Students first watch a short video and then as a class list examples of human rights. Then they define human rights and examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Next they focus on the articles of the declaration and give examples of violations for each one. Then they examine minority rights and explain why the U.N. passed a second declaration specifically addressing minority rights. Finally they analyze the Internet as a tool of freedom or authoritarianism.
Students are introduced to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the lesson objectives. They watch the video Born To Be Free and Equal to begin thinking about what human rights are, then post responses about what they learned. As a class, they collaboratively build a list of human rights in a shared table.
Teacher MovesDiscuss student responses to the video and the class-generated list of human rights, reminding students to keep these ideas in mind as they learn more about universal human rights. Share the United Nations definition of human rights as “rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.”
Students view a photograph of refugees and then watch part of the video What Are Human Rights? and read the article What Are Human Rights? to deepen their understanding of the concept and its historical development after World War II. They answer a multiple-choice question about why the idea of protecting universal human rights evolved in modern times. Students then examine a simplified version of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reflect on which rights surprise them or may be taken for granted.
Teacher MovesInvite students to share which rights in the simplified declaration surprised them and why. Ask if they need clarification of any of the thirty rights in the document, and address questions to ensure students understand the range and meaning of the rights.
Students examine an image and description of North Korea as an authoritarian state and read about how totalitarian governments, businesses, and organized crime can commit human rights abuses such as arbitrary arrests, torture, child labor, poor working conditions, and human trafficking. Each student is assigned or chooses one article from 30 Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reads more about that article, and completes one row in a shared table by naming the article, giving an example of a violation, and posing a related question.
Teacher MovesAssign or guide students in choosing articles so that all 30 are covered, modeling how to complete the table using Article 1 if desired. Point out that the table can be sorted by article to help students compare entries and see the full range of rights and violations.
Students read an explanation of majority rule in democracies and how minorities are still guaranteed basic human rights. They review examples of oppression of religious, ethnic, gender, and other minorities in various countries. Students then read the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities and respond to a prompt explaining why it was necessary for the United Nations to pass a second declaration specifically addressing minority rights.
Teacher MovesEmphasize that minorities are often most at risk for human rights violations, even in democracies, because of their different status and aspirations compared to the majority. Share and discuss Ahmed Shaheed’s statement that targeting religious or belief minorities often serves political, economic, or military aims, and highlight that threats to one community’s rights endanger the whole society.
Students read about how the Internet can support either democratic or authoritarian outcomes, including its role in spreading information, misinformation, and enabling government control. Using ideas from the reading and optional linked articles such as Is internet freedom a tool for democracy or authoritarianism?, they choose a position on whether the Internet is primarily a tool for freedom or for authoritarianism and write an argumentative text defending their claim.
Teacher MovesEncourage students to draw on historical and contemporary examples (such as social media use during the Arab Spring, the spread of misinformation on major platforms, or government shutdowns of mobile data) to support their arguments. Optionally organize a class debate in which students present and defend their positions about the Internet as a tool for freedom or authoritarianism.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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