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
Design an Inclusive Playground
In this lesson pupils will consider the varying needs and interests of the Go-Giver characters and design a playground that matches these requirements. They will work in groups to present…
What Happens When Rules are Broken?
Pupils consider what happens when rules are broken. They explore what consequences are, how we can ensure that consequences are fair and what information someone might need to have before…
Democracy (Part 3): Why Do We Have Laws?
This lesson forms the final part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law. They discover the different roles of parliament, government and…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Ethics, Innovation and the Law
Aimed at KS4 and Post-16, your students will: Explore the way technology is developing and the impacts this has...
All at Sea: a story about fairness and the rule of law
During this lesson pupils use the story ‘All at Sea’ to explore how a group of citizens should organise a new society under a challenging set of circumstances. Each chapter…
Where Do You Stand?
In this lesson pupils will learn to express whether they agree or disagree with an idea. Pupils will then be introduced to the concept of weighing up arguments by considering…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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…
Taking Responsibility
This lesson is based around the clever traditional poem about four children named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody. It introduces children to the idea of taking responsibility in the context…
Why Do We Have Rules?
In this lesson pupils will think about the purpose of rules by reflecting on what life might be like without them. Pupils will discuss different types of rules in the…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
What is a Citizen?
In this lesson pupils will be encouraged to think of themselves as citizens with the potential to make a positive difference in society. The lesson opens with the traditional tale…
Using Technology for Good
In this lesson pupils will consider the multiple uses of technology and how technology can be used to solve problems. Pupils will be introduced to the example of Trevor Baylis,…
Conflict: Part 2 – Mediation
In this lesson pupils will discuss the principles of simple mediation strategies and apply these in role play scenarios to explore how people can voice and resolve their differences. The…