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
Why Do We Wash Our Hands?
In this lesson pupils will learn that washing their hands can help to prevent the spread of germs which cause illnesses. Pupils will experiment with hand washing techniques before being…
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…
Consumer Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores the law concerning buying and selling goods and services highlighting what their rights and responsibilities are as a consumer. The lesson gives students the opportunity to practice…
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…
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
Voting and the General Election
This resource pack is the second of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
More Understanding Rules & The Law resources
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…
Family Law – Cohabitation and Marriage (SmartLaw Subscription)
During the course of the lesson students will learn the difference between marriage and cohabitation and consider what legal rights come with both. Students will explore the changing attitudes in…
Law Makers (SmartLaw Subscription)
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…
More KS2 (ages 7-11) resources
We Treat Others with Respect (poster)
We treat others as we would like to be treated. We value listening to and learning from each other. To access this content, register for our Primary School Subscription.
The Gift of Hope
During this assembly pupils are told the ancient Greek myth, Pandora’s Box. Pupils use the story to reflect on how hope can sustain us through difficult times. To access this content,…
We Treat Everyone Fairly (poster)
We take action to help make the world a fairer and more equal place. To access this content, register for our Primary School Subscription.