Magna Carta - The story of our freedom (Year 9 & 10)

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 9 History: 

• Key events and ideas in the development of Australian self-government and democracy, including women’s voting rights (ACDSEH091)

Year 9 Civics and Citizenship:

• Reflect on their role as a citizen in Australian, regional and global contexts (ACHCS089)

Year 10 History:

• The origins and significance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, including Australia’s involvement in the development of the Declaration (ACDSEH023)
• The continuing nature of efforts to secure civil rights and freedoms in Australia and throughout the world, such as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007) (ACDSEH143)
• Identify and analyse the perspectives of people from the past (ACHHS190)
• Use chronological sequencing to demonstrate the relationship between events and developments in different periods and places (ACHHS182)

Year 10 Civics and Citizenship:

• Australia’s roles and responsibilities at a global level, for example provision of foreign aid, peacekeeping, participation in international organisations and the United Nations (ACHCK091)
• Reflect on their role as a citizen in Australian, regional and global contexts (ACHCS102)

General capabilities:  Critical and creative thinking, Ethical understanding, Personal and social capability

Australian Curriculum cross-curriculum priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and culture OI.9

Syllabus Outcomes: HT5-2, HT5-3, HT5-7.

Time required: 4 x 60 mins – plus additional homework time for student research and reflection activity

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – facilitate student activities.

• Video: Magna Carta – the story of our freedom by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Infographic: Magna Carta interactive infographic by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Website: Human Rights Calendar by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Website: Get Involved by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Website: A list of all the clauses of the 1215 version of the Magna Carta 
• Website: The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Additional resources: 

• Website: Racism. It stops with me by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Website: Close the Gap: Indigenous Health Campaign by the Australian Human Rights Commission
• Website: Close the Gap by Oxfam Australia
• Website: Close the Gap by National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health
• Interactive infographic: Choose Your Own Statistics: Life Expectancy by ABC Splash

To mark the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, the Australian Human Rights Commission has partnered with Cool Australia to help students develop their understanding about the evolution of human rights since 1215 and the impact that Magna Carta has had on our human rights and freedoms in Australia today.