Human Rights

Topic: Human Rights

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to differentiate between civil rights and human rights.
• Students will be able to analyse the relationship between rights and responsibilities.
• Students will be able to discuss the United Nations (UN) charter for human rights.
• Students will be able to discuss the civil rights in the Botswana constitution.
• Students will be able to outline the similarities and differences between the UN Charter on Human Rights and Botswana’s constitution.
• Students will be able to discuss the role of legislation/law in protecting individual rights.
• Students will be able to discuss the role of international organisations in promoting human rights.
• Students will be able to demonstrate a sense of responsibility.

Materials

• A copy of the UN Charter for Human Rights for each student
• A copy of the Botswana constitution for each student
• A projector and screen for sharing the documents
• Handouts with quotes from the UN Charter and Botswana constitution

Warm-up

• Have students share the rights they enjoy in their daily lives, e.g. the right to free education, the right to free healthcare, the right to freedom of speech etc.
• Discuss the importance of rights and why it is important to protect them.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of human rights and distinguish it from civil rights.
• Discuss the UN Charter for Human Rights and explain its main principles.
• Introduce the concept of responsibilities and how it is related to rights.
• Outline the civil rights in the Botswana Constitution, and discuss their importance in protecting individuals.
• Introduce the role of legislation/law in protecting individual rights.
• Explain the role of international organisations in promoting human rights.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and give each group a copy of a case study. For example, one group might study a case of domestic violence, while another group studies a case of discrimination against a specific group.
• Ask each group to analyze the case and identify the rights involved, the responsibilities of the individuals involved, and the role of law/legislation in protecting the rights of the individuals.
• Have each group present their case to the rest of the class and discuss their analysis.
• Ask the class to come up with other examples of rights and responsibilities, and discuss how law/legislation helps to protect these rights.
• Have the class brainstorm ideas for how international organisations can be used to promote and protect human rights.
• Have the class present their ideas to the rest of the class and discuss.

Independent Practice

• Have students research a specific human rights issue. For example, they could research child labour, women’s rights, or discrimination against a specific group.
• Ask students to write a short report on their research, including information on the rights involved, the responsibilities of the individuals involved, and the role of law/legislation in protecting the rights of the individuals.
• Have students present their reports to the class and discuss.

Closure:

• Review the main points covered in the lesson, asking students to summarize the main human rights and their responsibilities in their own words. Ask students to give examples of how international law and organizations can be used to promote and protect human rights.
• Ask students to share any insights or thoughts they had during the lesson.

Assessment:

• Observe the student’s understanding of the topic by watching the student during the group presentations and the independent practice.
• Collect and review the student’s written work (e.g. journal entry, Venn diagram, etc.) for understanding of the material covered in the lesson.
• Give a formal written assessment, such as a quiz or test, to assess the student’s understanding of the different human rights and their responsibilities.