New
New
Why does society need rules and laws?
I can describe what rules and laws are, where they come from and why they are important.
Lesson 3 of 6
New
New
- Year 7
Why does society need rules and laws?
I can describe what rules and laws are, where they come from and why they are important.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Rules are guidelines that tell you what is and isn't allowed, they may change in different settings e.g. home, school.
- Laws are rules which apply to everyone, all the time, they are created by parliament.
- Magna Carta was the first document to put in writing the principle that the king is not above the law.
- Rules and laws are there to protect us, keep the peace and make sure everyone is treated fairly.
Keywords
Community - a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common
Society - people living together in an ordered community
Rules - a set of guidelines that tell people what is and what is not allowed
Laws - rules, usually made by parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Common misconception
Rules are the same for everyone.
Rules may be different in different settings and situations, for example, you may have different rules at school and home. Laws are the same for everyone.
Help students understand why rules and laws are important by engaging them in creating their own society.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Name the active citizen who was associated with the other well-known active citizen, Rosa Parks.
Name the active citizen who was associated with the other well-known active citizen, Rosa Parks.
Q2.True or false? Marcus Rashford is an active citizen who campaigns to end food poverty.
True or false? Marcus Rashford is an active citizen who campaigns to end food poverty.
Q3.Match the different methods for creating social change to the correct definition.
Match the different methods for creating social change to the correct definition.
Q4.Which of the following are ways young people can practise active citizenship?
Which of the following are ways young people can practise active citizenship?
watching and reading the news
Q5.Which of the following skills is not necessary when being an active citizen?
Which of the following skills is not necessary when being an active citizen?
resilience
communication
planning
teamwork
Q6.Match the active citizen to the type of social change they wanted to create.
Match the active citizen to the type of social change they wanted to create.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is the correct definition of rules?
Which of the following is the correct definition of rules?
rights protected by law
a tool to measure straight lines
Q2.Which of the following are reasons why we have rules and laws?
Which of the following are reasons why we have rules and laws?
to stop us doing the things we want to do
to stop us having fun
Q3.True or false? A judge or magistrate is allowed to pick whatever punishment they see fit.
True or false? A judge or magistrate is allowed to pick whatever punishment they see fit.
Q4.Match the word to its correct definition.
Match the word to its correct definition.
Q5.True or false? Magna Carta was issued in 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law.
True or false? Magna Carta was issued in 1215 and was the first document to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law.
Q6.Which of the following people or groups could be impacted when rules or laws are broken?
Which of the following people or groups could be impacted when rules or laws are broken?
citizens
communities
society
the person who broke the law or rule
