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Human Rights and the Global Goals

Secondary, Elementary, Middle

Description

This lesson plan will help assist young students in better understanding human rights. Students will discover their rights, will be able to claim human rights, including child rights, and will know that this contributes to the Global Goals.

The lesson is divided in 4 separate steps

Step 1: Human Rights Bingo- This activity will engage students into thinking about human rights and increase their curiosity towards them.

Step 2: The Learning Activity - During this activity students will work cooperatively to create an image that helps them define human rights.

Step 3: The Global Goals of Human Rights – This will help students understand and discover, either through video or posters, certain Global Goals (both are provided in the resource).

Step 4: Take Action – This section gives multiple ideas on how a class or individual can take action when looking at standing up for human rights.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

Young students are explicitly taught about their own rights as children. They are exposed to a few real life stories of other children in the world and their lack of human rights. Consensus-building by students is a large part of the activity in this resource.

Strengths

  • This is a small and user-friendly lesson plan.
  • The lesson plan has multiple links to help teachers better understand children’s rights.

Weaknesses

  • No assessment tools are included in the resource.
  • No attention is given to students with different ability levels
  • In the last step- Take Action, the lesson plan has multiple suggestions, but does not explain how to put these ideas in motion

Relevant Curriculum Units

The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.

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  • Alberta
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    • Grade 9
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      • Social Studies
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        • Issues for Canadians: Governance and Rights
        • Knowledge and Employability: Canada - Governance and Citizenship
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    • Grade 5
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        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Canadian Issues and Governance: Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies
    • Grade 6
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      • Social Studies
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        • Global Issues and Governance: Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
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      • Social Studies
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        • 7th Century to 1750: Human and environmental factors shape changes in population and living standards.
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        • World History: Socities of the Past -Understanding Societies Past and Present
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        • Canada in the Contempoary World: Democracy and Governance in Canada
        • Canada in the Contemporary World:Diversity and Pluralism in Canada
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        • World Issues
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      • Social Studies
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        • Social Studies 1201: Individual Rights and the Common Good
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        • Canadian Issues and Governance: Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies
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      • Social Studies
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        • Global Issues and Governance: Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
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        • Citizenship in Canada
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        • Citizenship 9: Engaged Citizenship
        • Citizenship 9: Who Am I as a Citizen?
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        • Civics and Citizenship (Open): Civic Awareness
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        • World Issues
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        • Interdependence: Atlantic Canada in the Global Community: Citizenship in the Global Community
        • Interdependence: Atlantic Canada in the Global Community: Human Rights in the Global Community
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        • The Individual in Canadian Society: Interaction & Interdependence of Nations
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        • History 10: Political Decision Making
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        • Canadian Issues and Governance: Canada’s policies and treatment of minority peoples have negative and positive legacies

Themes Addressed

Human Rights (9)

  • Cultural Diversity
  • Education
  • Gender Equality
  • Poverty
  • Refugees and Immigration
  • Religious Diversity
  • Sexual Diversity
  • Social Justice
  • War and Peace

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good

A variety of perspectives have been included in the resource.

Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Good

There is an acknowledgement of the multiple dimensions of problems and solutions, although these are not deliberately addressed.

Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Good

Effectively done in an age appropriate manner

Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Good

The last step is entirely devoted to taking action. It suggests multiple ideas on how a class or individual can take action when looking at standing up for human rights.

Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Good

In reading the summarized description of human rights, students can give discuss their own beliefs and values.

Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Very Good

The various rights issues encompass a wide range of human groups.

Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Poor/Not considered
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Good

The resource is clear on the starting point for understanding human rights.

Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Good
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Very Good

Students are allowed to develop their own responses to questions.

Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory

The lesson essentially focuses on social studies outcomes.

Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Good

The activities are designed in a progressive learning style.

Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Satisfactory

The resources offers some visual and kinesthetic activities.

Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Good
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Good

Student work cooperatively in small and large group activities

Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Poor/Not considered

The assessment strategies are not clearly defined. 

Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Good
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Good

A few case studies are used in step three. 

Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Good

Most of the content will be addressed through group work and class discussions, and as such, a great deal of consensus-building is required.

Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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