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
Design a Community Centre
In this lesson pupils will consider the varying needs and interests of a range of fictional characters and design a community centre and activity programme that matches their requirements. …
Economic Cycles
This free classroom resource explores what economic cycles are and how they impact our lives. Aimed at KS4 and Post-16, your students will: Understand the basic concept of economic cycles and key…
Youth Justice (SmartLaw Subscription)
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…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Sentencing Guidelines (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson asks students to consider the key findings of a harassment trial and conclude what sentence should be given to the guilty party. During the course of the lesson…
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…
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…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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’…
Why Do We Have Rules?
In this lesson pupils will think about the purpose of rules by reflecting on what life might be like without them. Pupils will discuss different types of rules in the…
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…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
What is a Charity?
Pupils learn about the reasons why charities are created. They will be introduced to the main features of a charity and have the opportunity to research the work of a…
Democracy (Part 1): What is a General Election?
This lesson forms the first part of a three-part unit on Democracy. Pupils explore the meaning of ‘democracy’, and the ways in which citizens can participate in democratic life in…
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…