20 lessons for 20 years - What are human rights?

The reason I chose this lesson is because of the way in which the students respond to it and the “thinking” that happens during the session. I deliver this lesson to my year 7s. It’s near the start of our unit on Human rights and near the start of the academic year.. Over the years I have borrowed activities and resources from multiple sources so if you spot part of your own lesson in there then thank you! The Human rights linking activity has always been a favourite of mine. Amnesty International have a fab lesson activity involving the students standing up holding a human right each and then sitting down as rights are taken away. I like a lot of discussion and debate in lessons. Lots of playing with ideas and concepts and pushing students to think in more depth and outside of their usual viewpoint. This is why I have chosen this lesson – for where it leads to and for student engagement and progress.

Teaching Citizenship is a huge passion of mine. I think that it’s so important that young people have the opportunity to engage with political concepts, to know how to take action, to develop their own sense of agency and to find their own voices. Students getting excited over ideas, concepts, world issues and becoming passionate in their own viewpoints is always a wonderful moment for a teacher. It helps develop empathy and awareness and gives students the opportunity to explore world issues. I think that Citizenship education is incredibly important for our students to experience and love that I am able to teach it to so many students.