How do laws affect us? (Unit of work)
Key stage 3 • Law and the justice system • Model curriculum
How do laws affect us?
About this unit
This unit develops students’ knowledge and understanding of the law and how it affects us.
Students begin by exploring the definition of the law, its purpose and the role it plays in promoting justice, protecting rights and maintaining order. They learn about the Rule of Law and the principles of fairness, accountability and equal treatment that it aims to uphold. They then examine the impact of the law on individuals involved in crime, through a variety of case studies. Students go on to discover how and why laws change over time, focusing on the example of the progression of online technology. Students are introduced to the Equality Act 2010 and the characteristics that it protects from discrimination, evaluating through different scenarios how the Act affects people and whether this law is working successfully to protect young people from discrimination. Finally, students work together, taking on the roles of different groups in society to consider the impact of the law, using Awaab’s Law on social housing as a focus.
This unit forms part of our model core curriculum which is exclusively available to School and College Members.
National curriculum links
The nature of rules and laws and the justice system, including the role of the police and the operation of courts and tribunals
Citizenship skills
Political literacy, investigation, collaborative working, evaluation, representing your views to others, making judgements, raising awareness, decision-making, communication, planning, active participation
Citizenship concepts
Justice, democracy, legislation, responsibilities, community cohesion, society, equal opportunities, rights, ethics, change, freedom, making a difference, fairness
Building progression
This unit is part of ACT’s model core curriculum for Citizenship in secondary schools, which has been designed to develop and deepen students’ knowledge, skills and understanding throughout Key Stages 3 and 4. Other units linked to this Year 7 unit include:
Year 8: Does the criminal justice system serve everyone fairly?
Key Stage 4: Does our legal system protect citizens’ rights?
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