Find lesson plans on the themes around the Magna Carta for your teenage classes.

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England 800 years ago

This lesson prepares the students to learn more about the Magna Carta by describing and explaining the social structure in England 800 years ago.

The British Parliament: A journey of a bill into a law

This lesson focuses on developing students’ knowledge of the UK, in particular of the British parliamentary system. It also aims to develop and practise students’ communication skills through watching a video about the British Parliament and discussing current political issues in a students’ home country.  

Magna Carta in Poetry

In this lesson, students analyse three extracts from Magna Carta-related poems by Rudyard Kipling, Hugh Chesterman and Thomas Love Peacock. Although the vocabulary will be challenging for many students, the worksheets and activities are designed to make these texts accessible.

King Richard and King John

This lesson provides some background to the Magna Carta by looking at the key characters of King Richard and King John, one loved, one hated. It gives students listening practice and develops a set of vocabulary to talk about personality.

King John's promises

This lesson is about the Magna Carta and the promises that King John broke after he sealed it.

Key Events of the Middle Ages

This lesson is about some of the key events of the Middle Ages. It provides students with some useful vocabulary and the opportunity to learn some basic facts, while developing reading and speaking skills.

Magna Carta towns

The Magna Carta towns are places that, 800 years ago, were the most important cities in England. They have important historical connections with the Magna Carta. This lesson has a variety of texts: ‘spot the error’, a quiz, a multiple matching activity and role play information cards. It finishes with an optional writing activity, which can be set for homework.

The Origins of the English Parliament

This lesson is to familiarise students with the development of the parliamentary system in England. It is a multi-skilled lesson and is mostly based on group work activities in order to maximise interaction and collaboration among students. Students will read the text about the Magna Carta and Simon de Montfort’s Parliament, and then take part in a group discussion about the influence of ordinary citizens on political decisions nowadays.

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