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
Fake News: The Evolution of Media
In this lesson, students explore how media has changed since the 1900s and the impact this has had on...
Biodiversity: Using the Law to Drive Change
During this lesson, students consider what biodiversity is, why it is essential to all life on Earth and what is causing its loss. They examine who has responsibility for minimising…
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…
More Politics and Democracy resources
Exploring Our Community
In this lesson pupils will research what is meant by the word ‘community’. Pupils will think about who lives in their area and what services and facilities there are for…
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 Budget and welfare benefits. The second task provides an opportunity for…
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 Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Employment Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
During this lesson students explore the law that applies to young workers and what they can do if they believe their legal rights at work are not being upheld. To…
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource for delivery during curricular or extra-curricular sessions. This resource: explores the…
Martin Luther King: Sacrificing All for the Dream
This lesson looks at discrimination against African Americans in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement and how Martin Luther King achieved change through peaceful…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
What is Philanthropy?
In this lesson pupils will learn about the meaning of the word philanthropy through looking at real life examples. They will consider why philanthropy is important and what motivates philanthropists.…
Making a Difference (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Make a Difference in our Communities. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The…
How Should We Farm?
In this lesson pupils will learn about different farming methods. They will consider the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and learn how to identify labels that indicate how food…