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
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…
Citizenship and the Wider World
During this lesson pupils consider what it means to be a global citizen and what rights and responsibilities come with this. They consider a range of global issues; analysing…
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 Politics and Democracy resources
An Introduction to Human Rights
In this lesson students will explore our rights and responsibilities and how they are protected in law. They are challenged to consider if there are circumstances when human rights could…
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…
You Decide! (KS4)
This resource will allow students to critically consider what reasons and ways the government can take to support different industries and the impact this would have on the economy and…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Rules: You Can’t Do That Here
In this lesson pupils will consider that some rules are made to keep people safe. They will follow the story of Callum, a Go-Giver who wants to find a place…
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 on them and society Learn about the laws that regulate the…
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…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Being Part of a School Community
During this lesson pupils recap what we mean by the term active citizen. They consider what qualities and skills an active citizen should have and explore how these skills and…
Inspirational People – Nelson Mandela
This assembly is an introduction to the life and work of Nelson Mandela. You may like to run it in conjunction with the lesson ‘Inspirational People.’ 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…