How do citizens influence the law?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain the factors that influence a citizen being successful or unsuccessful in changing the law.
Key learning points
- Law change succeeds with public support, strong media, political backing, clear goals and expert input.
- A united, well-funded and persistent campaign increases the chance of legal reform.
- The marriage age law changed due to broad support, media coverage and expert-backed advocacy.
- Law change often fails with weak support, poor media and divided political or public opinion.
- Cannabis legalisation struggles due to mixed views, limited backing and lack of consistent advocacy.
Keywords
Factors - elements or conditions that influence an outcome
Campaign - actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim
Influence - the power to affect or change someone's thoughts, actions or decisions
Common misconception
Pupils may think that success on changing a law is solely dependant on the citizen or citizens.
Whilst personal skills of the citizens involved is important, there are many other external factors that can impact success or failure, regardless of how persuasive the individuals trying to change the law are.
Teacher tip
Look at other well-known citizens who have changed the law, e.g., Gina Martin, and ask pupils to identify factors that impacted her campaign.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sexual violence
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which statement applies to the police?
Q2.Which is not a police power?
Q3.Put the definition for a special constable in the correct order.
Q4.Policing is paid for through which source?
Q5.Which police staff look after the immediate needs of a citizen when they have been arrested and taken into custody?
Q6.Police staff make up roughly what percentage of the police workforce?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Arrange the words so they define the term 'factors'.
Q2.Actions or events organised by an individual or a group of people to achieve an aim are known as a what?
Q3.Citizens successfully changed the law in relation to child marriage, how old do citizens now need to be to get married in the UK?
Q4.An individual who wants to change the law will need to be to persuade others.
Q5.Which statement is correct regarding the success of a campaign to change a law?
Q6.How do pro-legalisation of cannabis groups in the UK receive funding?
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: How do citizens influence the law?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 10 citizenship lesson on: How do citizens influence the law?, 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 4 citizenship lessons from the How can we play a part in the legal system? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.