Course Profile Civics, Grade 10, Open,
Public
Unit 3: Democracy: Global Perspectives
Time: 14 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3 | Activity 4 | Activity 5
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the role of citizenship in defending and promoting human rights as the basis of democracy in the world community.
Strand(s): Informed Citizenship, Purposeful Citizenship, Active Citizenship
ICV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context;
PCV.04 - demonstrate an understanding of a citizen’s role in responding to non-democratic movements;
ACV.01 - demonstrate an ability to research questions and issues of civic importance, and to think critically and creatively about these issues and questions;
ACV.03 - demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively when participating in group inquiries and community activities;
ACV.04 - demonstrate a knowledge of different types of citizenship participation and involvement.
IC5.01 - analyse contemporary crisis or issues of international significance in the context of the global community;
IC5.02 - summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship within the global context, as based on an analysis of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Convention on the Rights of the Child;
IC5.03 - research and summarize civic actions of individuals and non-governmental organizations that have made a difference in global affairs;
IC5.04 - compare the contributions of individuals, as explored in the student summaries, to arrive at a definition of the term “global citizen”;
PC3.03 - analyse a current public issue that involves conflicting beliefs and values, describing and evaluating the conflicting positions;
PC3.04 - analyse the evolution of Canada’s participation in international tribunals, from the Nuremberg trials after World War II to the International Court of Justice’s ongoing prosecutions involving war crimes and genocide;
AC1.01 - demonstrate an ability to formulate questions; locate information from different types of sources and identify main ideas, supporting evidence, points of view, and biases in these materials
AC1.02 - demonstrate an ability to organize information effectively;
AC3.01 - demonstrate an ability to contribute to a positive climate in group settings;
AC3.02 - communicate their own beliefs, points of view, and informed judgements, and effectively use appropriate discussion skills;
AC4.01 - research and compare significant contributions made by individuals and groups to their communities and assess the impact of these individuals’ and groups’ contributions;
AC4.02 - compare and evaluated the impact of various types of non-violent citizen participation.
|
Activity 1 |
The Origins of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
120 minutes |
|
Activity 2 |
Understanding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
150 minutes |
|
Activity 3 |
In Defence of Human Rights: Canada and War Crimes Tribunals |
120 minutes |
|
Activity 4 |
Defining the Global Citizen |
135 minutes |
|
Activity 5 |
The Future of Human Rights: A Culminating Activity |
375 minutes |
As the final unit in this course, the activities in Unit 3 have been designed to build upon and utilize skills that have been developed in the first two Units. For instance, for the culminating activity in Unit 3, students call upon the group work skills that they practised in Unit 1, and this must employ the research and presentation skills that were developed in Unit 2.
The school Library/Resource Centre will likely prove to be an important asset for students completing the research component of the activities in this unit. The teacher may want to discuss the sorts of information needed for this unit so that the teacher/librarian can locate appropriate resources.
In this unit students are involved in the study of primary and secondary source materials, writing activities, class discussions, a debate, and a research assignment that leads to a class presentation.
|
Activity |
Skill |
Assessment/Evaluation |
|
1 |
- evaluate and draw conclusions in Citizen’s Handbook entries about: the responsibilities of citizens in protecting against the rise and spread of racism; causes of racism in Canada in the 1930s |
- formative student assessment and summative teacher evaluation using Citizen’s Handbook rubric |
|
2 |
- in a Citizen’s Handbook entry,
predict reasons why the United Nations took the lead in making the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights |
- formative student assessment and
summative teacher evaluation using Citizen’s Handbook rubric |
|
3 |
- brainstorm definitions of war crimes-
draw conclusions about how to enforce war crime prosecutions |
- formative teacher observation |
|
4 |
- analyse qualities of global citizen in a one- to two-page profile of a global hero |
- summative teacher assessment using |
|
5 |
- demonstrate inquiry model through small group presentation |
- summative teacher assessment |
Note: The culminating activity for this unit utilizes a group work exercise. The teacher should ensure that in structuring their summative evaluation for this assignment (and for other group work or partnered initiatives that involve an evaluation component), that steps are incorporated into the evaluation process that will focus and report on the performance of individual students.
The Nizkor Project website
provides access to excellent materials on the holocaust and on hate crimes.
http://ftp.nizkor.org/hweb/
An extensive set of links on the
Holocaust is available at the California State University web site.
http://www.csuchico.edu/~sedelman/Hol153.html
Human Rights Watch is an
American-based organization that tracks and reports on international human
rights issues.
http://www.hrw.org/site-map.html
Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs
and International Trade offers information on a variety of topics either
directly or indirectly linked to human rights issues.
