"Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children."
-Tatanka Iyotaka (Chief Sitting Bull, 1831-1890)
Of all the wonders in this world, are there any more wondrous than children? With their futures ahead of them, full of potential and full of inquiry, there can be no question that that they can be whatever they desire. Or can they? One of the major hurdles facing the children of the world is the adults of the world. What we do to stifle their potential; to dull their inquiring minds can be horrific. From exploiting them in the work place to arming them for the battlefield, how adults treat children is reprehensible.
In this issue........
Child Mortality
Musicians in the War Zone Study Guide
http://www.getloud.ca/en/edu_manuals.asp?id=3
This resource is from War Child Canada. They, along with MuchMusic, created a program about human rights and war-affected children. Well known Canadian musicians were sent to war zones where they acted as narrators and journalists to connect the viewing audience with war-affected children. The result is a DVD and classroom study guide.
To access the site, teachers must fill out a registration form. Registration is free and the study guide is free, but the video is being sold for $20.00. This seems like a small sum when compared to the study guide. It is extensive and deals with three individual types of responses: basic review questions, questions dealing with issues or events requiring further research, and assignments requiring personal reflection.
The video is divided into three segments, Iraq, Burma, and Sierra Leone. Teachers could choose to divide students into three groups each group responsible for one section, or have students complete the entire package of material.
Individuals wishing to order this resource should contact info@warchild.ca . Be sure to specify DVD or VHS when ordering and ask for "Musicians in the War Zone." The Teachers' Guide can be viewed by following the link at the beginning of this review.
This resource would be suitable for student in grade 11 Social Studies, Unit 1: Human Rights.
Curriculum Links and Objectives
The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Children in Africa
http://www.getloud.ca/en/edu_plans.asp?id=13
This lesson is from War Child Canada. In it, students will become familiar with the impact of HIV/AIDS on children in Africa and develop an appreciation for the role played by Canadian NGOs in dealing with orphans.
The lesson begins by viewing a short Public Service Announcement (PSA) from the Stephen Lewis Foundation. This is followed by a discussion on why there are so many orphans, the impact that the death of a parent may have, etc. Students are then given time to reflect on the information provided.
Following their reflection, the students are divided into groups to conduct internet based research on AIDS orphans in Ethiopia. Their research will form the basis for the last part of the lesson, the creation of a PSA of their own.
Suggestions for evaluation are included with the lesson, but teachers will need to devise their own instruments.
This lesson would be suitable for students in Social Studies 11, Unit 4: Wealth and Poverty.
Curriculum Links and Objectives
Martha's Story: The Impact of Armed Conflict (Grades 7-9
http://youth.unicefusa.org/teachunicef/lesson-plans-and-resources/marthas-story-middle-school.html
This resource is from UNICEF in the United States. For use in grades 7-9, the two lessons presented here are designed to raise students' awareness of the effect of armed conflict on citizens and children in particular and to explore solutions and programs that can assist children and teens in times of armed conflict.
Lesson 1 begins with a motivational set--the viewing of pictures drawn by children age 12-15. After posing several questions about the pictures, students learn that, at any one time, there are many wars going on. Most often, it is the civilian population that faces the brunt of the effects of war. Approximately ½ of these civilians are children.
Students are then handed a video guide for an on-line video (found at http://youth.unicefusa.org/teachunicef/lesson-plans-and-resources/marthas-story-middle-school.html). The video deals with comparisons between students' lives and Martha's life. After the video, students are provided with a hand out and complete a series of questions. Homework assignments are also provided. NOTE: A map showing the extent of armed conflicts in the world (as of 2006) can be found at http://www.ploughshares.ca/imagesarticles/ACR07/MapRevACR07.pdf .
Lesson 2 begins with a look at child mortality and armed conflict. After examining a graph showing the number of child deaths in countries where there is an armed conflict, students are asked to speculate on the impact of those armed conflicts on children. They then examine the attendance rates of children in elementary school in nine war-affected countries, break into small groups to work on case studies, and examine the role played by UNICEF in assisting children.
Many extension activities are listed as are links for further exploration. While there is no evaluation suggested, rubrics could be use to evaluate both students' product and process while working on the case studies.
This lesson is best suited for students in grade 7, Unit 3: Power.
Curriculum Links & Objectives
Martha's Story: The Impact of Armed Conflict (Grades 10-12)
http://youth.unicefusa.org/teachunicef/lesson-plans-and-resources/marthas-story-middle-school.html
Although this resource comes from the same agency and features many of the same activities, there is enough of a difference between this version and the previous one to rate its own review.
UNICEF USA has developed this resource for use in grades 10-12. The objectives of the lessons include raising students' awareness of armed conflict on civilians, increasing students' understanding of effect of armed conflict on children, and exploring solutions and programs that can assist children and teens in times of armed conflict.
Activities in this set of lessons include an introductory quiz to raise awareness, viewing an on-line video, listening to an interview with a UNICEF official, examining statistics, designing and developing a potential assistance program, working on case studies, and examining different types of intervention strategies.
All of the necessary handouts, evaluation strategies, etc. are easy to find except for the video. The video is located at http://youth.unicefusa.org/teachunicef/lesson-plans-and-resources/marthas-story-middle-school.html.
