Ask CEdRIC

Key Stage 2 Rights, Rules & Responsibilities

Year 3 and 4 Making Rules

Return to Key Stage 2 Framework

Lesson Plan

Teaching Objectives	Possible Teaching Activity	Learning Outcomes
Children should learn: that we all have to make decisions in our lives and that sometimes people make decisions on our behalf a set of rules exists in school and that you may be punished if these are broken rules exist in other areas of life including at home and in their Community to identify who makes the different types of rules and what can happen if rules are broken	Begin the lesson by talking about making decisions. What sort of decisions do the children make for themselves on a daily basis?Talk to them about who else they feel makes decisions on their behalf. Introduce the word 'rules' into the lesson. Ask the children to think about the school rules that exist. What would happen if they broke one of these rules? Ask the children to think about other areas where rules are important. Draw a table for the class to see and have 3 columns headed up: Home/School/Shopping and ask the students for examples from their list of rules. Write an example of a rule under each heading. Then ask the students the following questions for each column and write their answers up in the table who makes the rules? who makes sure the rules are followed? what happens if the rules are broken?	Children will be able to recognise that they make some of their own decisions but that they need to follow rules in a range of different situations Children will understand who makes different rules, who enforces those rules and what can happen if they break the rules.

Teacher Notes

How do I make decisions?

Background Notes

Throughout our lives we will be faced with having to make decisions for ourselves - what would I like to eat? what shoes shall I wear today?

When making decisions we need to think about some of the steps we can take to ensure that we do not have any problems:

• Think
• Predict
• Weigh up
• Go ahead
• Reflect

There are, however, times when we are not allowed to make our own decisions and sometimes someone else actually tells us what we are allowed or not allowed to do.

The main reason for this is that we all need some rules in our lives. Rules are essential, in order for people to live together as they ensure everyone is treated fairly and in the same way.

A set of rules can tell us two things:

1) what we must or are allowed to do, eg - you must wear school uniform

2) what we are not allowed to do, eg - you must not throw stones

By having a set of rules for everyone to follow, we all know what we can and cannot do.

Suggested Teaching Activity

Classroom Discussion

Split the class into small groups. Give them an issue or situation to consider. Using the approaches to decision making discussed above, as a group they need to agree a decision about what should happen.

Return to top

�

What rules exist in my school?

Background Notes

Schools need to have their own set of rules that you must follow whilst you are there. As all students (and teachers) have different sets of rules at home, there is a set of rules that apply to you when you are in school which may differ from what you are allowed to do at home.

Examples:

• No running in the corridor
• No fighting
• No talking in class when the teacher is talking
• No throwing things

Suggested Teaching Activity

Class Discussion and Display

Take photographs of the children around the school - in class, in the playground, in the dinner hall - a variety of examples of what it looks like to follow the rules. Ask the children to discuss what is happening in the photos, what might have happened before and after the photos and which rules are being followed. Make a display of rules with photos of the class around them.

Return to top

�

What other rules exist in my life?

Background Notes

As well as having rules at school, most people will also have a set of rules they follow when at home. It is important to ensure a set of rules is established at home to make certain that family life runs smoothly. The rules ensure that everyone in the family knows what they can and cannot do and what is expected of them.

Examples:

• Who does the washing up?
• What time should you go to bed?
• Who takes the dog for a walk?
• Who feeds the rabbit?

The rules we have looked at so far have been made by people we know. Sometimes, however, rules are made on our behalf by Parliament and this is looked at in more depth in Key Stage 2 Rights, Rules & Responsibilities - Rules and the Law

Consumer Rules - We are all consumers. When we buy goods and services, there is usually a chain of other people involved and this can increase the chances of something going wrong.

It is, therefore, important to have rules both when buying and when selling goods to ensure that everyone in the chain expects the same thing to happen.

Examples:

• No lying about goods and services
• Goods must not be broken when sold
• Services must be undertaken to a reasonable standard

Suggested Teaching Activity

Class Discussion and Activity

Ask the children about different things at home and discuss what they are and are not allowed to do. How many of them have to help with the washing up or the housework? Make a list of tasks around the home and find out how many of children help with each of the different tasks. Draw this up on to a bar chart to show how many children get involved in each activity.

Return to top

�

Who makes the rules and ensures they are followed?

Background Notes

In order for rules to be effective, we need to consider who make the rules and what can happen if these rules are broken.

Example	At home	At School	In the market
Example of rules that exist	Must be home by 9.30pm	Must not drop litter	Goods must not be broken when sold
Who makes the rules?	Parents/Carers The whole family	Head Teacher Teachers School Council	Parliament Local Government
Who makes sure the rules are followed?	Parents/Carers The whole family Friends Neighbours	Head Teacher Teachers Pupils	Police Trading Standards Environmental Health
What happens if the rules are broken?	Punishment Must apologise	Punishment Must apologise	Punishment Redress

Suggested Teaching Activity

Talk to the children about some of the different rules that exist in their lives. Ask the children to write about :

• a rule that they think is fair and why they are happy to follow it OR
• a rule that they do not think is fair and the reasons why they think it is unfair

Return to top