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For teachers - human rights: human rights basics
In order to help children explore those issues that are specific to themselves and to children's/human rights, one must first explore the basic similarities and common needs of all people. This lesson will help to explore the basic similarities and common needs of all people. It is designed to help children conduct a human rights discussion; understand the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to explore both their similarities and differences. Also included in this lesson are activities designed to help students explore specific issues surrounding the topic of the Human Cargo industry.
Grade Level: 9-12
Time Allotment: Two to four 45-minute class periods
Subject Matter:
- Human Rights
- Children's Rights
- Current International Events
Students Will
- Use primary sources, such as news reports and video, to gather information about current events and recent world history;
- Analyze the information gathered from these primary sources to draw conclusions about the moral aspects of human rights and children's rights;
- Form their own individual ideas and concepts of what it means to be a socially responsible person;
- Develop an understanding about what it means to be a member of a global community and what it entails to be an active member of that community;
- Gain a sense of individual strength and empowerment as well as a broader view of the world and its people.
National Standards for History
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards
Standard 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 5E, 5F
A. Identify issues and problems in the past and analyze the interests, values, perspectives, and points of view of those involved in the situation.
B. Marshal evidence of antecedent circumstances and current factors contributing to contemporary problems and alternative courses of action.
C. Identify relevant historical antecedents and differentiate from those that are inappropriate and irrelevant to contemporary issues.
D. Evaluate alternative courses of action, keeping in mind the information available at the time, in terms of ethical considerations, the interests of those affected by the decision, and the long- and short-term consequences of each.
E. Formulate a position or course of action on an issue by identifying the nature of the problem, analyzing the underlying factors contributing to the problem, and choosing a plausible solution from a choice of carefully evaluated options.
F. Evaluate the implementation of a decision by analyzing the interests it served; estimating the position, power, and priority of each player involved; assessing the ethical dimensions of the decision; and evaluating its costs and benefits from a variety of perspectives.
National Standards for Social Studies http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/
IX. Global Connections; Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.
X. Civic Ideals and Practices; Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic.
Media Components
Video:
Wide Angle
Thirteen/WNET New York's weekly series of one-hour international documentaries, hosted by Daljit Dhaliwal and James P. Rubin, recognizes a new and urgent need to understand the political, economic, and social forces shaping the world today.
Web Sites:
Wide Angle
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/index.html
This Web site supports the PBS program WideAngle a weekly series of one-hour international documentaries, hosted by Daljit Dhaliwal and James P. Rubin.
The Declaration of Human Rights
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html
This Web page located on the United Nations Web Site is the location for The Declaration of Human Rights.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm
This Web page located on the United Nations Web Site is the location for The Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The United Nations Cyberschoolbus
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/qna.asp
This Web site is for The United Nations Cyberschoolbus which was created in 1996 as the online education component of the Global Teaching and Learning Project, whose mission is to promote education about international issues and the United Nations. The Global Teaching and Learning Project produces high quality teaching materials and activities designed for educational use (at primary, intermediate and secondary school levels) and for training teachers. The vision of this Project is to provide exceptional educational resources (both online and in print) to students growing up in a world undergoing increased globalization.
United Nations - Human Rights Section
http://www.un.org/rights/index.html
This link is the Web page for the Human Rights section of the United Nations Web site. The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends.
United Nations Global Issues Section
http://www.un.org/partners/civil_society/m-child.htm
This location is the Web page on for the United Nations Global Issues specifically issues regarding Children.
UNICEF
http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm
This Web site is for UNICEF, UNICEF was created by the United Nations General Assembly in 1946 to help children after World War II in Europe, UNICEF was first known as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund. In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations system, its task being to help children living in poverty in developing countries. Its name was shortened to the United Nations Children's Fund, but it retained the acronym "UNICEF," by which it is known to this day.
United Nations Association of the United States of America
http://www.unausa.org
This Web site is for The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports the work of the United Nations and encourages active civic participation in the most important social and economic issues facing the world today. The UNA-USA educates Americans about the work of the United Nations and encourages public support for strong U.S. leadership in the U.N.
Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/
This is the Web site for Human Rights Watch, the largest human rights organization based in the United States. Human Rights Watch researchers conduct fact-finding investigations into human rights abuses in all regions of the world. Human Rights Watch then publishes those findings in dozens of books and reports every year, generating extensive coverage in local and international media.
PBS Online NewsHour
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/
http://pbs-newshour.virage.com/cgi-bin/
visearch?user=pbs-newshour&template=template.html&query
=Human+Cargo
&keywords=Human+Cargo&category=blank
This PBS Web site has links to two video segments on Human Cargo. One of the available clips is a discussion by three experts regarding the growing trade of people across international borders and the second is a report on efforts to smuggle illegal aliens from China into the U.S.
