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
What is a Digital Citizen?
In the delivery of this resource your students will explore what is meant by the term ‘digital citizen’. They...
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…
Homelessness
In this lesson pupils will think about what home means to them through writing a poem inspired by the line ‘Home is where the heart is’. They will consider the…
More Politics and Democracy resources
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…
Why Do We Pay Taxes? (Part 2)
Pupils will learn that councils are responsible for local spending decisions and can raise additional funds for public services through council taxes. To access this content, register for our School…
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...
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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…
Discrimination
In this lesson pupils will develop their understanding of the term ‘discrimination’. Pupils will consider what makes them unique and learn which characteristics are protected under the Equality Act. Pupils…
What Happens When Laws are Broken?
During this lesson pupils explore what happens when laws are broken, learn about the different types of sentences that are given and the main purposes of sentencing. Before taking part…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
Preventing Infectious Diseases
This lesson should be delivered as a follow-up to the lesson ‘What is an infectious disease?’ In this lesson pupils will recap their knowledge of infectious diseases, they will then…
Thinking Before you Act (certificate)
Our pupil certificates are linked to 12 ethos statements, such as We Think Before We Act. Each statement supports character development and the acquisition of key citizenship skills The values, skills…