People Behind the Statistics lesson plan

Goal: To put a human face on the violation of human rights within the United States.

Objectives:

• Students will gain a general understanding of the concept of human rights.
• Students will explore articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
• Students will examine how well the United States is doing in fulfilling those rights.

Essential Question: How is the U.S. failing to fulfill the most basic human rights for its people?

Time Frame: 1-2 class periods

Age Level: High School

Minnesota High School Social Studies Standards:

• World History, I, #1: Students will examine human rights principles and how they have been supported and violated in the late 20th century.
• Government and Citizenship, A #4: Students will understand the importance of informed decision making and the roles of public speaking, conducting a public meeting, letter writing, petition signing, negotiation, active listening, conflict resolution and mediation, defending a public policy position in a civil conversation.
• Government and Citizenship, B #2: Students will examine the tensions between the government’s dual role of protecting individual rights and promoting the general welfare, the tension between majority rule and minority rights, and analyze the conflict between diversity and unity which is captured in the concept “E Pluribus Unum.”
• Government and Citizenship, A #3: Students will know and analyze the points of access and influence people can use to affect elections and public policy decisions.