This citizenship lesson plan aims to teach year 9 students about what the law is and how laws are made in the UK. The learning outcomes are for students to recall how laws are made, suggest reasons for law making, and examine the criminal law system. The lesson introduces Parliament and the process that a bill undergoes, from first to third readings in the House of Commons and House of Lords. It involves students arranging the stages of creating a law in order and matching crimes to appropriate courts. The lesson is assessed through student definitions of laws and descriptions of the bill stages.

1. PGCE Citizenship Lesson Plan
Date/Group 06/01/11 Year 9
Lesson aim or key
question
What is the law?
Learning outcomes
(label A, B, C etc.)
You also may want to
differentiate by
outcome (all, most,
some)
A – recall how laws are made
B – suggest reasons behind law making
C – examine the criminal law system
Key concepts/terms
used
Laws, Bills, First, Second and Third Readings, committee,
parliament, House of Commons House of Lords.
Relation to previous
learning
Law, rule of law, society
Assessment
opportunities
Definitions of a Law
Bill stages
Differentiation By learning outcome
Visual
Homework Finish the stages of a law
Resources PPT, video,
Time Teacher activity Student activity Outcomes working
towards (A,B,C etc)

2. 0-5
5 -15
15-25
25-30
30-40
40-50
Settle class
Recall who makes the
law
Who makes the law?
Introduction to
Parliament (Commons,
Lords) and intro to
video including recent
laws and future laws
Quick chat about how a
law is made then video.
Arrange the laws.
Which crime, which
court. Get homework in
diary
Get books out etc
Name as many people as
possible who are involved in
law making
Listening, watching video
Listening, watching video
Put the stages of a law in
the correct order
Can you match the crime to
the court?
A,B,C
A
A,B
A,B
A,B
A,B,C
Evaluation of the lesson