Is the UK meeting its international obligations under the Refugee Convention? In this session students will learn about the rights and protections given to people seeking asylum and refugees under the UN Refugee Convention. They will explore examples of UK asylum policy and ask whether the government is meeting its international legal obligations to refugees. This is part of our set of Refugee Rights teaching resource materials.

In this session students will look at what the terms refugee, asylum seeker and migrant mean. They will explore reasons why people flee their homes and look at the experience of a refugee family’s journey from war in Syria to safety in the UK, and identify refugee rights. This is part of our set of Refugee Rights teaching resource materials.

Amnesty International UK’s Refugee Rights education pack has been written to support primary school teachers to explore refugee rights and migration with children and build a culture of understanding and welcome in their schools. The activities in this pack introduce some key concepts, including why people flee their homes and what it is like to arrive in a new country, and promote discussion about refugee rights and migration experiences. Students will also explore ways to make refugees feel welcome. Each activity can be adapted to individual classrooms and is suitable for one-off lessons or can be extended into a series of lessons. This is part of our set of Refugee Rights teaching resource materials.

This resource supports educators to introduce students, aged 7 -13, to young people’s rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The session plan below will help students think about what rights are important to them and understand that everyone is equally entitled to Human Rights. It will also give them the opportunity to explore the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to understand that young people have special rights that are unique to them.

Lluniwyd yr adnodd hwn i fod yn gytbwys a hwyluso dadl a thrafodaeth agored ymhlith myfyrwyr 14 oed a hŷn o blaid ac yn erbyn y gosb eithaf. Mae’n cynnwys gweithgareddau a ffeithiau i archwilio’r gosb eithaf. Mae’n ystyried y dadleuon o blaid ac yn erbyn, ac yn gofyn sut mae dienyddio wedi dod yn fater hawliau dynol. Gall myfyrwyr hefyd archwilio effaith byw ar res yr angau ac ystyried p’un a yw’n deg dedfrydu plant i farwolaeth. Mae’r adnodd yn cynnwys sgript ar gyfer gwasanaeth a thrafodaeth. Mae hefyd yn defnyddio ffilmiau, astudiaethau achos a data i bobl ifanc ysgrifennu amdanynt. Mae Amnest yn gwrthwynebu defnyddio’r gosb eithaf ym mhob achos ac ar gyfer pob trosedd, p’un a yw rhywun yn ddieuog neu’n euog. This resource is designed to be balanced and facilitate open debate and discussion for and against the death penalty for students aged 14+. It includes activities and facts to explore the death penalty. It looks at the arguments in favour and against, and asks how capital punishment has become a human rights issue. Students can also examine the impact of living on death row and consider whether it is fair to sentence children to death. The resource includes an assembly script and debate. It also uses films, case studies and data for young people to write about. Amnesty opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases and for all crimes, whether someone is innocent or guilty. Also available in English and Arabic.

This Words That Burn bitesize blog series explores the power of poetry. We will introduce you to some incredible poets and share simple activities you can do to inspire your own poetry. You can find links to all the blog posts below: Blog 1: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-introducing-our-bitesize-poetry-series Blog 2: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-reflect-through-poetry Blog 3: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-feel-through-poetry Blog 4: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-question-through-poetry Blog 5: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-listen-through-poetry Blog 6: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-dream-through-poetry Blog 7: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-demand-through-poetry Blog 7: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/classroom-community/words-burn-celebrate-through-poetry If you find these resources useful you can also find our full Words That Burn resources on TES or on the Amnesty website.

