Exploring Justice Together

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Overview

Unit Title: Rights, Needs, and Justice
Lesson: 4 of 10
Lesson Title: The Role of Justice in Society
Total Duration: 60 minutes
Number of Students: 30
Age Group: Year 6 (Age 10–11)
Subject Area: Religious Education (RE)
Curriculum Link:
Follows the Religious Education Council of England and Wales' non-statutory framework and aligns with the locally agreed SACRE syllabus. Relevant to:

• Key Stage 2 - Attainment Target 2 (Learning from Religion): Pupils reflect on what it means to belong to a community, and how religious beliefs influence moral choices, including fairness and justice.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, pupils will be able to:

1. Define ‘justice’ in their own words.
2. Explain how justice links to rights and needs.
3. Identify examples of justice and injustice in real-world scenarios.
4. Reflect on the importance of justice from both religious and secular perspectives.

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Success Criteria

• Pupils actively contribute to discussions with thoughtful responses.
• Pupils complete a justice diamond ranking activity with reasoned justifications.
• Pupils reflect on justice in context of their community through written or verbal expression.

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Key Vocabulary

• Justice
• Fairness
• Rights
• Needs
• Injustice
• Equity
• Community

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Resources Needed

• A3 Justice Diamond worksheet (one per group)
• Scenario cards (real-life justice/injustice cases, modified for age group)
• Whiteboard/flipchart
• Post-it notes
• Audio clip or quote from a young activist (e.g., Greta Thunberg or Malala Yousafzai)
• Reflection journals (if used regularly in class)

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Lesson Structure (60 mins)

🟪 Starter: Justice Quick-Think (10 mins)

Objective: Tap into pupils’ prior understanding and stimulate curiosity.

Activity:
On the board, write the question:

"What does fairness mean to you? Is it the same as justice?"

Invite pupils to share quick-fire responses in pairs, then build a class brainstorm on the board. Encourage pupils to make links between 'rights', 'needs', and 'being fair'. Highlight key words they generate.

Stretch question:

"Can something be fair but not just?"

Teacher tip: Validate all responses to create an open forum where no answer is "wrong", but always ask "Why do you think that?"

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🟨 Input: What Is Justice? (10 mins)

Objective: Explore the foundations of justice with age-appropriate depth.

Teacher-Led Explanation:

Begin by presenting a short quote or audio clip from Malala Yousafzai:

“I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard.”

Ask pupils:

"What does this have to do with justice?"

Key teaching points:

• Justice means more than fairness—it includes making sure everyone’s rights are respected.
• Religions often teach about justice because they care how people are treated.
• Justice is about balancing people’s needs, not just giving everyone the same.

Make links to religious traditions:

• Christianity: Teachings of Jesus about treating others fairly (e.g. The Good Samaritan)
• Islam: Concept of Adl (justice)
• Judaism: Prophet Micah’s call to "act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly"

Keep examples short and narrative-led.

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🟥 Activity: Justice Diamond (25 mins)

Objective: Apply understanding of justice to real-world scenarios through collaborative decision-making.

Set-Up: Pupils work in groups of 4. Each group gets an A3 diamond sheet and nine scenario cards (detailed, age-suitable cases involving children). Examples:

• A school with no wheelchair access.
• Two children want the last biscuit—one hasn’t had any yet.
• A playground ban because of a few students’ behaviour.
• A refugee family not allowed to join a school trip.
• A food bank giving extra help to a family in crisis.

Instructions:

• Groups must place the 9 scenarios into a diamond shape:
  • 1 at the top (most just)
  • 2 just below (very just)
  • 3 in the middle (ok/fair)
  • 2 below that (unjust)
  • 1 at the bottom (least just)

They must justify their choices, and link reasons to needs and rights.

Teacher Role: Circulate, question, support, provoke deeper thinking.

Assessment Opportunity: Ask key pupils to explain their top/bottom choices using sentence stems like:

• “We think this is just because…”
• “This is unfair since…”

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🟩 Plenary: Just or Unjust? (10 mins)

Objective: Reflect personally and consolidate learning.

Activity: Justice Line-Up

Tell pupils:

“Imagine there’s a line from one end of the room (‘Totally Just’) to the other (‘Totally Unjust’). I’ll read a few situations—you decide where to stand.”

Read 3–4 statements (not included in earlier activity). Use a mix of ambiguous and clear examples to prompt debate.

Example:

• A school gives out prizes to only the loudest students.
• A council builds more housing in poor areas.
• A football team only lets in boys.

Allow brief paired discussions before pupils place themselves.

Follow-Up Questions:

• "Why did you stand there?"
• "Can you think of a reason why someone else might feel differently?"

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🟦 Extension / Homework (Optional)

Reflective Writing Task: Ask pupils to write:

“What does justice mean to me, and why does our society need it?”

Encourage inclusion of examples from the lesson and possibly religious or moral reasons.

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Differentiation

For Support:

• Provide scenario cards with image prompts and simplified text.
• Use guided adult support or sentence starters during diamond activity.

For Challenge:

• Ask higher attainers to explore whether justice always involves equality or sometimes equity.
• Invite more able pupils to link concepts to class/school rules or local news.

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Assessment for Learning (AfL)

• Observation of group discussion and diamond ranking reasoning.
• Participation in plenary line-up debate.
• Optional written reflection task as evidence of individual understanding.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• Citizenship/PSHE: Understanding responsibilities and social justice.
• English: Developing persuasive language and reasoning skills.
• Geography/Current Events: Understanding of needs in global communities.

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Teacher Reflection (Post-Lesson Prompt)

• Did students demonstrate deeper understanding beyond "fair/unfair"?
• Did any student challenge their own assumptions or change viewpoint?
• Which activities best engaged the class?

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Final Note for Teachers

This lesson moves beyond definitions, empowering Year 6 students to see justice as personal, societal, and rooted in values—whether religious or humanist. Using age-relevant ethical dilemmas, this interactive session supports critical thinking, empathy, and a sense of agency—embed it in pupil voice or school values work to extend its impact.