Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Law
Lesson Topic: Formation of a valid contract
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the eight essential elements required for a contract to be legally enforceable.
  • Distinguish between an offer, an invitation to treat, and a counter‑offer.
  • Explain the rules governing acceptance, consideration, and intention to create legal relations.
  • Evaluate capacity, certainty of terms, legality, and statutory formalities in contract scenarios.
  • Apply key case law to illustrate how courts interpret each element.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides summarising the eight elements
  • Handout with the summary table and key case excerpts
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Sample contract worksheet for group analysis
  • Sticky notes for quick checks
 Introduction:

Begin with a short video clip of a real‑world negotiation to hook interest. Ask students what makes the agreement they just saw enforceable, linking to prior knowledge of promises. Outline that by the end of the lesson they will be able to identify and apply the eight core elements of contract formation.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): Students list any contracts they have entered into this week on sticky notes; quick share.
  2. Mini‑lecture (15'): Present the eight elements with PowerPoint, highlighting key case law (Carlill, Entores, etc.).
  3. Guided analysis (10'): In pairs, examine a sample contract worksheet and identify which elements are present or missing.
  4. Whole‑class debrief (10'): Groups report findings; teacher clarifies misconceptions, especially around invitation to treat and consideration.
  5. Case law application (10'): Short role‑play where students act out Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball to illustrate unilateral offer and acceptance by performance.
  6. Formative check (5'): Quick quiz on Kahoot/exit poll covering each element.
Conclusion:

Recap the eight elements, emphasizing how they interlock to create a valid contract. Students complete an exit ticket stating one element they found most challenging and one real‑life example of a valid contract. Assign homework: analyse a contract from a newspaper article and write a brief report identifying any missing elements.