will learn what it means to vote by looking at relatable examples in the lives of the Go-Givers. They will consider why and how votes are…
What is a Digital Citizen?
In the delivery of this resource your students will explore what is meant by the term ‘digital citizen’. They...
Let’s Get Active!
In this lesson pupils will think about the physical and mental benefits of exercise for health and wellbeing. They will learn about the importance of keeping active as part a…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Democracy Ambassadors
What was Democracy Ambassadors? Between April 2018 and March 2019 Young Citizens worked with youth leaders to recruit 1,000...
Create a Local Council Budget
Students critically consider the needs of a fictitious town and how to spend it’s £250 million budget wisely. Working...
Exploring Our Community
In this lesson pupils will research what is meant by the word ‘community’. Pupils will think about who lives in their area and what services and facilities there are for…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Magna Carta
During this lessons pupils will look at the history of the Magna Carta and consider how it has helped shape the laws we have today. Pupils consider what ‘fairness’…
What is the Law?
Watch a read-aloud version of the book ‘What is the Law?’, in which a hedgehog called Snippet finds out about the law. The book has been separated into four chapters…
Cyberbullying (SmartLaw Subscription)
According to research by the charity Ditch the Label, 7 in 10 young people have experienced cyberbullying, 20% of whom experience it daily. Support your students to know their legal…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
The G7 (Lesson Plan)
During this two lesson resource pupils learn about the G7 and take part in a mock G7 Summit meeting. During the first lesson pupils explore the history and function…
Inspirational People
In this lesson pupils will learn about what it means to be inspirational. They will develop their understanding of the term through looking at real life examples in the media.…
Considering Other Points of View (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Consider Other Viewpoints Before Making Up Our Minds. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship…