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Education

Understanding Human Rights Lesson Plan

Length
One 60-minute class period
Grade Level
High School

Learning Objectives

  • Students will explain the origins of international human rights law, distinguish between the three categories of human rights, and evaluate which rights are most at risk.

Instructional Plan

  1. (Introduction - 5 minutes) - Read the five rights below aloud, one at a time. After each one, students should raise their hands if they think they personally have that right protected in their lives. Once all five rights have been read, reveal to students: “Each one of these rights is in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document the United Nations adopted in 1948 that applies to every human being on earth. Today we are going to explore where these rights come from, what other rights are considered ‘human rights,’ and why international human rights are still not fully enforced today.”
    • Rights:
      • The right not to be tortured
      • The right to an education
      • The right to a clean and healthy environment
      • The right to vote
      • The right to food and housing
  2. (Guided Independent Reading - 20 minutes) - Next, have students read CFR Education’s “What Are Human Rights?” (linked below). Students should fill out questions 1-3 on the session hand-out as they read (linked below).
    • After 15 minutes have passed, facilitate a brief share-out on the first two questions. As students respond to the second question, write the three-category framework clearly on the board and ensure students comprehend the difference between the categories.
  3. (Class Activity - 20 minutes) - Pass out printed copies of all 30 UDHR articles (downloadable, editable copy linked below). Ensure that each student also receives two colored pencils, markers, or highlighters, with each color corresponding to a human rights category (i.e. yellow - economic, social, and cultural rights; blue - civil and political rights). Explain to students that solidarity rights are not found in the UDHR, as these are a newer category of human rights.
    • Have students work individually or in pairs to read the articles and color-code each article according to which category it belongs to. Some articles may feel like they fit into both categories - students should pick the best fit and be ready to explain their reasoning.
    • After 15 minutes of individual work, ask students to share their work with one another. Ask them: “Look at your color-coded work. Which category has the most articles? Which has the fewest? What does that tell us about which rights the world in 1948 was most concerned with protecting?”
  4. (Discussion - 10 minutes) - Use the following discussion prompt to transition students from 1948 to today: “Look at your color-coded documents again. Think about the world and think about your own country. Which category of rights do you think is most at risk right now? Which article do you think is most frequently violated? Why?” Students may write their answer privately on question four of the session hand-out for 90 seconds before the floor opens for discussion on that prompt, and any of the following prompts:
    • “Civil and political rights tend to get more attention in the news than economic and social rights. Why do you think that is? Does this balance feel right to you, or do you think it should be different?”
    • “The reading says that over 150 countries have signed human rights treaties, but that many of those same countries continue to violate human rights. Why is it so hard to enforce these rights, even when countries have promised to protect them?”
    • “The UDHR holds everyone responsible for protecting and upholding human rights. Are there any articles in the UDHR that you think your country does not fully protect for all its residents? Which ones? Why do you think this is, and what would need to happen for your country to better protect those rights?”
    • “You know now what human rights are, where they came from, and how hard they are to protect. What is one thing - big or small - that you could do in your own life or community to help protect a right that you care about?”
  5. (Exit Ticket - 5 minutes) - Give students the final minutes of class to respond individually to one of the questions listed under question five of the session hand-out. Collect completed hand-outs at the end of class as an exit ticket to gauge student comprehension of the day’s session.

Materials