Overview
The law affects every aspect of our lives, but children and young people rarely learn about it in the classroom. We want to empower teachers to start a conversation about the law in schools.
Running throughout February 2025, The Big Legal Lesson provides the tools you need to confidently introduce the law into your classroom.
What’s in the resource packs?
The Big Legal Lesson is a starting point for pupils to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence they need to navigate an increasingly complex world. Pupils explore questions such as:
- What is the law and how does it affect my daily life?
- Who has the power to make and change the law? How do recent changes to the law affect me?
- What new laws would I like to see and how can I make my voice heard by those in power?
Share the good news!
Send us your photos, ideas and feedback via social media @YoungCitizensUK using the hashtag #TheBigLegalLesson.
“I had positive feedback from every class due to the active nature of the activities, and the children thoroughly enjoyed learning about their rights and responsibilities.”
Primary School Teacher, The Big Legal Lesson
Looking for the secondary and further education resources? Access the resource pack for ages 11-18+ here.
Explore more resources about the law in our resource library
More Assemblies 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,…
Litter: The Picnic (Assembly)
With the help of one of the Go-Givers puppets or a soft toy, this assembly highlights how the rubbish we discard can and spoil the environment and endanger wildlife. The…
Belonging to Groups
This assembly asks children to think about the groups they belong to, and how groups can be used for good or bad. It includes ideas for demonstrating how we can…
More Lessons resources
Plastic Pollution (KS1)
During this lesson children explore the environmental effects of plastic pollution by carrying out a number of experiments. They then go on to consider how they can take action against…
Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...
Who’s to Blame? (SmartLaw Subscription)
This activity is based on the case of R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) – two sailors accused of murdering cabin boy Richard Parker, after being cast adrift on the…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Learning About the Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson gives students an introduction to the legal system in the UK. During the lesson students will examine the roles of the various professionals involved in the law and…
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…
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 KS1 (ages 5-7) resources
Working as Part of a Team (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Work as a Team. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills…
Resilience: Bouncing Back
This lesson helps children to develop resilience and consider how to respond to challenges in a positive way. The Go-Givers characters share their experiences of difficult situations and how they…
We are Change-Makers (poster)
We stand up for what we believe in and use our voice for good. To access this content, register for our School Subscription.
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Democracy (Part 2): Local and Central Government
This lesson forms the second part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about the function of central and local government and the difference between MPs and councillors. Pupils explore…
The G7 (Assembly Pack)
During this assembly pupils explore the history and function of the G7 and are introduced to the sort of discussions held at the annual G7 Summit. They learn about the…
Cancer – Early Detection and Prevention
This lesson has been designed in response to the Big Vote, where children voted on what issues they most cared about. The vote was to mark the ten year anniversary…
