The Magna Carta
In this lesson you will learn about “The Magna Carta” (The Great Letter), this document is one of the most influential
documents to come out of the Medieval Ages.
1. What the document is.
To understand what it is, read about it: http://www.ducksters.com/history/magna_carta.php and answer these
questions:
a. When was it written?
b. What is it “considered to be” and what did it guarantee?
c. What did it set the ground work for in England and in the USA?
d. Explain why it came into being. (What was happening in England that made it possible?)
2. What is inside the Document.
Magna Carta Document Based Questions (DBQ ) http://issworldhistory.forumotion.net/t2168-dbq-the-magna-carta1215-ad
3. What was going on at that time to make people want to write and impose such a document.
The Magna Carta states that a “King” or any person cannot “impose their will” on someone else without a law being
made. To understand what “impose their will” means, what the video and follow its instructions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGzaqEtJCok&feature=youtube_gdata_player
4. What it looks like.
What does the original Magna Carta look like? Analyze it by opening the Magna Carta file and follow the directions:
5. Its impact.
The Magna Carta greatly influenced England which then influenced the United States of America’s Declaration of
Independence and Constitution. Follow the Directions in the “We the People” textbook, lesson 8, pages 67-73 to learn
about its impact. (This part of the assignment can only be completed with the classroom set of textbooks.)
a. Why was the declaration of Independence written?
b. How was the Declaration of Independence organized?
c. What Principles of government does the Declaration include?
d. What reasons does the declaration give for independence?
e. What complaints against the king does the Declaration include?
5. What the Declaration of Independence has in common with the Magna Carta.
In a 5 sentence paragraph, summarize all you have learned by explaining the impact the Magna Carta had on the
Declaration of Independence? (In other words, “What do they have in common?”)
http://homeofheroes.com/hallofheroes/1st_floor/birth/1bc1b.html
Honors Students
How important is the Magna Carta today? Piece these historical events together and explain in a self-actuated “cause
and effect” essay how the document has reached out from history and eventually impacted the Bill of Rights and you
personally.
Magna Carta http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/government/magnacarta.htm
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/magnacarta.asp
English Bill of Rights - http://avalon.law.yale.edu/17th_century/england.asp
Declaration of Independence - http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/
Constitution of the United States “Bill of Rights”
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html
1b Students
Solution: F2F lesson on UNHL http://www.un.org/works/Lesson_Plans/Women/UNworks_HR_GenderUnit.doc