In this issue of WorldBeat, we pause briefly in our examination of the Millennium Development
Goals and take a look at the organization from which those goals originated. The world is a complex place and
events that occur in far off countries are often confusing. Putting these events in perspective and providing
a sounding board for ideas and actions is one of the purposes of the United Nations. It is often criticized
and much maligned but its work is extremely important. Looking into the future the United Nations former
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, , said "In the 21st century, I believe the mission of the United Nations will
be defined by a new, more profound awareness of the sanctity and dignity of every human life, regardless of
race or religion."
In this issue........
The United Nations
The United Nations and Reform
www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/socialstudies/united_nations.html
This activity is from the Public Broadcasting System (PBS) in the U. S.
The activity is designed to be conducted in two class periods, one period for each part. The first part provides
students with a broad overview of the history, structure, and accomplishments of the United Nations. Students review
an overview of the institution and develop brief presentations in a group activity following a set of discussion
questions.
In the second activity, students review a detailed examination of the structural and operational problems the United
Nations has experienced throughout 60 years. Students will examine current and past criticisms of the institution and
review a new set of proposed reforms entitled "In Larger Freedom" to be discussed at the 2005 World Summit in September.
Students then participate in a focus group forum addressing thought-provoking questions about the future of the United
Nations.
Although no evaluation criteria are set, teachers could use a rubric for evaluation of the debate (should you choose
to debate) as well as for the position paper. Extension activities are provided as are links suitable for further
exploration. This lesson would be suitable for Grade 11 Social Studies, Unit 5: World Governance.
Curriculum Links and Objectives
Canada's Main Contribution to Peace Keeping
www.unac.org/peacekeeping/en/resources/teachers-handbook/
This is a series of activities from the United Nations Association in Canada. Originally published in book form, the
entire series of lessons are now available for download. Unfortunately, what is a great package of materials could have
been made even better with the inclusion of the audio component that is available with the original.
The resource provides an extensive background into the roles played by Canada in a peace keeping capacity over the past
several decades. Students will look at peace keeping missions that have occurred in the past and will analyze the role(s)
played by civilians in the peace keeping process.
Activities in the series include readings, small group work, role playing, a poster challenge, mapping activities,
debate and many more.
The resource includes answer keys for questions but the debate section does not include a rubric for evaluating debating
skills. Rather it relies upon students to vote on the "winning" argument. A rubric would be more appropriate.
This resource will be a useful resource for social science teachers. The activities should be easy to understand for both
teachers and students to understand and complete. Links lead to sites that are current and reliable and will further enhance
student understanding. It would be suitable for students in Social Studies 11, Unit 5: World Governance.
Curriculum Links and Objectives
Active Citizenship Project Honouring Human Rights
bctf.ca/GlobalEd/TeachingResources/BinghamJoyce/Overview.htm
This series of three lessons were written by Joyce Bingham, a former British Columbia Grade 7 teacher. The series
provides very effective interdisciplinary opportunities with the Middle Years English Language Arts curriculum.
Following the reading of Barbara Ellis' The Breadwinner, students will review selected articles from The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. They will then demonstrate that they understand the concepts of human rights and of human
rights violations though identifying and exploring human rights violations as portrayed within the novel.
Similarly, students will be introduced to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. They will demonstrate
that they understand the concepts of these rights and of the violation of those rights though identifying and exploring human
rights violations as portrayed within the novel Parvana's Journey also by Barbara Ellis.
Students will then explore and research an organization or a charity of their choice. By collecting, analyzing and
interpreting data related to an organization or a charity, they will begin to assess the impact of their financial contribution
upon making the world a better place. Students then can make informed decision.
This is an excellent cross disciplinary project - the Middle Years English Language Arts curriculum topics (novel studies
or author studies) fit nicely with the Middle Years Social Studies Curriculum in grades 7, Unit 3: Power (Topic 12) and Social
Studies 8, Unit 4: Interdependence (Topic Nine).
