Fighting against unjust laws
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how and why people may choose to fight against unjust laws.
Key learning points
- There are a variety of reasons why societies have laws.
- Social scientists look at the laws of a society to see the values and normal behaviour in that society.
- Augustine argued that 'an unjust law is no law at all'.
- There are examples of people who have fought against unjust laws.
- Religious ideas can support following laws, as well as fighting against unjust laws.
Keywords
Discrimination - the unfair treatment of a people and groups based on a part of their identity such as sex, race or religion
Justice - the idea that everyone should get fair reward or punishment for their actions
Law - a rule, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves
Pacifist - a person who believes in resolving conflicts without violence and opposes war or the use of force
Unjust - when something is unfair or treats people unequally
Common misconception
The laws of a country are always based on fairness and equality.
Sometimes the laws of a country are not fair or just, for example, Apartheid and segregation were supported by laws in the USA and South Africa.
Teacher tip
Students can listen to "If you miss me at the back of the bus" by Pete Seeger, a protest song about Rosa Parks and analyse the lyrics and/or write their own verses about other people who have fought against unjust laws.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What term is used for when someone breaks a law?
Q2.What term is used for the basic rights that all people should have, regardless of who they are?
Q3.What term means the inner sense of something being right or wrong that people have?
Q4.Which of these parts of society are involved with passing laws in the UK?
Q5.Which of these subjects is an example of a social science?
Q6.In which country were there laws called 'segregation', which Martin Luther King Jr and others helped to change?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Augustine said what kind of law was no law at all?
Q2.What term means the unfair treatment of a people and groups of people based on a part of their identity?
Q3.What unjust laws did Rosa Parks fight against?
Q4.What unjust laws did Dietrich Bonhoeffer fight against?
Q5.How was Ilham Tohti sharing his ideas about the situation of Uighur Muslims?
Q6.In which holy text is this phrase written: "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities."
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Fighting against unjust laws, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 religious education lesson on: Fighting against unjust 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 religious education lessons from the Rebels: should we embrace or challenge authority? unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.