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
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…
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…
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…
More Politics and Democracy resources
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…
Democracy (Part 3): Why Do We Have Laws?
This lesson forms the final part of a three-part unit on democracy. Pupils learn about democracy and the rule of law. They discover the different roles of parliament, government and…
Where do you stand?
Over a series of short sessions, pupils will have the opportunity to consider topical issues related to their school life. Pupils will consider the strength of arguments for and against…
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
Who’s to Blame? (SmartLaw Subscription)
This activity is based on the case of R v. Dudley and Stephens (1884) – two sailors accused of murdering cabin boy Richard Parker, after being cast adrift on the…
Social Media and the Law (KS3) (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 committing these offences. The…
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…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
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.…
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 Primary…
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…