Suggestions for assessments include the use of rubrics for reflective journals. Teachers could also have students report
their findings either if the form of a graphic organizer or class presentation.
Curriculum Links & Objectives
Human Rights and the United Nations
http://urbandreams.ousd.k12.ca.us/lessonplans/humanrights/index.html
This lesson plan comes from the Oakland Unified School District in California and could stretch over several class periods.
The lesson could also be spread over a few weeks, taking a break between parts as indicated on the plan.
This is an excellent unit written in a conversational tone with the teacher/writer providing tips, personal observations and
suggestions throughout the lesson. It culminates with students participating in an exposition of a Mock Session of the United
Nations. The exposition is an oral presentation of a written policy proposal arguing a particular country's position on a
current human rights issue designed to avoid violent intra-national or global conflict.
The lesson begins with exploring the concept of Human Rights through writing prompts placed on the board. These form the
basis of an exploration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (available at
http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html).Students then view a video from
Amnesty International (which can be purchased for $10.00 Canadian at
https://www.amnesty.ca/onlineshop/category.php?c=2+).
The next section of the lesson deals with a "headline watch" where students examine newspaper headlines for violations of
human rights. Class presentations are made and a term paper is assigned. The lesson continues through to a conclusion with
the Mock United Nations Session.
NOTE: WorldBeat, with the cooperation of the Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation and the Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) will be hosting three Model United Nations sessions this year. The sessions will be
held at Bethlehem Catholic School in Saskatoon on March 7-8, at Estevan Comprehensive High School in Estevan, April 4-5, and
at Luther High School in Regina, April 18-19. The topic of this Special Session will be Climate Change and Poverty. High School
students from across Saskatchewan are welcome to attend. For more information please visit
www.worldbeat.ca.
This lesson would be suitable for student in Grade 11 History, Unit 5: Global Issues.
Curriculum Links & Objectives
The United Nations
www.innovated.gov.au/Innovated/html/i012.asp?LPID=452
This lesson plan is from InnovatED, an Australian lesson plan data base.
The lesson could serve as a quick introduction to the United Nations. To start off, students examine the logo of the
United Nations--a wreath of olive branches surrounding a globe--and examine the symbolism. They then conduct a computer
search looking for specific information on the United Nations and one of its branches.
The lesson ends with the class undertaking a fundraising event for UNICEF or creating a display of symbols and logos
from various U.N. agencies. The lesson could be taken to another level by requiring students to report to the class, go
further into the work of a U.N. agency, or to look closer at U.N. initiatives (such as the Millennium Development Goals,
the International Declaration of Human Rights, etc.).
The lesson includes a grading scheme for teachers to use. This lesson could be used with students in grade 8 Social
Studies, Unit 4: Interdependence.
Curriculum Objectives
Human Rights in Action
www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/humanrights/index.asp
This project comes from the United Nations Cyber School Bus.
This project will help students understand the idea of human rights, gain a sense of themselves as people with
dignity and hence with rights, and finally encourage them to act. Teachers can choose to register for this project
thereby giving their students the opportunity to submit what they have done to promote Human Rights, or the activities
can be carried out independently because the material needed is available on the site.
Activities include examining what are Human Rights, delving into the Universal Declaration (both full text and plain
text versions are available on the site), and embarking on a local project to promote Human Rights.
The exhaustive resources available on this site make the project easy to carry out and exciting for students. This
resource would be suitable for students in grade 8 Social Studies, Unit 4: Interdependence.
Curriculum Objectives
Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone
www.un.org/works/goingon/soldiers/lessonplan_soldiers.html
This lesson is from the United Nations. It presents an overview of where, why, how, and in what conditions
children are used as child soldiers. Students will identify the physical and emotional challenges that child soldiers
face. Students will study the efforts by the international community to eliminate children from armed conflict and
strategies they are using to integrate children back into their communities.
The first activity of this lesson deals with the definition of the term "child soldier." Students then move to
the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child and examine what provisions of the Convention are being
violated when children are used in armed conflict.
