What are laws?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe what laws are and explain how they are applied in the UK.
Key learning points
- Laws are rules everyone must obey. In the UK, laws are created by Parliament.
- The law is there to protect us and our rights.
- Legal age is the age you can do something as defined by the law.
- The age of criminal responsibility is the age you are held legally responsible for your actions.
- Most citizens obey the law but some will break it. There are consequences for breaking the law which are set out in law.
Keywords
Laws - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Legislation - a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament; the word is also used to describe the act of making a new law
Legal age - the age at which you can do something as defined by the law
Common misconception
It is the role of the police to make laws.
Laws are created by Parliament. The police do not make the law, they enforce it.
Teacher tip
Start by relating the concept of laws to rules they already know, like school rules or rules at home. Ask students to think about why those rules exist (to keep people safe, to be fair, etc.). Then, explain that laws work in a similar way, but for the whole country.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Is the UK a democracy? Yes or no?
Q2.Who decides who becomes a Member of Parliament?
Q3.Who makes laws in the UK?
Q4.Who keeps order and enforces the law in the UK?
Q5.If you break the law, what are you committing?
Q6.Which of the following would be a crime?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which of the following is Parliament also known as?
Q2.Parliament is made up of three parts. Which part is missing from this list? House of Lords, monarchy and ...
Q3.What is a law or a set of laws that have been passed by Parliament officially known as?
Q4.Match the term to the correct definition.
rules, usually made by parliament, to order society's behaviour
not allowed/forbidden by law, especially criminal law
the age you are held legally accountable for your actions
the age at which you can do something as defined by the law
Q5.What is the age of criminal responsibility in England?
Q6.Who is being described here? These people do not make laws, they are there to enforce them.
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: What are laws?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 citizenship lesson on: What are laws?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the What is the law and how is it changed? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.