Celebrating your school’s 100th anniversary
Duration
1 hour
Age Group
15 - 16
Objectives
Promotion of EU citizenship, EU and democratic values and human rights
Development of empathic behavior at school
Development of empathic behavior at school
Needed material
paper and pen
Emotional Intelligence Areas
Self-awareness
Self-regulation
Self-regulation
Description
This is a simulation in which students experience the role that Human rights have in our lives and what would happen if we were deprived of them. The main objectives are:
- To increase students’ awareness and sensitivity to Human Rights
- To enable students to experience empathy for people stripped of their rights
The activity raises students’ awareness about what happens if there are certain restrictions to human rights. Students have to solve the tasks despite the restrictions. The teacher should be strict in reminding the student of the restrictions as the tasks should be harder or impossible to complete due to the restrictions.
- To increase students’ awareness and sensitivity to Human Rights
- To enable students to experience empathy for people stripped of their rights
The activity raises students’ awareness about what happens if there are certain restrictions to human rights. Students have to solve the tasks despite the restrictions. The teacher should be strict in reminding the student of the restrictions as the tasks should be harder or impossible to complete due to the restrictions.
Lesson Plan
Students are set into 4 groups; they have to organise a school event celebrating their school’s 100th anniversary. The principal wants to get students involved in the organisation of the event. To this end, students have to decide what kind of event it will be, its name, duration, activities, invitations, etc. The activity has two rounds. In the first round, students do the task without any restrictions (15 minutes). In the second round, students learn that the principal has been changed and the new one no longer supports students’ involvement. Therefore, they get some restrictive guidelines that they have to follow.
Group 1 have to work together as a group, but have to keep a distance of 2 metres from each other. However, they are not allowed to speak or come closer to each other; they can write letters (how are they going to send them?) or use digital ways.
Group 2 do not have any budget to plan the event.
Group 3 cannot read or write; they can use only words that do not have the letter ‘e’.
Group 4 have to ask the facilitator to approve of their decisions. If the facilitator does not approve they have to look for another solution. They all have a limited time for these tasks (5 minutes). After this, they have to present their plans in the plenary. Most of the tasks are impossible to complete. Students are told they are not allowed to protest and that they have to contain their emotions.
Relation to Human rights and identification of the human rights the students were deprived of during the second round: each group has to identify their rights (Group 1: articles 13 & 20: Right to move, right to public assembly; Group 2: article 17: Right to your own things; Group 3: article 19, 26: Freedom of expression, right to education; Group 4: article 12, 19: Right to privacy, freedom of expression). You can use a simplified version at: https://opseu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/30_basic_human_rights_list_english.pdf
Group 1 have to work together as a group, but have to keep a distance of 2 metres from each other. However, they are not allowed to speak or come closer to each other; they can write letters (how are they going to send them?) or use digital ways.
Group 2 do not have any budget to plan the event.
Group 3 cannot read or write; they can use only words that do not have the letter ‘e’.
Group 4 have to ask the facilitator to approve of their decisions. If the facilitator does not approve they have to look for another solution. They all have a limited time for these tasks (5 minutes). After this, they have to present their plans in the plenary. Most of the tasks are impossible to complete. Students are told they are not allowed to protest and that they have to contain their emotions.
Relation to Human rights and identification of the human rights the students were deprived of during the second round: each group has to identify their rights (Group 1: articles 13 & 20: Right to move, right to public assembly; Group 2: article 17: Right to your own things; Group 3: article 19, 26: Freedom of expression, right to education; Group 4: article 12, 19: Right to privacy, freedom of expression). You can use a simplified version at: https://opseu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/30_basic_human_rights_list_english.pdf
Assessment
The last part of the activity focuses on debriefing and discussion. Students are asked to conclude, justify their choices and tell what they have learnt about themselves.
The debriefing focuses on:
1. Students’ feelings during the two rounds and their frustration and thoughts during the stage with restrictions. Ask each group to share all difficulties, frustrations and emotions related to each round and how they managed to do the task and contain their emotions.
2. Lessons learned from the activity. What did you learn? Do you still have questions? What was the most exciting thing you learnt from this activity?
3. Class discussion on Human rights.
How was the experience? How did you feel, when your work was restricted by the school council? How would you feel, if you had to obey these restrictions in your daily lives? Can you think of real-life situations where people are treated like in the game? What could you do against it? Have you already experienced something like that in real life? How did you act in this situation?
The debriefing focuses on:
1. Students’ feelings during the two rounds and their frustration and thoughts during the stage with restrictions. Ask each group to share all difficulties, frustrations and emotions related to each round and how they managed to do the task and contain their emotions.
2. Lessons learned from the activity. What did you learn? Do you still have questions? What was the most exciting thing you learnt from this activity?
3. Class discussion on Human rights.
How was the experience? How did you feel, when your work was restricted by the school council? How would you feel, if you had to obey these restrictions in your daily lives? Can you think of real-life situations where people are treated like in the game? What could you do against it? Have you already experienced something like that in real life? How did you act in this situation?
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TESTING AND ASSESSMENT