The second activity involves mapping where child soldiers are being used.
The third activity involves viewing a video on child soldiers that can be purchased (for $29.95) on the site.
Those who do not have the video may choose to eliminate this activity from the lesson. To do so would not have any
effect on the integrity of the lesson.
The fourth and final activity asks students what is being done to eliminate the use of child soldiers. It
prompts them to become involved in the struggle against their use.
The lesson has evaluation and extension strategies as well as many links that could be useful for further
exploration.
This lesson would be suitable for students in Social Studies 8, Unit 4: Interdependence (Topic 9), or students
in Social Studies 7, Unit 3: Power.
Curriculum Objectives
Introduction to the United Nations
news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/teachers/citizenship_11_14/subject_areas/united_nations/newsid_1689000/1689547.stm
This very simple lesson comes from the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The lesson begins with a reading on the United Nations and the Nobel Peace Prize. After a brief discussion of
the article students are asked to write letters to the United Nations Secretary-General expressing their global
concerns, the world they would like to see in the twenty-first century, and the role they see themselves playing
in it.
Following composition, students will read their letters to the class for feedback and complete another draft
for display.
The lesson plan also provides a mailing address where the students could send their letters. If this is done,
please note: since the lesson was first posted, the United Nations has chosen another Secretary General. Letters
should be addressed to Mr. Ban Ki-moon. A biography of Mr. Ban can be found at
http://www.un.org/sg/biography.shtml.
This activity would be suitable for students in Social Studies 7, Unit 3: Power.
Curriculum Objectives
The United Nations Pt. 2
www.glencoe.com/sec/socialstudies/worldhistory/gwh2003/content.php4/467/5
This lesson is from Glencoe On-Line, part of the McGraw Hill Publishing Company.
Students will go to the United Nations Web site to read about the history of the UN and the role of the UN as
an organization for international conflict resolution. After answering a series of questions, students will read
an article by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Each student will research one of the three international conflicts
referred to in the article, write an evaluation of the UN's performance in helping resolve that conflict, and provide
prescriptions for changes that would improve the UN's ability to resolve conflicts in the future.
This activity would be suitable for students in Social Studies 8, Unit 4: Interdependence.
Curriculum Objectives
A World without Weapons
www.unac.org/learn/wwwp/
This series of lesson plans if from the United Nations Association of Canada. It contains six lessons dealing
with disarmament.
Topics dealt with in this package include an introduction to disarmament and non-proliferation, small arms and light
weapons, landmines, nuclear disarmament, chemical and biological weapons, and a human security approach to disarmament.
All topics come with a separate lesson plan and links to additional resources. Some of the lessons include black line
masters. There is a link to several evaluation rubrics however; some of the links do not work.
These lessons would be useful in Grade 11 History, Unit 5: Global Issues.
Curriculum Objectives
Evaluation Links
Saskatchewan teachers have been provided support resources for student assessment and evaluation from the provincial ministry of education,
Saskatchewan Learning. Specifically, teachers have been provided with the document Student Evaluation: a Teacher Handbook, in print format.
Chapter 4 on specific student assessment techniques contains a variety of ready-made rubrics, rating scales, checklists, portfolio set-ups
and templates that could be adapted to each task developed in your classroom. This resource is available on-line at:
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/evergreen/policy/studeval/chap4001.html.
The simple templates outlined on this Saskatchewan Learning site, will help you tailor your assessment to match any activity and ensure that
your objectives are being met.
Another source of easily adaptable evaluation material is Discovery School located at
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/assess.html.
The site has both subject specific evaluation tools and
evaluation instruments for process oriented tasks. You
will also find rubric builders, portfolio evaluation instruments, graphic
organizer evaluation strategies, etc. all
at this site.
Another rubric generator can be found at
http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/. And, for a discussion on the value of using rubrics in
the middle grades, teachers may want to go to http://www.middleweb.com/rubricsHG.html.