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/menu-e.asp
Basic information for the activities has been provided in the accompanying appendices. Additional sources of information have been included in the individual activities.
Roberts, John C. De V. World Citizenship and Mundialism. Praeger Publishing, 1999.
Dunne, Tim, ed. Human Rights in Global Politics. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Brownlie, Ian. Basic Documents on Human Rights. Oxford University Press, 1992.
Member of a non-governmental organization (e.g., Amnesty International, Red Cross, B’nai Brith of Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress, member of the Canadian Bar Association)
Spokespersons from the Canadian Armed Forces
Time: 120 minutes
Students will develop an understanding of the conditions that gave rise to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) through an analysis of a selected number of Articles from the Declaration.
Strand(s): all strands
Overall Expectations
ICV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context;
PCV.04 - demonstrate an understanding of a citizen’s role in responding to non-democratic movements;
ACV.03 - demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively when participating in group inquiries and community activities.
Specific Expectations
IC5.02 - summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship within the global context, as based on an analysis of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
PC3.03 - research and summarize the introduction of the Nuremberg laws, the public response to these laws in pre-World War II Europe, and the subsequent erosion of human rights that led to the Holocaust;
AC3.01 - demonstrate an ability to contribute to a positive climate in group settings;
AC3.02 - communicate their own beliefs, points of view, and informed judgments, and effectively use appropriate discussion skills.
1. Provide students with a selection of articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: e.g., #1-equality, #2-no discrimination, #3-life, #5-torture, degrading treatment, #6-person, #9-arbitrary arrest, exile, #15-nationality, #23-work, free choice in work. Inform students that the articles are from the UDHR made by the United Nations in 1948. Conduct a class discussion first to clarify the meaning and then to suggest reasons why it was thought necessary to make these kinds of declarations at this particular time. Beginning from the obvious conclusion that these conditions were absent in many places, students may suggest the impact of World War II both during the war and, because of its devastation and disruption, after it as well. Students may also suggest the impact of the Great Depression and the treatment of Jews by the Nazis. The true extent of the Holocaust was just becoming widely known in 1948.
2. Ask students why the United Nations in particular decided to make this Declaration. Responses might include: it was a body that could lay claim to representing all of humanity; individual national governments were not only not providing these rights, but in the case of Nazi Germany, had systematically taken them away from a group of its own citizens; the nations of the world as a whole had not protected people from the loss of these rights.
3. Inform students that Adolf Hitler had made his anti-Jewish hatred clear years before in his book, Mein Kampf and that he had come to power in Germany as Chancellor, or Prime Minister, legally, in 1933.
4. Provide students with a summary of the Nuremberg Laws passed in September, 1935 after Hitler had consolidated his hold on the Nazi party and the government and had made himself Fuehrer on the death of President von Hindenburg (August, 1934): The Law for the Protection of German Blood and German Honor which prohibited marriage between Jews and Germans; and The Reich Citizenship Law which stripped Jews of their German citizenship. Have them suggest reasons why the Nazis would take these actions first. Responses might include: it was a test to see if the rest of the German citizens would protest and, although some among the Jewish and the non-Jewish population did protest, most did not; it stripped German Jews of their basic membership in German society and made them a distinct, inferior group, thus creating a “them” and “us” situation; it made it possible for the Nazis to then take further actions against Jews which did not affect other German citizens. Refer students back to Article #15 – nationality in the UDHR.
5. The Nuremberg Laws set the stage for subsequent laws and anti-Semitic programs. Provide students with a list of some of the subsequent actions taken by the Nazis against German Jews during the 1930s:
· January, 1937: Jews are banned from many professional occupations including teaching Germans, and from being accountants or dentists. They are also denied tax reductions and child allowances.
· April, 1938: Jews are ordered to register their wealth and property.
· June, 1938: Jewish businesses are ordered to register.
· July, 1938: Jews are prohibited from trading and providing a variety of specified commercial services.
· July, 1938: Jews over 15 must apply for identity cards from police that must be shown on demand to any police officer.
· July, 1938: Jewish doctors are prohibited by law from practising medicine.
· August, 1938: Nazis require Jewish women to add “Sarah” and men to add “Israel” to their names on all legal documents, including passports.
· September, 1938: Jews are prohibited from all legal practices.
· October, 1938: Law requires Jewish passports to be stamped with a large red “J.”
· November 9/10, 1938: Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass: Jewish businesses are attacked.
· November, 1938: Jews are fined one billion marks for damages related to Kristallnacht.
