Visit Your Local PBS Station PBS Home PBS Home Programs A-Z TV Schedules Watch Video Support PBS Shop PBS Search PBS
Wide Angle
 
For Teachers: Power & Politics: Exploring the Progress in Achieved Education for All Children

In the WIDE ANGLE film "Back to School," filmmakers track the educational progress of seven students who were first profiled in 2003. Has progress been made in achieving education for all?

In this lesson, students will learn about the World Declaration of Education for All and the progress that has been made. They will profile one of the seven children in the film and learn more about their native country and region. Finally, they will write in role, drawing together the information they have gathered and looking closely at the progress and challenges of EFA.



Grade Level: 9-12

Time Allotment: Four 45-minute class periods

Subject Matter: Social Studies, Global Studies

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of the Education for All initiative;

  • explore the life and experiences of one of the children featured in the film "Back to School" and research additional information about that student's native country;

  • gather information from film and Internet sources and synthesize that information through discussion and writing.

Academic Standards

From the National Standards for Social Studies http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/

1) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity. http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/2.1.html

3) Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments. http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/2.3.html

Media Components:

Video Clips
Web Sites

Materials

For the class:
  • a chalkboard, whiteboard, or poster paper

  • the appropriate writing utensil for your writing surface

  • tape (necessary if you are using poster paper so that you can display the students' work)
For each student:
Introductory Activity: Reflections on Education

Explain to your students that they will be examining issues related to international education. Before doing that, though, have them reflect on their own educational experiences. Ask students to, individually, read and answer the questions on their Student Response Sheet. After they have completed these questions, have a full-class discussion, asking students to share their experiences. What was their primary schooling like? What did the classrooms and the buildings look like? What kind of experiences did they have in school? How old were they when they started? How do they feel about going to school now? Do they look forward to it, or would they prefer not to go? Why is going to school important?


Learning Activities: Back to School

Step 1: Understanding Education for All
Explain to your students that they will be examining the World Declaration of Education for All. Direct students to the Handbook: Education for All -- What Is EFA? (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school/handbook1.html) and the Handbook: Education for All -- What Are the Goals of EFA? (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school/handbook2.html) on the WIDE ANGLE: Time for School site, and the Handbook: Education for All -- Where Are We Now? (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/handbook.html) on the WIDE ANGLE: Back to School site. Divide students into seven small groups, and instruct each group to read the materials on the Web sites and answer the questions on their Student Response Sheets. Students will answer questions about EFA's history, goals, progress, and contributions. After they have viewed the Web sites, check for comprehension by discussing the questions. Looking at the data available now, do they think the initiative has been successful? Why or why not?

Step 2: Who is benefiting from EFA?
Explain to students that, now that they understand the World Declaration of Education for All, they will look more closely at students who are receiving primary education as part of this initiative. Each small group will explore the experiences of one of the students in the film "Back to School." They will also learn more about the country in which that student lives, and schooling in their region of the globe. Assign each group one of the children, and direct them to the section of the film "Time for School" that profiles that student. "Time for School" can be viewed online at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/video.html. Also assign them to read the Kid Card from the WIDE ANGLE: Back to School site for their child (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/kids.html), and to use the Interactive Map on the WIDE ANGLE: Back to School site to learn more about education in that child's region of the world (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/map.html). Finally, instruct each group to learn more about the child's native country -- its history, economy, leadership -- by exploring the CIA World Factbook and BBC Country Profile for that country (see URLs in the media section of the lesson). The children are from the following countries:
  • Nanavi -- Benin
  • Jefferson -- Brazil
  • Shugufa -- Afghanistan
  • Raluca -- Romania
  • Ken -- Japan
  • Neeraj -- India
  • Joab -- Kenya
Instruct students to watch the film clip, view the Web sites, and answer the questions on their Student Response Sheets. Students will record information about the child's experience in school, the challenges he or she faces in going to school, data about his or her country's and region's education statistics, and information about his or her native country.

After students have completed their viewing and recording tasks, have each group create a display or poster about their child to be shared with the class. This can be done using chart paper, whiteboards, or chalkboards. On their display they should share pertinent information about the child's background (age, location, family), educational experiences (kind of schooling, challenges), country (location, history, economy, leadership, education statistics), and region (location, economy, education statistics).

After students have created their display, have each group present their work to the class. After all groups have presented, lead the class in a discussion about the children featured in "Back to School." What are the children's schooling experiences like? What are the challenges they face? How are the children's experiences similar? How are they different? What conclusions can you draw about a country and its educational system by looking at its economic and educational statistics? And, as a group, revisit this question from earlier in the lesson: Has EFA been successful? Why or why not?

Step 3: Has EFA garnered results?
If time permits, have students continue to explore the idea of the impact of EFA. Direct them to read a section of David Bloom's report MEASURING GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRESS (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/shows/school2/pdfs/pdf3.pdf). They should focus on the section "The Current State of Education Worldwide," pages 37-61 and the referenced appendices. As students read this material, have them keep a running list of both the progress that had been made and the challenges that have prevented progress or made it difficult. Discuss the reading with your students. What progress has been made? What were are the challenges? Is this significant progress toward the EFA goals? Why or why not?


Culminating Activity

As a way to have students synthesize the information that they have gathered, put them in the role of an administrator at UNESCO who is appealing to government officials to continue to provide funds to developing countries to support their EFA work. In this letter, students should address the need for education in different regions, the challenges that children around the world face when trying to become educated, the progress that has been made so far, and the progress that can be made in the future. Students should site specific information from their work with the "Back to School" film and various Web site resources. After students have written their letters, provide an opportunity for them to share their work with their classmates.

An alternate culminating writing activity could look more closely at the individual children. Students could take on the role of the student they profiled and write three journal entries for this child. The entries should highlight different days in their education -- their first day of school, a day they had to miss school because of a challenge, a day they were successful in their educational endeavors, etc. In these journal entries, students should try to imagine the child's family life and experiences at school, and the challenges they face. After students have written their letters, provide an opportunity for them to share their work with their classmates.

After discussing their writing, ask students to think about where these children will be in three years, in five years, in 10 years. Why do they make these predictions?


Extensions

World Cultures/Social Studies
EFA address the idea that education is a basic human right. Explore the idea of human rights more closely. What are other basic human rights? Have students read and discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Does everyone in the world enjoy these rights? Why or why not?

Social Studies
Have students research the history of the public education system in the United States. Why was this system created? How do educational systems differ across the country? How does the education system in the United States compare to that of the countries they researched as part of the lesson? How does it compare to systems in other countries, such as England, France, or China?


Community Connections

  • If possible, have your students meet with immigrants in your community to learn about their educational experiences in their native country.

 
 
© 2002-2007 Educational Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. [an error occurred while processing this directive]		  
Thirteen/WNET PBS