Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Law
Lesson Topic: Torts affecting land
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the key elements of trespass to land, private nuisance, Rylands v Fletcher, and negligence affecting land.
  • Analyse leading cases and explain their significance for each tort.
  • Compare the nature of liability and typical remedies across the four torts.
  • Apply a decision‑process flowchart to determine the appropriate tort for a given factual scenario.
  • Evaluate the main defences available for each tort.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides covering each tort
  • Printed case handouts (Entick v Carrington, Sturges v Bridgman, Rylands v Fletcher, Donoghue v Stevenson)
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Worksheet with a fact pattern for group analysis
  • Comparative table template (fill‑in activity)
  • Diagram of the decision‑process flowchart
 Introduction:

Begin with a quick poll: “What recent news story involved a dispute over property or land use?” Connect this to students’ prior knowledge of basic negligence principles and ask them to predict which tort might apply. State the success criteria: students will identify the elements, cite leading cases, and correctly select the applicable tort.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5’) – short quiz on definitions of trespass, nuisance, strict liability and negligence.
  2. Mini‑lecture (15’) – overview of the four land‑based torts with key elements and leading cases using slides.
  3. Group case‑study activity (20’) – each group analyses a fact pattern, maps facts to elements, decides the appropriate tort, and prepares a brief presentation.
  4. Comparative table fill‑in (10’) – students complete a table contrasting liability, requirements and remedies.
  5. Whole‑class discussion (10’) – explore defences and remedies; clarify misconceptions.
  6. Exit ticket (5’) – one‑sentence answer: “Which tort would you rely on for X scenario and why?”
Conclusion:

Summarise the distinguishing features of each tort and revisit the decision‑process flowchart. Collect exit tickets to gauge understanding, and assign homework: read the textbook chapter on land torts and prepare a one‑page case brief for a chosen leading case.