· November, 1938: Jewish pupils are expelled from all non-Jewish German schools.
· December, 1938: Law for compulsory “Aryanization” of all Jewish businesses.
· February, 1939: Jews forced to hand over all gold and silver items.
· March, 1941: German Jews are ordered into forced labour.
Emphasize that this is only a partial list. A more complete Holocaust Timeline is available at www.historyplace.com
6. Discuss with students what the purpose of this process of accelerating denials and restrictions may have been. Responses might include: the gradual process was less noticeable; each restriction made the next one easier; Jews were being gradually withdrawn from normal German society so that when the final solution began Jews had already almost disappeared from sight. Again, the appropriate Articles in the UDHR may be referred to.
7. Ask students, either as a whole class or working in pairs, to suggest further questions about this situation. These will likely include:
· Why didn’t more German Jews protest?
· What kinds of people did resist?
· Why didn’t more German citizens at large protest?
· Why didn’t more German Jews at least try to escape?
· What did other countries do?
This is an appropriate place for the teacher to discuss with students the implications of the fact that this unprecedented destruction of human rights and of human life took place in a democratic country. Perhaps the major issue raised is the responsibility of citizens to ensure the protection of these rights for all. The discussion would focus on both how to educate citizens in this responsibility and in what ways citizens can act to prevent these kinds of attacks on human rights.
8. Conduct a class discussion of these questions - and any others that emerge – but indicate that “What did other countries do?” will be addressed at a later point. Provide students with case studies of those who resisted. Students may have to be informed that there was a long history of anti-Jewish prejudice, or anti- Semitism, throughout Europe and that much of the anti-Jewish rhetoric used by the Nazi Party was not new. In this context, many Jewish and non-Jewish citizens did not comprehend and were accordingly unable to predict the danger that was posed by the Nazi regime. Responses to the second question will include: some did, and paid the price; many shared the anti-Semitism of the Nazis; many were caught up in their own lives and were indifferent to the treatment of others. In terms of escaping, many did, but tragically, many of these people were later caught up by the expansion of Nazi Germany into places like the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, and elsewhere and ended up in the gas chambers of Auschwitz and others.
9. Discuss with students evidence of racism in Canada today and the responsibilities of citizens. Have students apply the lessons concerning citizenship and racism of Germany in the 1930s to Canada today. This could be in the form of a poster, an editorial, or a Citizen’s Handbook of “Do’s and “Don’ts”.
10. Inform students that the world, at least in terms of governments, was aware of what was happening to Jews in Germany. In July, 1938, President Franklin Roosevelt of the United States convened a League of Nations conference at Evian, in France, with delegates from 32 countries, including Canada to consider helping Jews fleeing Hitler. No country was willing to take significant action. In May, 1939, the St. Louis, a ship crowded with 930 Jewish refugees was forced to return to Europe when it was turned away by Cuba, the United States, Canada and other countries. Why?
11. To explain why, a brief examination of a Canadian history text dealing with the situation in the 1930s would reveal: high unemployment because of the Depression, a situation that would make any government wary of adding more people; many newly arrived immigrants were being deported because of the poor economic conditions; there were racist attitudes in Canada against many minorities, including Jews.
12. Discuss this disaster and suggest ways of making sure it doesn’t happen again. Conduct a class discussion based on the results. Students write an entry into their Citizen’s Handbook.
9. Summative evaluation of application of knowledge product (poster, editorial, etc.).
12. Formative assessment of class discussions, Citizen’s Handbook entry.
· Provide plain language version of selected Articles from UDHR.
· Encourage visual response to Applying Lessons assignment.
· Use a tape recorder to respond to refugee assignment.
Irving, Abella and Harold Troper’s None is Too Many for treatment of anti-Semitism in Canada in the 1930s. The St. Louis situation and the Christie Pits riot in Toronto are included in this excellent study.
Non-Print
A plain language version of the
Declaration
www.un.org
Canada’s School Net, Insult and Injury -
Hate Crime in Cyberspace
www.uottawa.ca/hrrec/lawroom/hatehome.html
Time: 150 minutes
Students will deepen their understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship based on an analysis of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Declaration of the Rights of the Child. They will also begin to develop an understanding of the concept of global citizen through an examination of the career of Canadian John Humphrey, one of the authors of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Strand(s): Informed Citizenship, Active Citizenship
Overall Expectations:
ICV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context;
ACV.03 - demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively when participating in group inquiries and community activities.
