Finding out about Human
Rights and
School Councils at Manorfield School |
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Pupils from Langdon Park Secondary School
went into Manorfield Primary School for a morning, to teach them about
human rights and school councils, and help them work out what they
need to do to set one up. |
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The Objectives were:
To explore rights and express their ideas on them
To participate in activities needed for school council working;
representation,
group work,
decision-making,
participation,
research &
presentation.
Below are the activities undertaken during the morning. |
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The students from Langdon
Park School |
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Assembly on "Needs" |
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1 There was an introduction Assembly
by Michael Newman of the Humanities Education Centre.
During the assembly pupils were asked what was needed
to make a person. A cut out skeleton was used. When the different
parts were called out, pupils were told that of course this is not
a real person, to make a real person they would need other things.
What would be their needs?, i.e. Need... water, food,.... this was
written.....
Afterwards the Langdon Park students went into different
classrooms to carry out activities theroughout the day to help the
Manorfield students find out about School Councils |
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2 Each class set "Ground
Rules" (10 mins) asking
"What do we need to do to make the morning
work?"
The class wrote down their ideas on a flip chart.
At the end they made a general class agreement
"Do we agree with this list?"
They used this as poster for rest of the session,
and referenced to it when children did not work together. |
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3 Picture activity on Rights
(20 mins)
Split the class into six groups, each group is given
a picture and an envelope of rights -they need to match it with
a right and discuss what is needed to ensure the right exists.
You will need a list of rights displayed on poster, and one set
of laminated large cards for matching with pictures on a whiteboard
when students present.
One group has the Article 12 card, and instead of matching to a
picture, need to create their own and take pictures using a throwaway
camera.
Group select presenter who makes presentation to the class -describing
the picture and explaining the right and needs. In the case of Article
12 they act their picture.
One group has the Article 12 card, and instead of
matching a picture, need to create their own. |
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Matching the Rights to
images |
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[click here
to find out about the pictures] Click
here to see the Rights document
[Play the online game, to match then yourself]
Click here
for rights cards 1 (word doc)
Click here for rights cards 2 (word
doc)
Click here for rights images
1
Click here for rights images
2
Click here for a list of the rights |
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| Writing a Right |
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4 Creative Activity
with Heads and shoulder pictures. (45 minutes)
Draw a picture of your head and shoulders,
in the head write one of the rights, in the shoulders write what
you need to have that right. |
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BREAK |
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5 When the wind blows
-full class in circle -survey of children (10 minutes)
Get the whole class to stand in a circle. Give instructions and
demonstrate, -this activity is called when the wind blows, when
I describe a group I want you to cross to the other side of the
circle if you belong to the group.
For example -everyone who is older
than 20- (you cross over as if a leaf blown in the wind). It makes
it more fun if people act as if they are blown by the wind but they
can simply walk over being careful not to collide with anyone).
Eg. people who have voted for anything;
who has helped make a decision about their classroom; people who
have played football; who knows what a school council is? people
who think there should be a school council? |
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Teacher records on table, drawn on sugar paper, numbers who blow across:
| Group |
Number |
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| People who have voted |
2 |
| Who knows what a school council is |
5 |
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Working out questions to
ask |
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6 . Research:
What is a school council? (40 minutes)
In small groups create four questions for either the councillor or
the teacher. The groups gather into two groups one for the councillor
and one for the teacher. Each group shares their questions and chooses
the best six. The questions are written on a flip chart/sugar paper
and students place a dot (in the pack) next to the questions they
want. |
| The groups gather as a class and ask their questions
of the teacher and school councillor who are sitting at the front,
the questions alternate between the teacher and the councillor. Have
someone acting as a scribe. |
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| Finding out about School Councils from Langdon
Park students |
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| Insert Question quotes here |
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Standing on the line |
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7 The values line (20 minutes)
A line is placed on the floor, masking tape etc.
" This line is called a values line. You can stand anywhere
on the line to say what you think.
For example; I love fish I eat it everyday, I cannot
get enough fish - you can stand at this end. Or if you hate fish,
it makes you feel ill, you wouldn't touch fish -then you can stand
at the other end. If you don't mind fish you might stand in the
middle- or if you quite like it then you might stand here" |
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-Split class into groups
of four. They choose a representative and they must decide as a
group where someone stands and why. The reps stand on the line,
are interviewed and the group is asked for feedback, if the person
correctly represented the group.
The lines explore school council issues and answers during the interviews
should include explained reasons.
Lines:
a.The school council should make decisions about everything in the
school or nothing.
b. Everybody should be on the school council or no-one
Ask questions to discover what decisions should be excluded, and
how many people should be on the council.
The teacher can record the line on a sheet of sugar paper and where
people stood as X's.
Everybody should... XXX -XXXXX -XX
-X ...No-one should |
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Follow up:
The class findings and discussion can
be put together for a presentation at an assembly.
School Council Consultation: From the
morning a survey could be created that could then consult the children
on how they would like their school council. How many people elected
from each class? |
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Next Step:
Organising elections- how to stand
-Nominations?
-Making Speeches?
-Who votes?
Creat a student working group on how
to structure the council |
