Human Rights Day
Saturday is Human Rights Day! From Human Rights Day 2022 | OHCHR, “Every year on 10 December, the world celebrates Human Rights Day, the very day when, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).”
While you won’t be at school on Saturday, you can still have your students learn about Human Rights Day. I would start by asking my students what they know about human rights. Let students reflect and share out, and then share this definition (or modify it to make it work best for your students):
Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death.
I’ve paraphrased for students that human rights are the things that every human being is entitled to have.
Next, I would ask students what rights they think are the most important.
They can make lists in small groups and compile a list of the 5 most important rights. Expect a lot of discussion and negotiation - it is hard to choose just 5! Once they have agreed upon a list, they can share out to the whole class and/or post their list somewhere in the classroom.
Next, use a read aloud or watch, listen, or read about the UDHR more here.
Two picture books that I’d recommend are:
We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures (image above)
I Have the Right to Be a Child
After learning more about the UDHR, ask students if they would change their list or if there are any rights they are thinking about now that they didn’t consider earlier.
Then, give students an opportunity to share their learning or act! Remember that human rights are applicable to so many situations and can provide a helpful lens for students to think about injustice or action. Some ideas for further learning or actions are:
Make your own zine and see ARTE’s UDHR & UPR zine here! ARTE is a great organization and resource, in general, but especially on Human Rights Day.
13 Teaching Ideas on Human Rights - Facing History & Ourselves
ABC: Teaching Human Rights – Practical activities for primary and secondary schools - Office of the High Commission for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Happy Human Rights Day!