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
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…
Sexting and the Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores what the law says in relation to the sending of sexually explicit images by those aged under 18. The lesson examines two scenarios of young people involved…
Keeping Safe At Home
In this lesson pupils will spot potential risks in the home. They will learn how they can help adults to keep them safe by reporting problems and keeping the home…
More Politics and Democracy resources
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…
Democracy Ambassadors
What was Democracy Ambassadors? Between April 2018 and March 2019 Young Citizens worked with youth leaders to recruit 1,000 Democracy Ambassadors. The programme aimed to give young people a better…
COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore the actions the Government has taken to save lives and what…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Controversial issues: guidance for schools
Children are alert to information and images they see in the media. These may graphically influence their view of the world, and not always positively. Graphic images on TV and…
Rights and Responsibilities
In this lesson pupils will develop an understanding of the terms ‘rights’ and ‘responsibilities’ and how they balance one another. They will then discuss and prepare a class charter that…
Digital Footprints
In this lesson, pupils explore what a digital footprint is. They consider what is and isn’t appropriate to share online thinking about the impact of this information both now and…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Thinking Before you Act (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Think Before We Act. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills…
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.…