Peer Review Conference April 24 2004--Krizan

Human Rights Violations Involving Children
Pat Krizan, Whitney Point High School

[Printer-Friendly Version]

Introductory Activity

With the entire class, perhaps as a follow up to the 1948 Declaration of Human Rights, discuss the Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Assign small groups of three or four students a specific violation of these rights as follows:
- Street Children

Group Brainstorming:

Members of each group search individually for information on their topics.
Students should be looking for a definition/description of the violation as well as compiling a list of specific instances of the violation in recent times. This allows all students to attain a broad view of the topic and see what types of resources are available before focusing more narrowly.
The group reconvenes and decides on a definition and which 3 or 4 specific instances will be explored. Each student in the group is responsible for researching and reporting on one instance.

Research:

Using the suggested websites or searching the internet, students will find the following information on their specific human rights violation involving children:
- Background Information--When? Why? Causes?
- Current Situation (article from a newspaper or magazine)
- Geographic location of the violation
- Quotation from a victim of the violation
- Picture/Image concerning the violation
- Results of the violation
- Solutions, attempts to correct
Using this information, students will then write their parts for Group Essay and contribute material for a Group PowerPoint Presentation for the class.

Group Essay: Outline

Introduction: Define/explain the violation
Examples of specific instances of the violation. Each group member contributes three paragraphs as follows:
1. Background/causes
2. Description of the current situation; numbers involved
3. Results and solutions
Conclusion: Your suggestions

Group PowerPoint Presentation:

Students will create a PowerPoint Presentation to share with the class. If the PowerPoint will be part of an oral presentation, I suggest few or no words used on teh slides so that presenters won't merely read the slides.
Suggested format of the PowerPoint Slide:
- Slide #1: Title of the Violation
- Minimum of 3 slides on each specific instance:
  - Map of country, year(s) of violation, numbers involved
  - Images of violation
  - Quote from a victim
During the PowerPoint Presentation, the audience can have maps and color code the violations, then label the countries/regions of the specific instances.
Optional:
- Students can creat scaffolding questions for their PowerPoint slides.
- Power Point slides can be used as a basis for a DBQ essay.