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.

Session 5 - witness In this session poet Emtithal Mahmoud asks students to ‘bear witness’ to her experiences of genocide in Darfur. Students look at poetic responses to war and human rights abuses to understand that poetry can destroy silence and create remembrance. They then choose a photograph and let events speak through their writing. 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 4 - change In this session students learn that everyone has a role to play in upholding human rights – in their school, community and world. They read poetry that acknowledges struggles and difficulties but also possibilities to positively change the world. Students write their own dream for the future triggered by I Dream A World by Langston Hughes. 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.

We all have the right to have our own thoughts and ideas and to share them Make faces 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: A mirror, feelings resource sheet What to do Look in the mirror or look at someone else and make sad/happy faces. Can you make a face to express fear and anger too? Look at the faces on the sheets or the screen – what are they feeling? What other words can we use for these feelings? 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.

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 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 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.

Download this comprehensive pack of seven curriculum-linked lesson plans full of exciting and innovative ways to teach human rights to children aged 11-16. The pack contains all the resources you need to make a Human Rights Day, or just one lesson, engaging and memorable. Lessons Understanding Human Rights Human Rights in the UK Mia Dia, Y Los Derechos (Spanish) Freedom of Expression Refugees and Asylum Is it a crime to be gay in Boldovia? Taking Action Films from the resource The resource also includes links to clips that help to make human rights relevant to your students lives.

Download our pack of ten interactive lesson activities in Welsh to help pupils aged 5-11 understand their own human rights and the values and attitudes that underpin them. Subjects include global and fair trade, poverty and inequality, identity and children’s rights. This resource pack will help to foster attitudes of respect and an appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual. Pupils will also develop skills to enable them to take action to defend human rights. Also available in English on our website.

Download our pack of ten interactive lesson activities to help pupils aged 5-11 understand their own human rights and the values and attitudes that underpin them. Subjects include global and fair trade, poverty and inequality, identity and children’s rights. This resource pack will help to foster attitudes of respect and an appreciation of the uniqueness of each individual. Pupils will also develop skills to enable them to take action to defend human rights. Also available in Welsh on our website.

Cover Image The Little Boy With His Hands Up © Universal History Archive/Rex/Shutterstock Session 3 - freedom In this session we explore a photo from World War II that inspired a famous poem, The Boy With His Hands Up by Yala Korwin. Students explore how to use language to take a stand after reading poetry written in response to injustice. After looking at human rights law, students write a poem in response to a photograph of a human rights violation. 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 1: being heard In session 1 talented spoken-word artists reveal their urge to write in a documentary which helps students explore the right to freedom of expression. Students then read thought provoking human rights poetry and create similes and metaphors for freedom. With poems by Joe Coelho, Pat Parker, Walt Whitman, Elsa Wiezell, Grace Nichols, Sarah Crossan, Oscar Wilde, Martin Niemöller, Rachel Rooney 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 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.

We have the right to friends and family. Bring together pictures of your important people to celebrate your friends and family. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Colouring pencils and/or pens, paper, craft materials What to do Who are your important people? Draw, find, or take a picture of people who are special to you – pets and toys included! Make a collage or make a belonging tree. Don’t forget to include yourself! Share a picture or hold it up when you are connecting with friends and family.

We are all born free and human rights belong to all of us. Be a human rights detective to find out more about our rights. Each week we will share more bite size ideas for fun and creative ways to learn about human rights. You’ll need Right Up Your Street and a copy of the UDHR What to do Be a human rights detective! Using a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, can you spot: People asking for their rights? Enjoying and using their rights? Having their rights denied? Can you draw a picture of where you live to show people enjoying some of the rights in the UDHR?

**We are all born free. ** Make bird bunting to celebrate our human 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, colouring pencils/pens, scissors, string, pegs, bird templates What to do What does Freedom mean? What do you think of? Draw a bird or cut out one of the one’s from the worksheet. Write a word, phrase or line about freedom on it. Colour it in. Make as many birds as you like and peg them to string and hang them in your home. Can you put your bunting somewhere other people can see it?

This resource contains eight lesson plans for ages 11-18, which use innovative ways to explore human rights. They can be stand-alone lessons or used in planning themed or dropdown days across the school. This pack contains all the resources you need to make a Human Rights Day or just one lesson engaging and memorable. We have provided subject suitability for each lesson. This pack is in English. It is also available in Welsh. Lessons Understanding Human Rights Human Rights in the UK Mia Dia, Y Los Derechos (Spanish) Freedom of Expression Refugees and Asylum Is it a crime to be gay in Boldovia? Taking Action Films from the resource Each of the lessons also have links to films to use, including You are Powerful and Human Rights Explained which help to bring human rights to life for students.