1. King John 1166 - 1216 ‘King’ while his brother was away fighting wars
Took taxes to pay for wars
Nobles and commoners united against him
Known as ‘Lackland’ – had no real land of his own
Fell out with the church
Legend of Robin Hood
King John

2. The Barons were fed up with the taxes and rules which King John made as they thought they were unfair

3. The Barons wrote down their rights in this ‘Great Charter’   
Magna Carta
The Barons wrote down their rights in this
‘Great Charter’
King John was forced to put his seal
on the document at
Runnymede June 15th 1215

4. Magna Carta
Chapter 39:
“No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned except by lawful judgment of his peers or by the law
of the land.”
Magna Carta set out the rights that no one was above the law, including the King, or Queen.
It also set out the right to a fair trial with a jury and no taxation without representation.
Magna Carta was revised several times and the final version was re-issued in 1225, after King John had died.
Two copies of Magna Carta belong to the British Library, one copy is owned by Lincoln Cathedral and one by Salisbury Cathedral.
The charter has been used as a basis for the American Constitution and the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights.

5. King John 1166 - 1216 Parents: Henry ll and Eleanor Youngest of 5 sons
King John
Parents: Henry ll and Eleanor
Youngest of 5 sons
Nicknamed: ‘Lackland’
Spent most of his life fighting wars with France
Fell out with the Pope in Rome
Brother Richard ‘The Lion Heart’
died in battle in France so
John became King in 1199
Married Isabella or Gloucester, but then carried off Isabella from Angouleme and married her
Known as ‘Bad King John’
Robin Hood legend dates from this time
The barons were joined by the French and John lost everything crossing the ‘Wash’ He died in Newark, possibly poisoned!

6. Some questions to help you:
If you could change the world, what would you do?
What does it feel like to be free?
How do we protect our homes and families?
What should we do in this country to help people to be free?
What questions do you have?

7. Ideas
List any thoughts or ideas about what it is like to be free, or what it is like if you are not free.
For example:
‘You need courage to be free’
‘It takes a strong nature not to give up’1
1 Quotes from children Monks Abbey and Nettleham schools

8. Body Percussion
Create some body percussion patterns which last for 4 beats.
For example: 1 2 3 4
STAMP
CLAP CLAP
TAP TAP

9. Vocal sounds Create some vocal sound patterns which last for 4 beats
For example: 1 2 3 4
Sh sh
K K
Bong
Dooby -doo

10. Percussion rhythms
Play your body percussion, or your vocal rhythm patterns on an un tuned instrument e.g. drum, wood-block.
Work in small groups to play the rhythm between you on different hand held percussion. 1 2 3 4

11. Freedom Chant
Use sentences and words from your ideas list to create a longer chant.
Put your ideas into some sort of order.
Use your rhythms, either vocal, body percussion or on instruments to accompany and punctuate your chant.
Keep a steady tempo, and speak loudly and clearly.

12. Create a rap Use ideas from the story of King John
He was known as ‘Bad King John’!
Keep your sentences short
Make the lines rhyme
Speak your words rhythmically
Put several raps together to make alonger piece.
Perform your rap
Add an accompaniment

13. Composition – rap with backing
Feel the beat:
Count in 4’