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
People Who Are Special To Me
In this lesson pupils will think about the ‘special people’ in their lives such as family, friends and carers. Pupils will be encouraged to recognise and respect the diversity found…
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students examine what the rule of law is and why we need it. They consider how and why laws are made in the UK and what the…
Be Your Own Councillor
Students examine ways in which a fictional town council could spend its budget. They consider the concerns of different residents and analyse how the budget could be spent most effectively.…
More Politics and Democracy resources
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…
Democracy Ambassadors
What was Democracy Ambassadors? Between April 2018 and March 2019 Young Citizens worked with youth leaders to recruit 1,000 Democracy Ambassadors. The programme aimed to give young people a better…
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…
More Understanding Rules & The Law 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…
Climate Action: Using the Law to Drive Change
In 2021, COP26 was hosted in Glasgow. It was seen as a pivotal moment in tackling the global climate crisis. Help your students understand the impact the COP26 had and…
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students examine what the rule of law is and why we need it. They consider how...
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Making a Difference From Home
Our packs support KS2 and KS3 pupils to plan and deliver their very own mini social action project. By...
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…
Cultural Diversity in the UK
In this lesson pupils will be learning about cultural diversity in the UK and some of the historical factors that have contributed to the diversity of the UK population. Pupils…