Specific Expectations
IC5.01 - analyse contemporary crises or issues of international significance in the context of the global community;
IC5.02 - summarize the rights and responsibilities of citizenship within the global context, as based on an analysis of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Declaration of the Rights of the Child;
AC3.01 - demonstrate an ability to contribute to a positive climate in group settings;
AC3.02 - communicate their own beliefs, points of view and informed judgments, and effectively use appropriate discussion skills.
· Following the second part of this activity, make the assignment that will comprise the culminating activity of the unit-see Activity 5. At this point students should understand the meaning of the Articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and will then have time to begin research and other necessary preparations.
· Class and resource library time should also be built into this culminating activity.
Students have experience working in small groups. They also should have the skills to undertake independent research and to make a presentation.
1. Based on the previous activity, have students make a Citizen’s Handbook entry explaining why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made in 1948 by the United Nations.
2. Introduce to students the concept of global citizen and indicate that one of their tasks in the course of the next couple of activities will be to identify the major criteria to define the concept. Suggest that the career of John Humphrey, writer of the first draft of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, will serve to give them some ideas.
3. Provide students with a profile of John Humphrey (see UN web site and Morton’s book on the UN) and, after they have read it or listened to it, discuss the concept of a global citizen using his career as an example.
4. Following the discussion, have students make an initial definition of “global citizen” with the idea that they will further refine it based on subsequent activities.
5. Divide the class into small groups of no more than four. Provide each of the groups with a selection of Articles from the Rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (four or five articles for six or seven groups) and from the Declaration of the Rights of the Child (divided between two or three groups). Each group’s task is twofold: to make the meaning clear using plain language and to provide at least two examples, along with their reasons, of individuals or groups in Canada who would have been pleased to see these rights proclaimed.
6. Have students write their plain versions on the board or, using markers, on oversized pieces of paper, which are then posted.
7. Have members of the group explain their plain versions and make any needed refinements based on class contributions. Members of the groups will also present and explain their examples of interested individuals/groups.
5-7. Formative assessment of small group work and presentation by peers and teacher.
· Assignments within groups for research and presentation to take needs into account.
Non-Print
Plain Language Version of the Declaration
of the Rights of the Child available at
http://www.un.org
Profile of John Peters Humphrey- see Desmond Morton’s The United Nations-Its History and the Canadians Who Shaped It. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 1995.
Community Experts
Students may also be used as resources on the subject of human rights abuses, since many will have both knowledge and experience
Members of NGOs ( e.g., Amnesty International, Red Cross)
Time: 120 minutes
Students will deepen their understanding of the concept of war crimes, the history of war crimes tribunals, Canada’s involvement in these tribunals and the ongoing efforts to establish a permanent International Criminal Court.
Strand(s): Purposeful Citizenship
Overall Expectations
PCV.04 - demonstrate understanding of a citizen’s role in responding to non-democratic movements.
Specific Expectations
PC3.04 - analyse the evolution of Canada’s participation in international tribunals, from the Nuremberg trials to the ongoing prosecutions involving war crimes and genocide.
· Prepare the War Crimes Overview in whatever format is chosen.
Students have the ability to work in small groups. They have an understanding of point of view and the ability to present reasons in support of a point of view.
1. Introduce students to the concept of war crimes by providing newspaper or video accounts (available from CBC News in Review or, in some circumstances, as downloadable files from Newsworld Online). A good example would be the work of Canadian Louise Arbour as former head of the International Tribunals for Rwanda and Bosnia.
2. Divide the class into small groups or pairs and ask them to discuss and record their ideas on the concept of war crimes. Specifically, they should note their arguments for and against the idea that there is or can be such a concept as war crimes. They should also brainstorm and record their ideas on what should constitute war crimes. Finally, they should make concrete suggestions as to how such war crimes should be prosecuted and enforced. Indicate that the issues have been debated for a long time and continue to be debated today.
Teacher Note:
It may be necessary to provide students with an example of the debate about the concept of war crimes. For example, if the very act of war involves killing other humans, how can some acts be called “crimes” and not all acts of war? As well, if a person was forced, on pain of death, by an authoritarian government to take part in or be linked in some way to acts defined as war crimes should this person be charged as a war criminal? How does one deal with a situation where a plane drops bombs and incidentally, or accidentally, kills innocent people? Can/should those on the “winning” side be charged with war crimes as well as those on the losing side?
3. Conduct a class discussion based on the group reports. Record results on the board or on oversized sheets of paper and have students make notes based on the collective ideas of the class. Have students make an initial journal entry in which they record their personal stand on these questions and issues.
4. So that they can understand how the world arrived at the present situation, provide students with an overview of twentieth-century war crime tribunals together with an indication of Canada’s involvement (see Appendix 3.3.1). This might be done either on an overhead, a board outline, or a handout.
