3FN19 – Social Studies – Rules and Laws

How do FreeNode lessons work?

FreeNodes are instructor-led schooling lessons with a unique approach, granting you the freedom to independently teach using a personalized lesson plan. This autonomy enables you to tailor your lessons to suit students’ individual needs, learning styles, and interests.

To use a FreeNode, read the provided class outline & follow the formatting provided for each class. Make sure to touch on the Theocratic Connection in each class. Follow the outline closely so it is aligned with our main at-home curriculum.

How Do I Use the FreeNode?

Read this lesson plan before class to familiarize yourself with the ideas and concepts you’ll be teaching the students. You may print this page out if you need to use it as a reference point during live classes.

This lesson is a guide, but feel free to expand on the content or decrease/increase what you teach depending on the learning levels of the students in your class or the amount of time you have to cover the material.

Can I show videos in FN classes?

Yes, feel free to include additional material to supplement the class lesson material. Videos, Physical Objects, Games, Activities, etc. are okay to share in live classes.

Videos should have no advertisements or logos and should be viewed by you before showing them to the students to ensure no offensive or questionable content is included.

The video should make up only 1-3 minutes of the live class and should not take the place of instructor-led instruction. Videos should be supplementary only.

How do bookmarks work?

Bookmarks help you keep track of lessons you’re going to teach in future live classes. The bookmarks you see are for all your bookmarked lessons across all grades.

You can bookmark a lesson by visiting the lesson you want to bookmark and clicking the “bookmark” button in the bookmark section.

You can remove a single bookmark by visiting a lesson you’ve bookmarked and clicking the “bookmark” button again to unbookmark it.

You can clear all of your bookmarks by clicking the “clear all bookmarks” button. Be careful, this will erase all of your bookmarks.

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Class Lesson Plan

Objectives:

  • Students understand what rules and laws are and their differences.
  • Explore why rules and laws are needed in communities.
  • Students learn the consequences of breaking the law and the history of laws and rules.

Materials:

Whiteboard
Visual aids (examples of rules and laws, images of historical legal codes)
Timeline of key historical laws (e.g., Hammurabi’s Code)
Interactive online resources such as videos and games (optional)

Introduction (2 minutes):

Ask students if they can think of a rule they have at home or school. Explain that rules and laws help communities stay safe and organized. Introduce the lesson by saying, “Today, we’ll learn about why rules and laws are important, what happens if they’re broken, and how long people have been following them.”

Theocratic Connections:

Discuss how Jehovah gave the first law to Adam and Eve and later provided the Israelites with many laws to guide them. Reference Isaiah 33:22, which describes Jehovah as our Judge, Lawgiver, and King. Highlight that His laws are always fair and just, unlike human laws.

Activity 1 – What Are Rules and Laws? (8 minutes):

Define rules and laws and explain their differences:

  • Rules are specific to families, schools, or organizations.
  • Laws are made by governments to protect communities and ensure fairness.

Use examples:

  • Rules: “No talking during class.”
  • Laws: “Don’t steal or harm others.”

Optional: Ask students to share a rule they follow at home or school and a law they know exists in their community.

Activity 2 – Why Do We Need Rules and Laws? (8 minutes):

Discuss why rules and laws are important:

  • They protect people’s rights and ensure fairness.
  • They keep communities safe and organized.

Explain the ripple effects of breaking laws, such as theft causing higher prices or unsafe driving leading to accidents. Emphasize how following laws shows love for our neighbors.

Optional: Show scenarios where breaking a rule or law has consequences and ask students how they would handle those situations.

Activity 3 – History of Laws and Rules (8 minutes):

Explain that people have had laws for thousands of years:

  • Jehovah gave the first law to Adam and Eve.
  • Hammurabi’s Code in ancient Mesopotamia was one of the first human legal systems.

Discuss how some of Hammurabi’s laws were fair (e.g., women owning land) but others were harsh (e.g., cutting off a son’s hand for hitting his father). Highlight that Jehovah’s laws are always just and compassionate.

Optional: Show a timeline of key historical laws and ask students to compare them to Jehovah’s laws.

Conclusion (4 minutes):

Recap the key points:

  • Laws are made to protect communities and keep people safe.
  • Rules help smaller groups work and live together harmoniously.
  • Jehovah’s laws are the best example of fairness and justice.

Ask students: “What’s one rule or law you think is very important, and why?”

Assessment:

Evaluate students’ understanding through discussions and their ability to explain the differences between rules and laws, the need for laws, and the history of laws.