Advertising Human Rights
Duration
2 TEACHING HOURS (90 MINUTES)
Age Group
13 - 14
15 - 16
15 - 16
Objectives
Promotion of EU citizenship, EU and democratic values and human rights
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Enhancement of empathy outside school (friends, family, strangers
Development of empathic behavior at school
Needed material
Paper and art supplies, video equipment, simple props
Emotional Intelligence Areas
Self-awareness
Empathy
Internal motivation
Empathy
Internal motivation
Description
ADVERTISING HUMAN RIGHTS is an activity that asks students to think about human rights and choose the ones they want to work on further. They then think of creative ways through which they can advertise those rights so that other people are informed and sensitized about them.
This activity gives students the chance to learn about human rights in a non-traditional way, using creativity and a number of different skills.
To ensure that empathy is taken into consideration, we can ask from students to try to identify with the chosen human right, think of people/stories affected by those rights or their violation, think carefully of their audience, and think of the most effective way to reach their audience and evoke empathy through their advertisement. Their goal is to make other people take action.
This activity gives students the chance to learn about human rights in a non-traditional way, using creativity and a number of different skills.
To ensure that empathy is taken into consideration, we can ask from students to try to identify with the chosen human right, think of people/stories affected by those rights or their violation, think carefully of their audience, and think of the most effective way to reach their audience and evoke empathy through their advertisement. Their goal is to make other people take action.
Lesson Plan
1. Divide students into groups of three or four. Explain that their group has been asked to advertise human rights and allow them to choose which rights they want to work on, for example children’s rights, women’s rights, refugees’ rights. They will make an advertisement for television that lasts from one to three minutes that makes people aware of and/or understand thoses rights.
2. Ask students to describe some advertisements on TV that have caught their attention. Brainstorm features of good advertisements (e.g. clever phrases, sound effects, music, humour, serious message).
3. Discuss the audience for their advertisement. Is it aimed at children, parents, teachers, the general public or all of these? Discuss ways in which the advertisement can be made attractive to their chosen audience.
4. Explain that each group should choose a right they want to advertise and the audience(s) they want to address. Encourage them to choose a right that they think people really need to know about and the people who really need to know about it. Ask someone from each group to report their right to you, and what audience they have decided upon.
5. Once groups have chosen a right, they should develop an idea to advertise it. Encourage them to consider many different ways to present the right (e.g. a story that they act out, a song they sing, a cartoon for which they draw the storyboard). Remind them that this will be a video for TV so it should
be visually interesting and have action, not just ‘talking heads’. It should not be too complex to be presented in less than three minutes. (Alternatively, and if video equipment is difficult to find, students can develop a two-dimensional graphic advertisement of a right with the help of print media, collage, etc. )
6. Circulate among the groups to monitor their progress. When all the groups have planned their advertisements, bring the whole group together to share
their ideas and get feedback from others. Ask each group to explain their right, their audience, and their ideas.
7. Once a group has completed its advertisement, ask them to give it a title and begin to practise.
8. If possible, allow students to work on their advertisement over a period of one or two weeks.
9. Assign a special day for the presentation of the advertisements.
After each description or performance, encourage constructive suggestions and feedback, asking questions such as:
a. Will this idea appeal to the chosen audience?
b. Will it get the idea of the right across clearly?
c. What do you like about these ideas?
d. Can you offer any suggestions for improvement?
8. Give the groups time to improve and practise their advertisements.
9. Ask each group to present their advertisement and plans to each other.
2. Ask students to describe some advertisements on TV that have caught their attention. Brainstorm features of good advertisements (e.g. clever phrases, sound effects, music, humour, serious message).
3. Discuss the audience for their advertisement. Is it aimed at children, parents, teachers, the general public or all of these? Discuss ways in which the advertisement can be made attractive to their chosen audience.
4. Explain that each group should choose a right they want to advertise and the audience(s) they want to address. Encourage them to choose a right that they think people really need to know about and the people who really need to know about it. Ask someone from each group to report their right to you, and what audience they have decided upon.
5. Once groups have chosen a right, they should develop an idea to advertise it. Encourage them to consider many different ways to present the right (e.g. a story that they act out, a song they sing, a cartoon for which they draw the storyboard). Remind them that this will be a video for TV so it should
be visually interesting and have action, not just ‘talking heads’. It should not be too complex to be presented in less than three minutes. (Alternatively, and if video equipment is difficult to find, students can develop a two-dimensional graphic advertisement of a right with the help of print media, collage, etc. )
6. Circulate among the groups to monitor their progress. When all the groups have planned their advertisements, bring the whole group together to share
their ideas and get feedback from others. Ask each group to explain their right, their audience, and their ideas.
7. Once a group has completed its advertisement, ask them to give it a title and begin to practise.
8. If possible, allow students to work on their advertisement over a period of one or two weeks.
9. Assign a special day for the presentation of the advertisements.
After each description or performance, encourage constructive suggestions and feedback, asking questions such as:
a. Will this idea appeal to the chosen audience?
b. Will it get the idea of the right across clearly?
c. What do you like about these ideas?
d. Can you offer any suggestions for improvement?
8. Give the groups time to improve and practise their advertisements.
9. Ask each group to present their advertisement and plans to each other.
Assessment
To assess the activity in class, specific questions are suggested:
a. Were any parts of this activity especially challenging? Especially fun?
b. Did you learn something about how advertisements are made?
c. Was it hard to think in images rather than just words?
d. Was it hard to think about how to reach a particular audience?
e. Are advertisements always positive? Why or why not?
f. What did you learn from the other storyboards?
Relate the activity to human rights, asking questions such as:
a. Why did your group choose that particular right?
b. Why did you choose that particular audience?
c. What kind of reaction or action do you think your advertisement would produce?
d. Is a TV advertisement a good way to send people a message about human rights? Why or why not?
e. Did your advertisement involve other rights besides the one you focused on?
f. Can a right stand alone or is it always connected to other rights?
g. Can you think of any rights that would be difficult to advertise or represent?
h. Did any of your characters represent stereotypes? If so, does that have a negative effect? Why
or why not?
i. Why is it important for people to know about their rights?
j. Who needs education about human rights?
a. Were any parts of this activity especially challenging? Especially fun?
b. Did you learn something about how advertisements are made?
c. Was it hard to think in images rather than just words?
d. Was it hard to think about how to reach a particular audience?
e. Are advertisements always positive? Why or why not?
f. What did you learn from the other storyboards?
Relate the activity to human rights, asking questions such as:
a. Why did your group choose that particular right?
b. Why did you choose that particular audience?
c. What kind of reaction or action do you think your advertisement would produce?
d. Is a TV advertisement a good way to send people a message about human rights? Why or why not?
e. Did your advertisement involve other rights besides the one you focused on?
f. Can a right stand alone or is it always connected to other rights?
g. Can you think of any rights that would be difficult to advertise or represent?
h. Did any of your characters represent stereotypes? If so, does that have a negative effect? Why
or why not?
i. Why is it important for people to know about their rights?
j. Who needs education about human rights?
Links for further information
Adapted from:
http://www.eycb.coe.int/compasito/chapter_4/4_4.asp
http://www.eycb.coe.int/compasito/chapter_4/4_4.asp
TESTING AND ASSESSMENT