This lesson would be useful for students in grade Social Studies 11, Unit 1: Human Rights.
Curriculum Links & Objectives
Himal's Story: How Poverty Affects Children in Nepal
http://youth.unicefusa.org/assets/pdf/himalms.pdf (Grades 6-9) or
http://youth.unicefusa.org/assets/pdf/himalhs.pdf (Grades 10-12)
This resource is also from UNICEF USA. Once again the resource is slightly different for Grades 9-12. The activities are very similar to Maria's Story (see review above) but the issues dealt with are related to poverty as a cause of child mortality.
Activities in these three lessons include an on-line video (found here), an activity designed to encourage students to examine the impact of poverty on the lives of children, an examination of statistics on the rate of poverty and depravation, and a look at the extent to which progress is being made in addressing poverty in Nepal.
These lessons would be suitable for students in grade 6, Unit 3: Identity. The Grades 9-12 lesson plan would be useful in Social Studies 11, Unit 4: Wealth and Poverty.
Curriculum Objectives
Caring for Children Amidst Chaos
http://www.ehponline.org/science-ed/2007/children.pdf
This lesson is from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in the U.S. The National Institute is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In this lesson, students read an article about the need for comprehensive clinical guidelines to help save the lives of children in complex emergency situations such as war or natural disasters. Students then analyze two different clinical guidelines in the context of a hypothetical scenario in Afghanistan.
Some of the vocabulary in article assigned for student reading may present challenges. Teachers may want to consider reading it aloud and pausing for discussion throughout. There are many links provided that can easily lead to further exploration and lesson development.
This lesson is best suited for students in Social Studies 11, Unit 3: Environment.
Curriculum Objectives
Water: Source of Health, Source of Illness
http://www.peacecore.gov/wws/educators/enrichment/africa/lessons/MShealth01/index.html
This lesson is a joint effort of the United States Department of Education, Peace Corps Volunteers, and U.S. teachers.
In the lesson, students examine the connections between water and disease in four West African countries. Clean water, being essential for health, can be in short supply in many areas. Lack of clean water can lead to many serious illnesses.
During the lesson, students will become familiar with general concepts related to waterborne illness by viewing photographs and reading vignettes collected from in-service Peace Corps Volunteers. The lessons conclude with students working in groups to devise a strategy to fight one waterborne illness in rural Africa.
The lesson plan comes complete with pictures and an evaluation rubric. It would be suitable for students in Social Studies grade 6, Unit 4: Interdependence: Meeting Needs and Wants.
Curriculum Objectives
Water Borne Illnesses
Water Borne Illnesses
http://www.peacecore.gov/wws/educators/enrichment/africa/lessons/HShealth01/index.html
This lesson was prepared in collaboration with the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water at the Environmental Protection Agency in the U.S.
As part of the lesson, students will learn about how water becomes impure with parasites and other contaminants; they will read personal accounts of unsafe water; and they'll work together to brainstorm solutions to the water problems of communities in Africa.
The lesson plan covers eight class periods, but teachers may find that they will be able to cover the material more quickly. Access to a computer lab (or computer connected to a projector) will be needed to view the photos during the first part of the lesson. Students will need to use the computer lab for research during the latter stages of the lesson. They will also need access to poster board or other material for their final product.
An evaluation rubric is provided with the lesson as are links to sites providing additional information. This lesson would be useful in grade 11 Social Studies, Unit 3: Environment.
Curriculum Objectives
South Africa's AIDS Epidemic
http://archives.cnn.com/2000/fyi/teacher.resources/lesson.plans/08/17/aids.haven/index.html
This lesson comes from the CNNFYI. In it, students will examine the social stigma that comes from having HIV/AIDS, and take a look at the situation with orphaned children in South Africa. There, HIV/AIDS has ravaged the adult population, leaving thousands of children on their own.
Students begin with by reading a CNN article from 2000 dealing with the plight of children. Students are presented with open ended questions regarding what they have read and their feelings about the treatment people living with AIDS receive. This is followed by group work that sees students researching the long-term social, political or economic consequences of this disease.
The lesson plan refers to the International Conference held in South Africa in 2000. A link to the conference web site is provided, but it is no longer active. Another conference was held in Toronto in 2002. Information on that conference can be found at http://www.aids2006.org/ . The XVII International Conference will be held in Mexico City in August ( www.aids2008.org ).
This lesson would be suitable for students in Social Studies 11, Unit 2: Population.
Curriculum Objectives
Children Affected by Armed Conflict
http://www.savethechildren.ca/canada/what_we_do/rewritethefuture/resources/teachers/index.html
This resource is from Save the Children Canada. Along with extensive background material, the lesson package comes with activities for students in grades 3-6 and 7-12. The background material is on conflict in Columbia but the situation faced by children there can be extrapolated to children in any war affected region.
The activities for grades 7-12 include researching a newspaper article (provided) and developing a class newspaper, an interviewing role play, comparing conflicts, making global connections, and a look at the rights of children.
Different lessons would be suitable for different grades but, generally, this resource would be useful for students in Social Studies 11, Unit 1: Human Rights.
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.