5. Based on this overview, conduct a class discussion on the steps taken to deal with war crimes as well as the issues raised by these steps. Assign students a one - page report in which they present their point of view on the war crimes question. The paper must state, with their reasons, where they stand on the various issues raised, including the idea of a permanent International Criminal Court, and what they believe Canada’s role should be.
2. Formative assessment of group work skills by teacher (Grade 10, Canadian History in the Twentieth Century, Academic – Appendix 1.1.1).
5. Summative evaluation of one-page report on Canada: War Crimes Issues and an International Criminal Court.
· Use of a “scaffolding technique” where the teacher provides the first part of a sentence or the first sentence in a paragraph may assist some special needs students with completing the brainstorming activities suggested in this activity
· Using video materials from CBC – News in Review provides a visually impaired student with an effective alternative means of gathering information about the events considered in this activity
Computer video clips on many
Canadian and international current events are available for viewing at the CBC
Newsworld Online web site.
http://www.cbc.ca/onair/av/
Video clips that are available through
CBC News in Review subscription are indexed at the program’s web site.
http://www.yrbe.edu.on.ca/~ahs/cbc/
Time: 135 minutes
Students will deepen their understanding of the concept of global citizenship by researching and summarizing civic actions of individuals and non-governmental organizations that have made a difference in global affairs.
Strand(s): Informed Citizenship, Active Citizenship
Overall Expectations
ICV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context;
ACV.01 - demonstrate an ability to research questions and issues of civic importance, and to think critically and creatively about these issues and questions.
Specific Expectations
IC5.03 - research and summarize civic actions of individuals and non-governmental organizations that have made a difference in global affairs;
IC5.04 - compare the contributions of individuals as explored in the students summaries, to arrive at a definition of the term “global citizen.”;
AC1.01 - demonstrate an ability to formulate questions; locate information from different types of sources; and identify main ideas, supporting evidence, points of view, and biases in these materials;
AC1.02 - demonstrate an ability to organize information effectively.
Provide sources to support the brainstorming exercise around candidates for inclusion as global citizens. These might include Internet sites and books as suggested under Resources.
· ability to take part in a brainstorming exercise
· ability to write a position paper
1. Review with students their earlier journal entry on the characteristics and qualities of a global citizen. Indicate that this activity will involve identifying, researching, and writing a brief profile of a global citizen of their choice.
2. Before students begin to identify those who might qualify, reinforce both the local and international aspects of the concept by having students read or listen to the following words from Eleanor Roosevelt who was head of the UN Commission on Human Rights at the time the Universal Declaration was drafted:
Where, after all, do universal
human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that
they cannot be seen on any map of the world. Yet they are the world of the
individual person: the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he
attends; the factory, farms, or office where he works. Such are the places
where every man, woman or child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal
dignity, without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they
have little meaning anywhere.
3. Both the role of ordinary individuals and that of non-governmental organizations might be demonstrated by a brief account of the activities of Canadian, Marie-Claire Nadeau, and the role of citizens groups in the International Court of Justice’s decision on the use of nuclear arms (see Appendix 3.4.1 - Citizens Action: The Global Context). Additional accounts can be found at http://www.globalheroes.com. Stemming from these accounts of the actions of ordinary citizens conduct a discussion on other ways average citizens can act to promote and defend human rights. Ideas for such opportunities can be found at a variety of Internet sites, including: http://www.gov.nb.ca and http://www.unac.org
4. Based on criteria suggested by these stories, conduct a brainstorming exercise with students to identify likely Canadian and international candidates for “global citizen” honours. These might include (although obviously the list is meant only to suggest the scope) such contemporary figures and organizations as Buffy Sainte-Marie, Viola Drummond, Kay Livingstone, Rosa Parks, Wilson Head, Kahn-Tineta Horn, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Craig Keilburger, Cardinal Paul-Emile Leger, David Suzuki, Jean Vanier, Red Cross, Frontier College, Doctors Without Borders, and YWCA/YMCA. (See http://www.heritageproject.ca for additional sources of likely candidates.)
5. Have students choose a character they would like to investigate. The task is to write a short (one- or two-page) profile of the person’s beliefs, values, and actions that they believe qualify the person as a “global citizen.” Each investigation and written profile then becomes the student’s exemplar of the criteria for qualification as a “global citizen.” These profiles can be posted in the classroom and should form the basis of a discussion that arrives at a definition of a global citizen.
5. Summative evaluation of global citizen profile by teacher based on identification of criteria and supporting evidence.
