Overview
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial competition.
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The Big Legal Lesson (ages 5-11)
Join the UK’s biggest legal education campaign during February 2026. To access this content, register for our Primary School Subscription.
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…
More than One Friend
In this lesson about friendship, pupils will follow the story of Digby who is upset when his best friend Anna starts spending a lot of time with someone else. Pupils…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Law in Wales
Did you know that the age of criminal responsibility in Wales is ten? In Scotland it is 12. In Wales you can legally leave full-time education at sixteen, whereas in…
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…
More KS3 (ages 11-14) resources
Create a Local Council Budget
Students critically consider the needs of a fictitious town and how to spend it’s £250 million budget wisely. Working in teams, students evaluate the local needs and priorities of the…
What is Tax?
During this lesson, students will look at the purpose and collection of taxes. They will explore how public services are largely funded through the payment of taxes and learn how…
How to share learning with your peers
Originally designed to be a companion pack for the Democracy Ambassadors programme, this handy toolkit will support students who...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Who’s Really Paying for COVID?
Young people are, and will continue to be, some of the most impacted by COVID. However their voices have been largely kept out of public conversations about it and our…
The Government and the Economy
By the end of the lesson students will: Understand key economic terms including taxation, welfare benefits, public spending and the budget; Assess the impact of changes to taxation and welfare…
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 KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity...
Housing Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students explore a range of different housing situations someone can find themselves in. They examine some of the common legal issues concerning housing including common landlord and…
The Big Democracy Lesson (ages 11-18)
Every year, Young Citizens runs The Big Democracy Lesson, giving young people the skills, knowledge and confidence to be active citizens, both before and beyond the ballot box. Download the…