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 from 11th – 22nd March 2024, #TheBigLegalLesson 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!
Taking part in The Big Legal Lesson 2024? Use our communications toolkit! It contains templates to help you create social media posts, a letter to your MP and a news article for your website.
Send us your photos, ideas and feedback via social media @YoungCitizensUK using the hashtag #TheBigLegalLesson.
“I think it was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of how the law affects young people in their day-to-day lives”
Teacher, The Big Legal Lesson 2023
Looking for the primary school resources? Access the resource pack for ages 5-11 here.
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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…
Inspirational People – Gandhi
This assembly is an introduction to the life and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi. Some of the themes that the assembly looks at can be further explored in the lessons: Inspirational…
Preparing for the Future
In this assembly pupils consider the benefits of preparing for events in the future. To identify events we can prepare for and the helpful actions we can take in advance.…
More Lessons resources
Home Learning Pack
This home-learning pack has been designed to support SMSC, Citizenship and PSHE learning within a home environment. All the activities described have been taken from Go-Givers resources and adapted to…
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...
The Government and the Economy
By the end of the lesson students will: Understand key economic terms including taxation, welfare benefits, public spending and...
More Politics and Democracy resources
What is Democracy?
This resource pack is the first of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Brexit: Part 1 – Referendum
Pupils will be given a brief introduction to the European Union. They will learn about why people’s opinions about the EU are divided and the results of the EU referendum.…
The Big Legal Lesson 2024 (ages 5-11)
The law affects every aspect of our lives, but children and young people rarely learn about it in the...
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Law Makers
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…
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…
Children’s Rights
In this lesson pupils will learn that there are specific rights for children which are set out in the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child. Pupils will…
More KS3 (ages 11-14) resources
Social Media and the Law (KS3)
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 committing these offences. The…
Your Legal Rights and Responsibilities
This lesson introduces students to the concepts of their legal rights and responsibilities and explores how the law impacts their daily lives. Students explore the different ages that various laws…
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more...
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Youth Justice
During this lesson, students will explore the process a young person goes through when they commit, or are suspected of committing a crime. They will also examine different types of…
Democracy Ambassadors
What was Democracy Ambassadors? Between April 2018 and March 2019 Young Citizens worked with youth leaders to recruit 1,000...
Sexting and the Law
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…
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Local and Central Government
This resource pack is the third of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
The Government and the Economy
By the end of the lesson students will: Understand key economic terms including taxation, welfare benefits, public spending and...
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...