Students tape their profile or create a series of drawings or photo album that illustrates the qualities they are focussing on.
Staton, P. Claiming Women’s Lives. Green Dragon Press, 1994.
Alexander, K and Avis Glaze. Towards Freedom: The African-Canadian Experience.
Appendix 3.4.1 - Citizens Action: The Global Context
Non-Print
The United Nations - Some
Canadians who made a difference
http://www.unac.org ,
List of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) including Canadian sites
http://www.ontla.on.ca.
UN NGOs
http://www.ngos.net
Time: 375 minutes
Through a series of presentations of the results of their investigations, students will deepen their understanding of human rights through analyses of contemporary crises or issues of international significance in the context of the global community.
Strand(s): Informed Citizenship
Overall Expectations
ICV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of citizenship within a global context;
ACV.01 - demonstrate an ability to research questions and issues of civic importance, and to think critically and creatively about these issues and questions;
ACV.03 - demonstrate an ability to collaborate effectively when participating in group inquiries and community activities;
ACV.04 - demonstrate a knowledge of different types of citizenship participation and involvement.
Specific Expectations
IC5.01 - analyse contemporary crises or issues of international significance in the context of the global community;
AC1.01 - demonstrate an ability to formulate questions; locate information from different types of sources; and identify main ideas, supporting evidence, points of view, and biases in these materials;
AC1.02 - demonstrate an ability to organize information effectively;
AC3.01 - demonstrate an ability to contribute to a positive climate in group settings;
AC3.02 - communicate their own beliefs, points of view and informed judgments, and effectively use appropriate discussion skills;
AC4.01 - research and compare significant contributions made by individuals and groups to their communities and assess the impact of these individuals’ and groups’ contributions.
· Teacher will have previously arranged for class time in the Library/Resource Centre.
· The assignment will have been made and explained near the beginning of the unit - see Activity 2- Understanding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Part 3.
· As a follow-up to the discussion of the evaluation criteria - see Appendix 3.5.1 - the Complex Presentation rubric - students will require a review of point of view. As well, there should be discussions, and class time devoted to choosing and preparing an appropriate final product format and to engaging audiences effectively.
Students should have the ability to work in small groups. Students have practised researching independently and organizing and presenting material effectively – including an understanding of point of view, of choosing appropriate formats for presentations and effective ways of engaging audiences
1. Divide the class into small groups of no more than four. Explain to students that working in the groups they are now in, they will take on the role of United Nations investigators who, in fact, monitor the human rights in the world. As a group they will choose one (or possibly two) of the human rights contained in the Articles they have just finished dealing with.
2. Over the course of the time allotted for the activity, both at home and in class time, they will:
· gather information about situations around the world involving abuse or failure to meet the terms of that (or those) particular human right(s). Each member of the group would, for example, be responsible for investigating a particular medium - newspapers, magazines, books and periodicals, television, the Internet - for appropriate information.
· gather information from those sources about what, if anything, is being done to address the situation and by whom or what organization or government
· organize the results of their investigations into a report to be made to the appropriate United Nations Committee (see Teacher’s Note, below)
· this presentation will include not only an account of the situation(s), but also an assessment of its seriousness and recommendations about what should be done to improve the situation. The presentations may involve written materials, statistics with charts, graphs, anecdotes, eyewitness accounts, photographs or video, or taped interviews, either actual or created (if based on factual material). Emphasize that traditional oral presentations need not be the only format, but rather might include, among others - and in either live or videotape form: dramatizations, role play, interviews, photo essay (see Teacher’s Note, below.)
· each member of the group will provide evidence of her/his research; an account of her/his role in organizing the presentation; and will play a significant part in the presentation itself. This will form part of each student’s summative evaluation.
Teacher’s Note:
· The six monitoring committees are: The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; The Human Rights Committee; The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; The Committee Against Torture; The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, The Committee on the Rights of the Child. The selection of Articles to be investigated as part of this activity might be done in such a way that each of these committees would be involved in the final “reports.” In this way students might also be organized to act as one of these committees to “receive” these reports and ask questions of clarification and information. This ensures multiple involvement on the part of students in the content and process of the activity. Alternatively, the whole class acts as the relevant committee and becomes the “audience” in terms of the evaluation rubric.
· The Complex Presentation rubric in Appendix 3.5.1 might serve as the basis for a discussion of evaluation criteria.
· As well, time must be set aside, as part of the preparation, for discussion of the format of the presentation. This discussion would address the need to choose a format appropriate to the topic, to the skills required, and the necessary time and materials.
