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
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…
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…
Family Life
In this lesson pupils will think about what it means to be part of a family and how they can make a positive difference in their family life. Pupils will be…
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…
Citizenship: a privilege or a right?
Students research what the law says about the rights of individuals to become UK citizens and critically examine whether there are any circumstances where it is legally or ethically appropriate…
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource for delivery during curricular or extra-curricular sessions. This resource: explores the…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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…
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…
Magna Carta
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’…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
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…
We Treat Others with Respect (poster)
We treat others as we would like to be treated. We value listening to and learning from each other. To access this content, register for our Primary School Subscription.
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…