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
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...
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…
Plastic Pollution (KS2)
Find out more about the impact of plastic on our oceans. Watch this introductory video and use our free...
More Politics and Democracy 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...
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…
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
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…
Mock Parliament Debate
Aimed at students in KS4 and 5 (13-18 year olds) the pack is designed to be delivered over a...
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Treating People Fairly (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Treat Everyone Fairly. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills and…
How Can I Make a Difference?
In this lesson pupils will think about how they can plan a social action project. They will be led through key steps by following the example of the Go-Givers. …
How to Search the Internet
Do you keep getting the wrong websites coming up when you search for information on the internet? How can you make your searches more accurate so you quickly find what…