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
Employment Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
During this lesson students explore the law that applies to young workers and what they can do if they believe their legal rights at work are not being upheld. To…
Why Do We Pay Taxes? (Part 1)
Pupils will learn that public services are largely funded through the payment of taxes to the government. To access this content, register for our School Subscription.
How Does the Budget Impact Me and Others?
The resource consists of two activities. The first is a notation task based on the information provided about the...
More Politics and Democracy resources
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students examine what the rule of law is and why we need it. They consider how and why laws are made in the UK and what the…
Brexit: Part 2 – Negotiations
Through the example of Brexit talks, this lesson introduces pupils to the concept of negotiation and the skills required to succeed in negotiations. Activities are designed to give pupils the…
How to share learning with your peers
Originally designed to be a companion pack for the Democracy Ambassadors programme, this handy toolkit will support students who...
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Consumer Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores the law concerning buying and selling goods and services highlighting what their rights and responsibilities are as a consumer. The lesson gives students the opportunity to practice…
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource...
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’…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Representation
Pupils consider the importance of equal representation through learning from the example of Marley Dias and her campaign for better representation of black girls in literature. To access this content,…
Being a Change-Maker (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Are Change-Makers. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills and knowledge…
COP: Climate Action
In November 2021, COP26 took place in Glasgow. It was the most pivotal climate summit of all time. This resources will explore what COP is and what COP26 aimed to…
More resource packs
Related content
Democracy resources for ages 5-11
It’s never too early to learn how the country is run.