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Year 9

What can we do to create a fairer society?

I can explain how laws and campaigns have helped reduce discrimination and identify everyday actions that promote fairness in different parts of society.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 9

What can we do to create a fairer society?

I can explain how laws and campaigns have helped reduce discrimination and identify everyday actions that promote fairness in different parts of society.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. In the UK, laws now exist to prevent inequality and discrimination.
  2. Campaigning and speaking out helped bring about important laws to protect rights and promote equality.
  3. Despite these laws, unfair treatment still occurs, sometimes unintentionally, and can have serious effects.
  4. Cases like Stephen Lawrence’s reveal how discrimination can be built into systems.
  5. Fairness goes beyond laws and policies; it depends on everyday actions by people to ensure all are treated with respect.

Keywords

  • Inequality - when people are not treated fairly or equally

  • Discrimination - treating people unfairly or differently because of things like their race, gender, or where they come from, instead of treating everyone equally

  • Action - practical steps designed to try to raise public awareness or influence key decision-makers

Common misconception

Fairness is only about following the law; if something is legal, then it must be fair.

While laws set important standards, fairness also depends on how people treat each other every day. Sometimes, unfairness happens even when no laws are broken. True fairness requires respectful actions, understanding and challenging unfair attitudes.


To help you plan your year 9 citizenship lesson on: What can we do to create a fairer society?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to reflect on their own experiences and consider practical actions they can take in their daily lives to promote fairness.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of serious crime
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision required

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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word with its definition.
Correct Answer:equality,same chances, resources and rules for everyone

same chances, resources and rules for everyone

Correct Answer:fairness,when everyone is treated fairly

when everyone is treated fairly

Correct Answer:equity,when people are given what they need to succeed

when people are given what they need to succeed

Q2.
Put these words into the correct order to make a sentence.
1 - Legal
2 - does
3 - not
4 - always
5 - mean
6 - fair.
Q3.
What is a good example of everyday fairness?
letting only your friends answer questions in class
Correct answer: listening to different points of view with respect
ignoring people who are different
only helping people who agree with you
Q4.
Which of these is an example of something being unfair, but not illegal?
refusing to let someone into a shop because of their religion
Correct answer: choosing not to invite someone to a party because they look different
sacking someone due to their age
charging people more because they did not understand English
Q5.
Put the events in order for this scenario about fairness.
1 - A pupil notices a classmate being treated unfairly.
2 - The pupil talks to a teacher about it.
3 - The school introduces a new policy to stop unfair treatment.
4 - Everyone in class learns about the new policy.
Q6.
Who can prevent unfair treatment?
only the Government
only schools
Correct answer: everyone
only police

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word with its definition.
Correct Answer:inequality,when people are not treated fairly or equally

when people are not treated fairly or equally

Correct Answer:discrimination,treating people unfairly because of their race, gender, etc.

treating people unfairly because of their race, gender, etc.

Correct Answer:action,practical steps to raise awareness or influence decisions

practical steps to raise awareness or influence decisions

Q2.
What did the Macpherson Report into Stephen Lawrence’s case reveal?
that the police followed all correct procedures
that Stephen’s murder was not racially motivated
Correct answer: that there were serious failings and institutional racism in the police
that the suspects were innocent all along
Q3.
Despite laws against , it can still happen in many different ways, even when it is not intentional.
Correct Answer: discrimination, inequality
Q4.
As a result of discrimination in systems being brought to attention, the Government and other organisations have been made to ...
Correct answer: take action to avoid it happening again
wait until things improve
punish individuals
deny responsibility
Q5.
Put these events in the correct sequence.
1 - Unfair treatment happens.
2 - People notice discrimination.
3 - Campaigning brings change.
4 - Laws are brought in to protect rights.
Q6.
What is needed, as well as laws, to create fairness in society?
ignoring problems
Correct answer: everyday respectful behaviour
more laws
doing nothing