Soldiers of the Kashmir Freedom Fighters are in search of new recruits at nine-year-old Rafiq’s school in rural Kashmir. They scrawl a line in chalk on the schoolroom wall. Any boy whose height reaches the line will be taken to fight. Rafiq is tall for his age and becomes the first boy to cross into a life of brutality and terrorism. So begins Rafiq’s transformation from child to boy soldier, indoctrinated into a cause of fanatical belief. But even when he no longer recognises himself, his family remembers the boy he was and hopes he will return.

A beautifully illustrated book for the primary classroom. Bob Graham’s story talks about caring for others with respect, patience and understanding. By using few words, and wonderful drawings, Graham allows children to explore how best to be active citizens and caring individuals in a very busy world. By rescuing a sick bird that no one else has noticed, the main character, Will, finds a way, with his parents’ help, to bring the bird back to good health, giving it its freedom once more.

Read the Introduction To Using Fiction To Teach Human Rights guide and use our teachers notes to discuss and debate the book 'I Have a Right to be a Child&' by Alain Serres.

The books on this shortlist for the 2018 Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medal winners were chosen by expert youth librarians. Proving our theory that all good books engage with human rights, we’ve found deep themes of justice, truth and freedom to explore in every one. All of these books are eligible for the Amnesty CILIP Honour, for books that best uphold, illuminate or celebrate human rights and the values that underpin them. Click each to find human rights education resources that you can use to explore human rights with children and young people.

'I hope I can confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone, and I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.&' These were the first words Anne wrote in the diary she began 70 years ago. Amnesty and the Anne Frank Trust have produced two lessons for students to explore her life and legacy.

Explore the impact of poverty, and the changes needed to ensure everyone’s right to live with dignity with three lessons, an assembly and films about residents of a Kenyan community and their fight for human rights. Lesson 1 Film - Deep Sea: http://vimeo.com/6718856 Lesson 3 film - Nyamalo interview: http://vimeo.com/6719726

Resources to accompany film screenings of Slumdog Millionaire, Blood Diamond, The Kite Runner, Hotel Rwanda, Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, Good and Persepolis including: Blood Diamond (15+) A comprehensive teaching resource including lesson plans, drawings by child soldiers and much more to support an indepth study of the film and the issues it raises. The Kite Runner (12+) Additional companion guide including activities and lessons to engage students in a discussion of complex issues such as ethnic diversity, gender inequality, and the interplay between upper and lower socio-economic and political classes in Afghanistan. Hotel Rwanda (12+) Three lessons and various activities for teachers to use in conjunction with a screening of the film.

Read the Introduction To Using Fiction To Teach Human Rights guide and use our teachers notes to discuss and debate the book 'In The Sea There Are Crocodiles&' by Fabio Geda.

Amnesty International Literacy and Human Rights Resource. Empower students to take action for current up-to-date human rights issues by writing letters and developing key literacy skills. Resource contains powerpoint, current case study scaffolded reading and writing worksheets, lesson plans and teacher notes. Available in two versions for KS2 and KS3.

Two lesson plans which introduce students to concepts of fairness and unfairness, the human right of freedom of expression and Amnesty’s work in this area. Developed in consultation with teachers working in Special Schools.

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.

Education activities about a group of refugees escaping to freedom.

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.

Session 8 - power Throughout history, words and poetry have been used to challenge, protest and inspire change. In this session students watch Inja perform his poem Freedom and explore poems about race and privilege before creating their own protest poems. About Words that Burn Words That Burn challenges you to take action for human rights through poetry. Using this resource secondary schools can explore human rights through poetry, with 10 free educational resources designed to help students develop their own writing and performance style. This is national project to explore and express human rights through poetry by Amnesty International in partnership with Cheltenham festivals.

Session 9 - respect In this session students look at the subtleties and connotations of language, and the impact words have in describing a person or event and how that influences us. They read The Right Word by Imtiaz Dharker, which explores how we see and label other people, before creating their own poem about respect. About Words that Burn Words That Burn challenges you to take action for human rights through poetry. Using this resource secondary schools can explore human rights through poetry, with 10 free educational resources designed to help students develop their own writing and performance style. This is national project to explore and express human rights through poetry by Amnesty International in partnership with Cheltenham festivals.

Session 9 - words that burn Case studies and films show that we all have the power to stand up for human rights through poetry. As an example, three well-known poets take on Amnesty International’s Make a Difference in a Minute challenge – to perform a human rights poem in one minute. Challenge your students to do this too. Every term session plan 10 can be used to introduce your students to a particular human rights theme and individual at risk of human rights violation. Students can write their own poems and discover the impact their voice and their poetry can have. About Words that Burn Words That Burn challenges you to take action for human rights through poetry. Using this resource secondary schools can explore human rights through poetry, with 10 free educational resources designed to help students develop their own writing and performance style. This is national project to explore and express human rights through poetry by Amnesty International in partnership with Cheltenham festivals.

Human rights belong to all of us. Write human rights laws for a new planet. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need: A copy of the Human Rights Act, paper, pens and pencils What to do: A new planet has been discovered. No humans have ever been to or lived on this planet. There are no laws, no rules and no history. You are the first settler. Complete the following activities to design your planet: Name your planet Write a list of 10 human rights for the planet that should be protected by law and explain why you have chosen those rights? Look at the Human Rights Act on page 11 of the resource. How does your list compare to the rights listed in the Act? Would you like to add any new rights to your list now? Draw your planet and include your chosen final list of Human Rights around the outside of it. Amnesty’s education work is supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

Session 7 - speak up In this session students explore how words can help process feelings of anger and helplessness – and bring about self-empowerment and social change – by reading poetry about racism, police violence and disability. They then write their own work about power and privilege. About Words that Burn Words That Burn challenges you to take action for human rights through poetry. Using this resource secondary schools can explore human rights through poetry, with 10 free educational resources designed to help students develop their own writing and performance style. This is national project to explore and express human rights through poetry by Amnesty International in partnership with Cheltenham festivals.

Session 6 - dignity In this session students read poems about equality and discrimination – and can watch performances by the poets bringing their words to life. This will inspire them to write a poem from the perspective of someone who has experienced hate crime. About Words that Burn Words That Burn challenges you to take action for human rights through poetry. Using this resource secondary schools can explore human rights through poetry, with 10 free educational resources designed to help students develop their own writing and performance style. This is national project to explore and express human rights through poetry by Amnesty International in partnership with Cheltenham festivals.