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
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...
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…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Be Your Own Councillor
Students examine ways in which a fictional town council could spend its budget. They consider the concerns of different...
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…
Being An Online Citizen
During this lesson pupils consider their rights and responsibilities as digital citizens, focusing on how the online world can be used as a force for good. Pupils consider what skills,…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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…
Social Media and the Law (KS4) (SmartLaw Subscription)
Students explore the law in relation to social media posts, the types of offences that people are committing (whether knowingly or not) and the consequences of these offences. Finally, students…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Relationships and the Law
During this lesson pupils explore the concept of marriage and civil partnerships focusing on the fact that they are a legal commitment between two people and what this means. Pupils…
What is Philanthropy?
In this lesson pupils will learn about the meaning of the word philanthropy through looking at real life examples. They will consider why philanthropy is important and what motivates philanthropists.…
Bouncing Back (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Bounce Back. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills and knowledge…