Imagine is the theme for this year’s Refugee Week, 15-21 June, and here are three learning activities that will give your children an understanding of refugees. How would you welcome a newcomer into your community? Do you know about the rich heritage and diversity of people who call the UK ‘home’? As the Covid-19 pandemic separates families around the world, our local community plays an increasingly vital role in our daily lives – both as safety net and in contributing to our well-being. At this time, many of us are separated from loved ones. For refugees, this separation may have existed long before lockdown – and sadly may continue long after nations re-open their borders. Imagine if … … you have just moved into your home and neighbourhood. How would you feel? How would you want your new neighbours to welcome you? GET Paper, colour pencils DO Draw a map of your local area Include favourite places you would like to share with someone new to your area Include places they need to know about – like food shops, schools, libraries, playgrounds, doctors. Hello Everyone There are over 6,500 languages spoken around the world. Many of these are spoken in the UK alongside British Sign Language, English, Gaelic, Scots, Ulster Scots and Welsh. GET Paper, paint, colour pencils Google translate** DO Research how to say hello in as many different languages as you can find. Include languages that use different alphabets. Create a colourful poster of different ways to say hello. Display your poster in the window. **Freedom to choose ** People in the UK are a mixture of different nationalities and of different faiths and no faith. This can show in how we dress, where we worship, and how we live our daily lives. GET Google Jessica Souhami’s illustration of our freedom of belief DO Explore the illustration: How many ways can you find that people are expressing their religion through what they are wearing? Which buildings in the picture could be used for group prayer and worship? People can choose to pray and worship privately, in small groups and in large groups. Look at the picture again, where in the picture could people choose to pray and worship? WATCH A range of the Class Clips to learn about some of the different religions followed here in the UK (BBC Bitesize KS1 Religious Education Class Clips) More activities and virtual events on Refugee Week’s Imagine. Refugee Week is an annual UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. 15-21 June 2020. Share your artwork with us. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all born free and equal. Celebrate our right to equality by rewriting a story. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You can find more on our Classroom to Community blog You’ll need Paper and pen or a computer What to do Choose a story that you have read or watched. Select a supporting character and rewrite the story with them as the hero. Where do they go? Who do they meet? How do they save the day? How is your hero different from the original one? Share your stories with us by emailing. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to express ourselves. Make a flutter of stories to celebrate freedom of expression. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You can find more on our blog You’ll need Paper, paint or colour pencils, scissors, string or ribbon What to do Draw and cut out butterfly shapes. Attach a ribbon or string. Ask members of your family or your friends to tell you a story. It could be about themselves as children or it could be a story that a relative has told them. Write each story onto a butterfly and hang them up. Share your butterflies with us. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to a family and to choose our friends. Celebrate our right to family and friends by making a People Tree. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You can find more on our blog You’ll need Paper, paint or colour pencils What to do Draw a tree and put your name on the trunk. On each branch write the name of someone who is close to you (you could include who you live with, your closest friends, members of your family). Draw leaves with the names of people they are closest to. This tree shows how we are also connected to people beyond our family. Share your trees with us by emailing Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to go where we want in our own country when it is safe for us to travel. Create a guidebook to celebrate your local area. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Paper, pens and pencils What to do Draw a map of your local area. Label your favourite places and things to do. Write a guidebook entry for each one. Don’t forget to include a picture. Can you share your guidebook with someone who hasn’t been to your area? Share your maps with us by emailing us. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have a duty to each other. Write messages to show solidarity with the people in your home. You’ll need Paper, pens What to do Write poems or notes to leave around your house for the people you live with. Think about what would make people feel happy or moved and let that shape what you write. Where can you put your notes so that they will be a lovely surprise? Share your messages with us. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We are all born free. Make a kite to celebrate our right to freedom. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Paper, paint or colouring pencils, scissors, string or ribbon What to do Draw a kite shape and decorate it with a scene in which you feel free. Cut it out and add string or ribbon. If you let your kite go, where would it travel? Who might find it? Can you write or draw a story showing what might happen? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Human rights belong to everybody. Celebrate what makes you unique with a self-portrait. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Paper, paint or colouring pencils What to do What makes you different to everyone else? What do you have in common with your friends? Why is it important to be yourself? Draw a picture or self-portrait that emphasises something that makes you unique. Can you create a gallery of self-portraits by your friends and family? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to privacy. Celebrate our right to privacy by sending secret messages. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Paper, lemon or onion juice, cotton bud or small paint brush, a light bulb What to do Write a secret message using the juice. Whoever receives it can reveal the message by holding it close to the hot light bulb. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to play Celebrate our right to play with a scavenger hunt. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. What to do What are your favourite things to do? Make a list of what you need for these activities. A ball? Colouring pencils? A book? A toy? With a friend, swap lists. Look for all the things on your friend’s list. Who can find the most things? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Human rights belong to all of us Colour the freedoms that belong to all of us. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need: Freedom colouring pages, colouring pencils and/or pens What to do: Print out the colouring pages to see how Chris Riddell has illustrated the freedoms that belong to all of us. Colour them in and add to the drawings. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to have opinions and to express ourselves. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need: Story Explorer resource sheet What to do: Use your paper folding skills to make a story explorer! Pick a colour and move the explorer as you spell it out. Then select a number and unfold for a question to ask of the book, film or TV programme you are enjoying at the moment. Can you ask the questions of someone else to find out more about a story they love? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Human rights belong to everybody Make a helping hands mural to show what you can do. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need: Paper, paint What to do: What can we do to help friends, family and people in our communities? Ask everyone in your home to paint their hands and make a print on a piece of paper. When it is dry, they can write what they are going to do to help on their hand print. Stick them altogether into a Helping Hands mural. Don’t forget to do your own! Can you take a picture of your mural and share it with someone? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

We all have the right to have our own thoughts and ideas and to share them Make bean bags to show different feelings. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need: Balloons, uncooked rice, funnel, feelings resource sheet What to do: Insert funnel into the top of the balloon, pour in rice. When the balloons are full, draw faces on them using a permanent marker pen to represent the emotions of happy, sad, angry, surprised. Sitting or standing, pass or roll the balloons to each other. When you receive it, you should name the feeling on the balloon and make the face. What’s another word to express that feeling? How do you feel when you see someone making a feeling face? What would you do if someone is feeling sad? Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.