EDUCATIONALPLANSFORCELEBRATINGTHE800THANNIVERSARYOFTHESIGNINGOF
MAGNACARTA
ClassroomInstruction:
1. InGoodFaithandWithoutEvilIntent:Aninteractiveaudio-visualtimelineforexploringthe
connectionsbetweenMagnaCarta,itsfoundationsinpriorlaw,anditsinfluenceonthe
developmentofWesternlegalandpoliticalthought.Studentswillbeabletousethetimelineto
researchandtesttheirknowledgeofMagnaCarta’skeyconceptsasreflectedinthedocuments
andeventsincludedinthepresentation”Thetimelimecanbemadeavailableovertheinternet
orasastandalonepresentationonaclassroom-basedcomputer.
2. Thecreationofa“graphicnovel”–coloringbook–onthebattlebetweenthebarons
andKingJohnthatledtothesealingofMagnaCarta(Vol.1)andasecondvolumethat
wouldtracethehistoryofthekeyprinciplesofMagnaCartathroughimportant
historicaldocumentssince1215–EnglishPetitionofRight,EnglishBillofRights,Virginia
Resolutions,VirginiaStatuteofReligiousFreedom,DeclarationofIndependence,etc.
3. CompileanannotatedlistofusefulresourcelinksonMagnaCarta–relevant
documents,freeresources,linkstofilms/documentaries,etc.
4. Create“TheABCsofMagnaCarta,”avocabularybuilderandconceptdevelopment
activity.
5. MagnaCartaHistoryLab–Adocument-basedactivitythatpairsstudentstodefendor
refuteathesisinlightoftheirreadingofthedocuments.
6. Roosevelt’sFourFreedomsandMagnaCarta–Aninterdisciplinaryactivitycombining
Roosevelt’sFourFreedomsspeech,NormanRockwell’sFourFreedomsseriesof
illustrations,andMagnaCartainwhichstudentsexaminetheconnectionbetweenthe
fourfreedomsandkeyprinciplesofMagnaCarta,thenselectasectionofMagnaCarta
tovisuallycapturetheessenceofthatparticularsection(studentsmaybeinstructedto
useartisticstylestypicalofthe13thCentury).
7. UsetheREED-LO©lessontemplate,designedbyScottCrawford,toexaminetheMagna
CartaartfoundintheSupremeCourtBuilding;optionally,studentscouldusethis
templatetoexamine13thCenturyartasitrelatestovariouspartsofMagnaCarta.
8. TheMagnaCartaTapestry:UsingtheBayeuxtapestryasamodel,studentscreatea
visualtapestrythatincludesthehistoryleadinguptoMagnaCartaandcapturesthekey
principlesofthedocumentthatstillhaverelevancetodaybyillustratingthose
connectionstocurrentevents.The“Tapestry”wouldbenomorethan2feetwideand
aslongasnecessarytocapturetherequiredcontent.
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CurrentEvents:
1. UseMagnaCartaandConstitutionalconceptstoanalyzetheNationalDefense
AuthorizationActwhichauthorizesthepresidenttodetainindefinitelyterroristsuspects
withoutdueprocess.
2. UsingatemplatebasedonthedesignofMagnaCarta,studentscreateanewMagna
Cartathatdealswithmodernconstitutionalissues–protectingintellectualproperty
rightsinatechnologicalage;applicationofdueprocessinthefaceofterroristattacks;
expansionofhumanrightsincountriesthathavestrictlawslimitingindividualfreedoms
basedongender,religiousbeliefs,ethnicheritage;stateinstigatedlandseizures;
environmentalsustainability;accessiblehealthcare;accesstoeducationforfemales;
etc.
3. EditorialConnections:Studentscollecteditorialsfromdailynewspaperstobringtoclass
thathaveaconnectiontokeyprinciplesinMagnaCarta.Theteacherspendspartof
eachday(5-10minutes)askingstudentstojustifytheirchoice.Studentssubmittheir
editorialseachdayforasmallgrade.OnFriday,theclasshasashortquizorwriting
activitybasedontheweek’sdiscussionsoftheeditorialconnections.
4. Analternativetothisactivityistohavestudentscollecteditorialsthroughouttheweek.
OnThursdayeachstudentgivesoneeditorialtotheteacher.OnFridaytheteacher
distributesseveraleditorialstosmallgroupsandgivesthem10minutestoselectthe
oneeditorialtheyfeelismostrelevanttoMagnaCarta.
Simulations:
1. WriteaplayorscreenplayforavideothattracestheoriginsandimpactofMagna
Carta.StudentsbasetheirpresentationonaseriesofdocumentsthatincludeMagna
Cartaandotherprimarylegal/politicaldocumentsinfluencedbyMagnaCarta.
2. ResearchcontemporaryissuesthathavetheiroriginsintheconcernsofMagnaCarta
andtakeastandfororagainsttheissue.Studentspresenttheircaseintheformofa
debateorcongressionalhearingbeforeapanelofjudgeswhorulefororagainstthem
basedonthesoundnessoftheirarguments.
3. Mocktrialsinvolvingrealcasesthathavedirectconnectionstolegalprinciplesoutlined
inMagnaCarta.StudentsmustcitethelegalconnectiontoMagnaCartaintheir
argument.
©CopyrightCenterforTeachingtheRuleofLaw2016
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