FRONTLINE World
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/
This link is for the FRONTLINE World Web site where streaming video and story transcripts for many global issues can be found. Developed by FRONTLINE producers in conjunction with public television stations KQED San Francisco and WGBH Boston, FRONTLINE/World is a national public TV series that turns its lens on the global community, covering countries and cultures rarely seen on American television.
Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org
This is the Web site for Amnesty International (AI); AI is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote internationally recognized human rights. This site has available Press releases, articles and educational materials for teachers.
International Debate Education Association
http://www.idebate.org
This Web site focuses on young people and their communities. The mission of the International Debate Education Association is to promote mutual understanding and democracy globally by supporting discussion and active citizenship locally.
The New York Times - Archive
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/15/national/15TRUC.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/
abstract.html?res=F30B13F63A5A0C728EDDAC0894DB404482
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/
abstract.html?res=F00E11FD3B5A0C738EDDAC0894DB404482
The above Web pages are articles that were run in the New York Times Newspaper. You will have to register before you will have access to the above articles, but registration is free. Some of the articles on this site are for sale; others you can download free of charge.
Materials
Per Class:
- Chalkboard, whiteboard or poster paper
- Appropriate writing utensil for your writing surface
- Copies of appropriate videos
- VCR/TV
- Scotch Tape (necessary if you are using poster paper so that you can display students' work)
- Copy of Questions to Develop a Human Rights Discussion
- Copy of Questions to Develop a Children's Rights Discussion
- Copy of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Copy of The Convention on the Rights of the Child
- Pen or Pencil
- Computer or Internet Access (classroom, computer lab or library)
- Web site hyperlink document (listing of appropriate sites for students to use for research)
Prep for Teachers
Prior to the teaching, bookmark all of the Web sites used in the lesson and create a Microsoft Word document with all of the Web sites as hyperlinks for the students to access the sites. Make sure that your computer and the computer the students will be using have the necessary media players to play any video clips, which are Shockwave, Real Video, and Quicktime. Cue any videotapes to the segment(s) you plan on using to support your lesson.
When using media, provide students with a FOCUS FOR MEDIA INTERACTION, a specific task to complete and/or information to identify during or after viewing of video segments, Web sites, or other multimedia elements.
Introductory Activity
What are "Human Rights" and what are "Children's Rights?"
Step 1:
Explain to your students that the focus of the lesson will be on human rights, children's rights, cultural similarities and cultural differences. First distribute to the class the questionnaire "Questions to Develop a Human Rights Discussion."
Ask your students to brainstorm about what they think basic human rights are and how human rights are affected by current and past events. Have people's rights changed over the years? Have them record their thoughts on the hand-out. (Students may give responses such as the "right to bear arms, the right to freedom of speech and the right to vote.") Once the students have listed some of their ideas, have them share their ideas with the class, writing the students' points down on your blackboard, whiteboard or poster paper to make sure to save them for the end of the lesson. While the class is discussing, have them focus on the differences and similarities between each other's responses. Have the class develop a list of rights and a classroom definition of human rights. Make sure to have the students use their own language when developing their definitions. By having the class form their own definitions, the students will be able to identify and come up with examples of how they use their human rights on a daily basis.
Step 2:
Explain to your students that they will now be shifting their focus from human rights to children's rights. Distribute to the class the questionnaire "Questions to Develop a Children's Rights Discussion." Continue the discussion you started above, but have the students explore the differences between being an adult (over 18) and being a child.
Step 3:
Distribute copies of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and The Convention on the Rights of the Child documents to each student. As a take-home assignment, have them read over both documents and come to class prepared to discuss the similarities and differences between the two hand-outs.
Culminating Activity
Step 1:
As a class review what the declaration and convention state regarding "basic" human rights and "basic" children's rights. Have the class choose which right(s) they would like to focus on for a class debate. For example: "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights" (Declaration of Human Rights) vs. "States Parties recognize that every child has the inherent right to life" (Convention on the Rights of the Child).
Divide the class into two groups (more if you have time) and have one group support the argument that children should have specific rights, different from adults. Have the other group support that children should not have any special or different rights.
Give each group time to prepare their arguments using the Internet. Each group should be given a Focus for Media Interaction based on their debate position. Have the students write up a brief summary of what they found on the Web sites to support their debate position.
