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
Plastic Pollution (KS1)
During this lesson children explore the environmental effects of plastic pollution by carrying out a number of experiments. They then go on to consider how they can take action against…
Cancer – Early Detection and Prevention
This lesson has been designed in response to the Big Vote, where children voted on what issues they most cared about. The vote was to mark the ten year anniversary…
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial…
More Politics and Democracy resources
You Decide! (KS4)
This resource will allow students to critically consider what reasons and ways the government can take to support different...
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...
Mock Trials Classroom Pack
The Mock Trial Competitions are our longest-running active citizenship experiences. Since 1991, we have provided unparalleled exposure to the...
More Understanding Rules & The Law 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…
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
Digital Footprints
In this lesson, pupils explore what a digital footprint is. They consider what is and isn’t appropriate to share online thinking about the impact of this information both now and…
Belonging to Groups
This assembly asks children to think about the groups they belong to, and how groups can be used for good or bad. It includes ideas for demonstrating how we can…