Laws and How They Change
Why communities have laws: to keep people safe, protect freedoms and settle disputes fairly; where laws come from, and how citizens change a law that isn't working, by voting, petitioning or campaigning
What a learner can do afterwards
- Explain the purpose behind a specific law (e.g., seatbelt laws protect people in crashes)
- Describe one way an unfair or outdated law can be changed (e.g., people petition, vote, or campaign)
- Give an example of a law that protects a freedom (e.g., laws that let people speak or worship freely)
The lesson
Every community has laws. Laws are rules everyone agrees to follow. They keep people safe, protect people's freedoms, and help settle disagreements fairly.
A law says everyone must wear a seatbelt in a car. Its purpose is simple: seatbelts protect people from getting hurt if the car crashes.
Laws can also protect freedoms. In many places, a law lets people speak their mind or worship in the way they choose, without being punished for it.
If a rule or law feels unfair, you don't have to break it. You can petition, campaign, or vote to change it instead.
Laws keep us safe and protect our freedoms, and when one isn't working, citizens can change it by petitioning, campaigning, or voting.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.