Suggested Web sites the students can use include:
- http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
- http://www.un.org/rights/index.html
- http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/k2crc.htm
- http://www.un.org/partners/civil_society/m-child.htm
- http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
- http://www.unicef.org/crc/crc.htm
Step 2:
After the students have completed researching their arguments, have them come back as a group and begin their debate. Remember to discuss debate procedures and process before beginning the actual debate: active listening, purpose of debate, goals of debate, respectful discussion and listening, etc. For more detailed guidelines of debate procedure please reference the Wide Angle Web site at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/. For information on Academic Controversy or for detailed descriptions on using debate in the classroom, go to http://www.idebate.org/home.asp where you will find "Debate Education Materials" to help you run a successful classroom debate.
Document the group's points on your blackboard, whiteboard, or poster board. Following the debate, open up the class to discussion as a large group. Ask question such as: Did you agree with the position you were given for the debate? Why or why not? Was it difficult to discuss an issue you did not necessarily agree with? Were you able to understand and respect the position of you classmates? Why or why not?
Step 3:
Now that your class has a strong understanding of Human Rights and Children's Rights you can have them examine a current international issue, such as the focus for this lesson: Human Cargo. (NOTE: Wide Angle will be airing a program on Human Cargo in the fall of 2003.)
Human Cargo can be defined in many different ways, from trafficking of women and children for labor to political and economic refugees using organized crime to escape life-threatening conditions in their homelands.
Have your students read a number of different news stories that focus on Human Cargo in addition to having them view segments from the Wide Angle Human Cargo program and any other relevant video clips you may have available in your classroom. (NOTE: Other video resources can be found on the Frontline/World and Online NewsHour Web sites. Frontline/World is a national public TV series that turns its lens on the global community, covering countries and cultures rarely seen on American television and the Online NewsHour is an extension to PBS television which grew out of the half-hour MacNeil/Lehrer Report, which, from 1975-1983, garnered critical praise and numerous awards for in-depth coverage of a different single issue in each broadcast, both Web sites offer streaming video of past programs having to deal with the issue of Human Cargo.)
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/
http://pbs-newshour.virage.com/cgi-bin/visearch?user=pbs-newshour
&template=template.html&query=Human+Cargo&keywords=
Human+Cargo&category=blank
Give your students a Focus for Media Interaction before they begin examining and researching Human Cargo issues. Questions to address are:
- What are the different types of Human Cargo?
- What human rights are being violated?
- What children's rights are being violated?
- How are the United Nations and International Governments such as the U.S. dealing with the tens of thousands of refugees who are being trafficked as Human Cargo?
Strong sites for students to use for resources are:
- United Nations
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
- Human Rights Watch
http://www.hrw.org/
- Amnesty International
http://www.amnesty.org/
After the students have had an opportunity to investigate Human Cargo through reading news articles, conducting Web research, and viewing video segments, have them discuss how their new knowledge of Human Rights and Children's Rights changed or influenced what they researched. Post on the blackboard or white board the original class definition and list of human rights your class developed in the first section of this lesson. Ask the class to now come up with a new definition of human rights and a list of rights. Make sure they include their ideas on the rights of children versus adults. How have their ideas changed?
Have the students use their new knowledge to address and discuss what they have learned and researched about Human Cargo. Re-address the Focus for Media Interaction questions you gave them before they started their research on Human Cargo. As a class, what do they think the major human rights/children's rights issues are for this particular international issue? How do the students feel Human Cargo should be addressed by the international community? Is there a solution or are there steps to take that the United Nations and Governments should be focusing on regarding Human Cargo?
Cross-Curricular Extensions
Social Studies/Current Events
Examine other international events where human rights and children's rights play a major role, such as religious conflicts, freedom of expression events (such as anti-war and pro-war rallies in the United States), and child labor. How does the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention of the Rights of the Child influence these events? Create a list of current events and identify the human rights and/or children's rights that are affected by them. Ask the students as homework to read a local newspaper and bring an article to class the next day that addresses human rights and children's rights locally or internationally.
Government/US History
Investigate how different countries' governments react to human rights and children's rights issues. Using the UNICEF Web site (http://www.unicef.org/specialsession/how_country/index.html), find out how different countries are addressing the needs of children worldwide. Have them compare the United States' positions to those of other countries. Other Web sites to use for research are http://www.unausa.org/, http://www.hrw.org and http://amnesty.org.
Economics/Mathematics
How does economics play a role in human rights/children's rights? When researching the issue of Human Cargo, economics played a major role in many different ways, from organized crime making money from the transporting of refugees or from their labor to the refugees themselves paying for their escape. Using the articles and information the students have already gathered, make a chart of some of the economic information gathered by the United Nations as well as country governments regarding the Human Cargo industry.
Community Connections
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