3. Discuss with students both the timeline for preparation and presentation, perhaps a week or ten days, and the criteria for evaluation.
4. Students will make 10- 15-minute presentations, including time for questions from the United Nations Commission.
5. An appropriate follow-up activity would be to generate ways to promote human rights and to have students carry out one or more of these ideas as a class activity. Ideas for such opportunities can be found at a variety of Internet sites, including: http://www.gov.nb.ca and http://www.unac.org
6. Citizen’s Handbooks are collected and evaluated near the end of the course.
4. Summative evaluation of presentations by peer and teacher using Complex Presentation rubric - Appendix 3.5.1.
6. Summative evaluation of Citizen’s Handbook, using rubric Appendix 3.5.2.
· Teacher should consult with student’s special education or ESL teacher to look for ways in which assistance may be provided for this assignment and appropriate accommodations may be generated.
· Teacher should look for ways in which complex tasks may be broken down into component parts for students with special needs. In the case of the culminating activity for this unit, a task list might be created that will allow the student, teacher and other (parents, Special Education teacher) to monitor the students progress.
Non-Print
Promoting Human Rights
http://www.gov.nb.ca and http://www.unac.org
1907: The Fourth Hague Convention is held at The Hague, the Netherlands. The convention was the first international agreement outlining basic “rules” for warfare. The major provisions included prohibitions on mistreating prisoners and protecting the lives and property of civilians. Canada, still a colony of the British Empire, was not part of the agreement.
1945: The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials: At the end of World War II, the major countries on the winning side, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and France created an International Military Tribunal to try Nazi German leaders on war-crimes charges. Twenty-two men were tried by the tribunal, nineteen of whom were convicted. Genocide and crimes against humanity were identified for the first time. Critics argued that although the actions the men were tried for were horrific, the trials were in some sense illegal themselves because: winners were trying losers, when it was clear that terrible acts had been carried out on both sides; as well, the crimes the men were charged with were identified as such after the fact. Canada, though not a major participant in the trials, agreed, along with most of the international community, on the appropriateness of the trials.
1946: The Tokyo War Crimes Trials: A similar set of trials took place dealing with twenty-eight Japanese leaders who faced the same charges for their actions during the war.
1948/49: The Geneva Conventions: Named after the city in Switzerland where they were signed, the Conventions followed up on the crimes addressed by the Nuremberg trials. Genocide was defined as acts, “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,” and included complicity, attempt, and incitement to commit the act. In 1949, the definition of war crime was extended to include “willful killing, torture or inhumane treatment...willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, unlawful deportation or transfer or unlawful confinement of a protected person.” Canada has signed these Conventions.
1950: The Nuremberg Principles: were presented by the United Nations Law Commission and are based on the idea that no accused war criminal in any place or time is above the law.
1993: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY): was established by the UN after the civil war that followed the establishment of an independent Bosnia, a former province of Yugoslavia. The killings, rape and torture there of hundreds of thousands of mainly civilians, has been followed by similar actions in Kosovo, another province of the former Yugoslav republic.
1994: The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR): was established in Arusha, Tanzania by the United Nations Security Council in the aftermath of the slaughter of over half a million, mainly Tutsi minority citizens of Rwanda by the majority Hutu.
1994 - Present: From 1996, until she left to become a member of the Supreme Court of Canada, Louise Arbour headed both the ICTR and ICTY. These tribunals are handing down the world’s first convictions for genocide and in May 1999, they indicted, for the first time, a sitting head of state, Serbian President, Slobodan Milosevic, on war crimes charges. Critics argue that the tribunals are political instruments aimed at the Serbs in particular. They also argue that the internal affairs of a sovereign country are no one else’s business. Another real problem is that the courts established by these tribunals have no enforcement power and must rely on national governments to seize and transport suspects. Supporters of the tribunals argue that the world community has a moral responsibility to seek out justice when national governments are unable or unwilling to take action.
1998: An International Criminal Court? At an international conference in Rome in July 1998, 120 countries, including Canada, approved a treaty that would establish a permanent world court with the power to prosecute cases of genocide. Seven countries, including the United States, voted against it and another 21 did not vote. Before the plan can go ahead the treaty must be ratified by 60 countries. Those who oppose it argue the court would become a political instrument and would try to take jurisdiction over national courts. Some Americans feel it would become an anti-American agency.
1. A Profile of a Canadian Global
Citizen: Marie-Claire Nadeau
· She was born in Montreal in 1945, eventually earning a degree in adult education from the University of Quebec at Montreal.
· From 1965 to 1975 she was a community organizer for a youth movement called the Young Catholic Workers.
