Rights and responsibilities

Citizenship

Secondary

Teaching KS3 citizenship using Comic Relief resources

Can a charity based on comedy help teach children important lessons on values and human rights? Sarah Coleman finds out in her KS3 citizenship class. Sarah is a citizenship coordinator at Royton and Crompton Science College, in Oldham, which was recently mentioned by Ofsted as a school showing excellent citizenship teaching. In this programme Sarah plans her lesson using free Comic Relief resources, and is observed by Jeremy Hayward, citizenship expert at the Institute of Education. Jeremy then sits down with Sarah after the lesson to explore how it went, and how to develop it in the future. They talk through good teaching practice, and what sets citizenship teaching apart from other subjects.

KS3 Citizenship - Global Issues

 How an original idea can enhance citizenship learning 

This programme provides a clear demonstration of how an engaging idea can enhance citizenship learning. Jamie Elliott, Citizenship co-ordinator at Deincourt School in Chesterfield (rated as excellent in the subject by Ofsted), introduces role play to Year 7 students. The group is given the scenario of being stranded on a desert island. They are encouraged to focus on skills including ranking priorities, selecting a leader and establishing rules. The activity is designed to teach pupils the skills needed to be a positive member of a community, and to help them understand the importance of effective decision making.

KS3/4 Citizenship - Establishing Communities

Effective ways of delivering citizenship in the classroom

Finding a good format for delivering effective citizenship in the classroom can often be a challenge. In this programme, we visit Deincourt School in Chester (rated as excellent in the subject by Ofsted) where citizenship co-ordinator Jamie Elliott believes he has found the answer. With a focused look at a Year 9 special needs lesson on the rights and responsibilities of children, we demonstrate how Jamie's method could be applied to any citizenship lesson. His format includes a range of techniques including an engaging starter, card sorting, case study evidence and circle time. Jamie also provides advice on planning and producing the resources for such a lesson.

KS3/4 Citizenship - Rights and Responsibilities

Learning about nuclear disarmament and deterrent at KS3/4

Discover how one secondary school approaches the issue of nuclear disarmament and deterrence, through various activities at KS3/4. Hessle High School, in Hull, uses an education pack provided by the CND Peace Education Unit, to encourage debate and discussion surrounding nuclear weapons. The session culminates in a performance activity called The Bomb Factor. The students find out what would happen if a nuclear bomb fell on the school, take part in a quiz to learn facts about nuclear weapons, and a poll is conducted to establish the students' opinions. The Bomb Factor activity involves students taking the stance of a country or organisation which is either for or against nuclear weapons. The performances are judged and winners are announced, with a final opinion poll taking place to see whose views have changed.

KS3/4 Citizenship - The Bomb Factor - Nuclear Weapons

 A look at the benefits of a whole-school approach to citizenship 

At Mill Chase Community School in Hampshire, the benefits of a whole-school approach to citizenship are apparent. Older students are involved in teaching younger ones, former students organise activities on Human Rights Day and teachers work together to timetable lessons so students can identify citizenship connections across the curriculum. Citizenship coordinator Chris Waller guides us through a series of lessons given to a Year 9 group by staff from three different departments: <ul> <li> Chris' own PSHE lesson on landmines offers an opportunity for discussion and a chance to take responsible action </li> <li> Year 9 Pupils study the work of Henry Moore in art to learn techniques to express and record emotions beyond their own experiences </li> <li> A history lesson on the Holocaust encourages thought and opinion about rights and responsibilities </li> </ul> Students are offered provocative and memorable experiences that they can take beyond the school gates and into the wider community. "Citizenship education is most effective when it is perceived not as a subject to be taught in isolation but integral to the school curriculum and as a link between the life of the school and the local, national and international community," says Edward Huddleston, citizenship teaching advisor at the Citizenship Foundation.

KS3/4 Citizenship: Human Rights and Wrongs

A school where pupils teach others the importance of human rights

At John Hanson Community School in Hampshire, Edward Waller, head of humanities, and Kern Wilkins, head of citizenship, together run the "Human Rights Peer Education Project". The project involves pupils teaching other pupils about the importance of human rights, covering aspects of both humanities and citizenship. After a preparatory lesson introducing the pupils to rights of the child, the peer educators use a variety of techniques to personalise the subject. They show how how the rights they enjoy could be made universal and how they could be used as a guide to living. After the session, the current peer educators have a feedback session with the next group of peer educators about the whole project and what has been a success.

KS3/4 Humanities - Peer Educators

Cherie Booth helps two teachers plan a lesson on cyber bullying

In this programme, two teachers use their new found understanding of human rights to plan lessons on the issue of cyber bullying. Like many teachers Simon and Lee, from Erith Secondary School in Kent, have a firm grasp of human rights but need help understanding how these values are implemented into UK law and how they can use this knowledge in their lessons. Cherie Booth QC, an expert in human rights litigation, guides the pair as they grapple with the concepts, lending her support both in and out of the classroom. The programme is part of a series which sees six teachers from across the key stages who want to develop a fuller understanding of human rights and the law. Ms Booth, works with the teachers to expand their legal literacy and knowledge of rights and legal processes.

Making Rights Relevant

A look at the concepts of human rights within the legal framework

In this programme, Cherie Booth QC visits two teachers who are translating their understanding of human rights concepts into high school lessons. Polly and Darren, teachers at Wanstead High School in north east London, gain a further knowledge of human rights and UK law from Booth, an expert in human rights litigation. Through grappling with some of the core concepts, this programme follows the teachers as they develop and put into practice lessons for pupils, using Cherie as their legal expert in and out of the classroom.

Parliament and The Law

A look at the campaigns that have saved individuals on death row

A look at the letter writing campaigns that have saved three individuals who had been placed on death row in various parts of the world. Tahir Hussain, a British citizen from Leeds, was sentenced to death by a court in Pakistan for the accidental killing of a taxi driver in 1988. Only an energetic letter writing campaign involving Amnesty International led to Tahir's release in November 2006. Tahir explains what it was like for him on death row, while his brother, Amjad, speaks of the 18-year campaign to set him free. Maria Gillespie explains her unjust imprisonment in Uruguay in the 1970s, aged only 15. She was tortured simply because her husband was a trade unionist. Maria was released a year later after receiving nearly 1,000 letters of support. A third case shows pupils writing letters to 19-year-old Delara Darabi, currently on death row in Iran, who claims she took the blame for a murder committed by her boyfriend.

Secondary Citizenship - Letters to Death Row

Cross-curricular human rights at a South Wales school for girls

Bryn Hafren Comprehensive School for Girls in South Wales has enriched lessons by introducing human rights issues across the curriculum. English and music teacher Naomi Howells finds that bringing human rights issues into lessons can inspire pupils. She has organised a human rights week and devised lesson plans across all areas of the curriculum. It's a whole school approach supported by the headteacher, who is careful to encourage pupils to debate, rather than simply accept what they hear. The school's thriving Amnesty International group demonstrates against Gauntanamo Bay in the town centre, where the pupils are surprised to discover that some locals disagree with their point of view.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

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