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.

Flora Popescu’s parents are planning to defect when daily life suddenly brings frightening changes – some linked to a friendship between Flora and a new boy at school. Unlike his poor classmates, Daniel dresses and eats well, and his father ranks high in the secret police. Flora slowly realises that her father is in danger and only she can save him from the secret police.

This is a compelling story about the Crimean Tatars’ struggle to reclaim the land from which they were exiled in World War II. All her life, Safi’s parents dreamed of returning to her grandpa’s native village in Crimea. But they end up exchanging their sunny Uzbekistan house for a squalid camp where no one welcomes them. The story explores how the struggle threatens to tear Safi’s family apart, and asks if this strange land can ever become home.

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.

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.

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 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.

This resource is designed to support teachers to introduce human rights to children aged 3-5. It’s the perfect starting point to engage children in discussion and raise awareness of their own rights in a fun and interactive way. In First Steps there are five themed lesson plans each focusing on relevant articles proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights covering feelings, relationships and belonging, choices and voices, well-being and bodies. Activities include stories, games, music, art and photography.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Explore the impact of poverty, and the changes needed to ensure everyone’s right to live with dignity. Three lessons, an assembly and films about residents of a Kenyan community and their fight for human rights to download below. Search on Vimeo for the Lesson 1 Film - Deep Sea Search on Vimeo for the Lesson 3 Film - Nyamalo Interview

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.

Amnesty and CILIP, the library and information association, are working to develop children’s understanding of human rights through the outstanding books shortlisted for the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals. All the books are also eligible for the Amnesty CILIP Honour, for illuminating, upholding or celebrating human rights. The Medals and Honour winners will be announced on 19th June. We have created special Story Explorer resources to help adults, young people and children explore the human rights values at the heart of all the shortlisted books.