· She learned of the problems of young people around the world when she attended an international youth conference in Lebanon in 1969.
· From 1975 to 1982, Marie-Claire Nadeau helped create a public kindergarten in a working-class neighbourhood in Quebec city.
· Until 1987, Marie-Claire volunteered as a member of the non-governmental organization, SUCO, (Service universitaire canadien outre-mer) to work with women and children in the mining camps of Peru.
· There she taught school and worked to get proper water and electrical services in the camp.
· She helped found and organize a program called, “barefoot doctors,” women who brought basic health care to remote communities.
· Since her return she has continued to work to support these Peruvian women. She helped to co-ordinate a loan co-operative for the women and in 1997 financing for 20 small businesses managed by some 300 women was provided.
· She currently works for a non-profit organization in charge of training projects dedicated to improving economic and social conditions in southwest Montreal.
2. The Decision of the International
Court of Justice on Nuclear Weapons
On July 8, 1998, The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body in the world, handed down an advisory opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. The ruling declared the threat and use of nuclear weapons to be generally contrary to international law. It unanimously upheld that the complete elimination of nuclear weapons is a legally binding obligation. The Court admitted it could not fully answer the question put to it by the UN General Assembly: “Is the threat of use of nuclear weapons in any circumstance permitted under international law?” Because present international law does not explicitly authorize or prohibit the use of nuclear arms, the Court based it ruling on humanitarian laws and principles. Of great importance in this decision, was the work of citizens’ organizations worldwide. They launched the initiative, lobbied the World Health Organization and the United Nations General Assembly to put the questions to the ICJ, and supported States participating in the case. Among the international sponsors of the project were the following non-governmental organizations:
· International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
· International Peace Bureau
· International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Canadian sponsors included:
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· Canadian Peace Alliance |
· Lawyers for Social Responsibility |
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· Physicians for Global Survival |
· Project Ploughshares |
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· Science for Peace |
· United Church of Canada |
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· Veterans Against Nuclear Arms |
· World Federalists |
Citizens can now urge governments to begin negotiations on the elimination of nuclear arms.
This rubric takes into account criteria for presentations using a variety of media (written, oral, and visual).
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Clear expression of ideas/ presentation
of a point of view |
- communicates information as isolated pieces in a random fashion |
- communicates important information but lacks clear theme or overall structure |
- clearly communicates main ideas or themes |
- clearly and effectively communicates main ideas, themes or viewpoints |
|
Effective communication with diverse
audiences |
- presents information in a style and tone which minimally match audience's interest and level of knowledge |
- presents information in a style and tone which moderately match audience's interest or audience's level of knowledge |
- presents information in a style and tone consistent with audience's interest and level of knowledge |
- presents information in a style that effectively capitalizes on the audience's interest and level of knowledge |
|
Communication appropriate to media /
final product format |
- limited effort for presentation is
shown; language and style are inappropriate |
- some attention to language and style |
- effort and thoughtful preparation
clearly shown |
- presentation seems to be well
rehearsed |
|
Soundness of Judgements |
- stated judgements poorly supported |
- judgements supported by some valid and relevant evidence |
- judgements well supported by sufficient evidence |
- clear judgements based on solid evidence |
Note: A student whose achievement is below level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.
|
Criteria |
Level 1 |
Level 2 |
Level 3 |
Level 4 |
|
Independence/ |
- evidence that a response journal has been attempted |
- greater independence from teacher prompts |
- responses are frequently self-initiated, at appropriate points in
the unit and of substantial length |
- has made the journal a major vehicle for interaction with and
understanding of the unit |
|
Engagement |
- little evidence of consistency or understanding of the function of
a journal: i.e., entries are random and inconsequential |
- an emerging sense of the potential of a response journal, but
numerous response possibilities are still missed |
- regularity and nature of responses (inter-relatedness and
involvement with unit’s theme) show clear understanding of uses of a response
journal |
- makes applications of unit’s ideas to other, often “real life”
situations |
|
Point of View |
- limited point of view: minimal thoughtful elaboration either in
terms of personal response or in relation to the substance of the unit
material (e.g., analytical comments) |
- some evidence of point of view: |
- a clear point of view evident through thoughtful reflections,
judgements made about unit ideas, issues, concepts |
- consistently shows evidence of monitoring own thinking, learning:
e.g., “I learned this from this...” “I now realize my first conclusions
were...” “My plan is to first...and then...” |
|
Written Communication |
- language and style inappropriate |
- language appropriate but lacks attention to style |
- language and presentation style appropriate |
- exceptional use of language |
Note: A student whose achievement is below level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.