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These activities will help youth learn about human rights and their guiding principles. They can be done alone, but work best with one or more friends on a video chat like Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc.

​Grades K-3

Mindfulness Activity

Trivia question: Who was the first person to step on the moon?

Mindfulness Activity:

  • Imagine that your pointer finger is a candle.
  • Hold up your candle, take a deep breath in, then blow out the candle on your finger for as long as you can.
  • Notice how your breath fills up your belly when you breathe in.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights Egg Hunt

Supplies:

  • Plastic eggs
  • Slips of paper
  • Pen or pencil

Watch the Human Rights Egg Hunt video

No matter if you’re big or small, rich or poor, born in Canada or elsewhere, all people have rights. These are things like the right to food, water, shelter, the right to go to school, and to be free from violence.

  • Write down each of the topics below on small slips of paper.
  • Place them inside hollow eggs, little boxes or whatever you have and hide them around the house.
  • Have your child look for the eggs.
  • Discuss and explore each of the topics together.

Topics from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (there are 54 articles):

  • All children have rights no matter who they are, where they live and what their parents do.
  • All adults should do what is best for you.
  • The government has a responsibility to make sure your rights are protected.
  • Your family has the reasonability to help you learn to exercise your rights.
  • You have the right to be alive.
  • You have the right to have a name.
  • You have a right to an identity - an official record of who you are.
  • You have the right to live with your parents unless it is bad for you. You have the right live with a family who cares for you.
  • If you live in a different country from your parents, you have the right to be together in the same place.
  • You have the right to be protected from kidnapping.
  • You have the right to give your opinion and for adults to listen and take it seriously.
  • You have the right to find out things and share what you think about others by talking, drawing, writing or in any other way, unless it harms or offends other people
  • You have the right to choose your own region and beliefs. Your parents should help you decide what is right and wrong, and what is best for you.
  • You have the right to choose your own friends.
  • You have a right to play and rest.
  • You have the right to the best healthcare possible, safe water to drink, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment and information to help you stay well.
  • You have the right to practice your own culture, language and religion. Minority and indigenous groups need special protection of this right.

Create a Human Rights Poster

Supplies:

  • Poster paper
  • Crayons or markers

Have your child draw a picture that represents the human rights that are most important to them and your family. Post the picture in the window for all to see!

Check out UNICEF's webpage on the Rights of the Child to help you decide which rights are most important to you.

"Right to Play" Song

Did you know that the right to play is a human right?

  • Have your child write a song about why they love to play. If they’re stuck, have them choose a favourite song and rewrite the words to be all about why they love to play.
  • Have them sing their song for your family. If they’re feeling brave, sing it on the porch or balcony.

Review Questions

Ask your child:

  • How does it feel to know your rights?
  • Why do you think it is important for people to know their rights?
  • How can you respect the rights of other people?

Trivia Answer

Answer: Neil Armstrong ​​​​​​​​

Grades 4-6

Mindfulness Activity

Trivia question: In what year was the Convention on the Rights of the Child created?

Mindfulness Activity:

  • Sit down so you’re comfortable.
  • Be still.
  • Imagine your favourite colour that helps you feel calm.
  • Every time you take a breath, allow the colour to grow in your mind.
  • Breathe in and imagine the colour getting bigger 5 times.
  • How much calmer or more awake are you? None? A little? Medium? A lot?

My Book of Rights

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Pencils Crayons/ Markers/ Crayons

Look at this poster on the UNICEF website. Have your child read each of the rights and choose 5 that are important to them.

  • Have your child make a book about the rights they chose. Each right should have its own page.
  • Put the name of the right at the top of the page. Write a sentence about why the right is important at the bottom of the page. Draw a picture about the right in the middle of the page. Colour the picture.
  • Make a cover for the book. Write “My Book of Rights” on the cover and decorate it.

Human Rights Tree

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Construction paper (brown, green, yellow, orange)
  • Markers, Pencils, Crayons, Pencil Crayons
  • Glue
  • Large piece of cardboard

Watch the Human Rights Tree video

Have your child trace their hand on a piece of paper and cut it out. Do this 15 times.

Look at this poster on the UNICEF website and have your child choose 15 rights that are important to them.

  • Write each right on one of the hands you cut out and decorate them.
  • Draw a picture of a tree trunk and cut it out.
  • Glue the hands onto the tree trunk like leaves.
  • Glue the entire tree onto a large piece of cardboard.

Children's Rights Charades

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Cup
  • Pen/Pencil/Markers

For this activity, connect with your family or friends on a video chat like Skype, Zoom or Facetime.

  • Look at this poster on the UNICEF website. Have your child choose 10-15 rights and write them on slips of paper.
  • Put the slips of paper in a cup or bowl.
  • Take turns picking slips of paper and silently acting them out.
  • When the right is guessed, switch actors.
  • You can also add a timer or play in teams if you have enough people.

Review Questions

Ask your child:

  • Did you like learning about Children's Rights? Why?
  • Which right do you think is the most important? Why?
  • What are some ways you can create awareness about Children's Rights?

Trivia Answer

Answer: 1989.

Grades 7+

Mindfulness Activity

Trivia Question: How many muscles does your mouth use when you’re talking? See mindfulness activity answer at the end of the lesson plan.

Mindfulness Activity:

Sit down so you’re comfortable. Take a moment to notice:

  • 1 thing you taste
  • 2 things you smell
  • 3 things you feel (inside or outside your body)
  • 4 things you hear
  • 5 things you see

The Thunberg Effect

Supplies:

  • Pencil
  • Paper

Greta Thunberg is a 17 year old Swedish environmental activist. She has gained international attention for promoting the view that humanity is facing a great crisis from climate change. Thunberg is known for her youth and her straightforward speaking manner.

Create a video to share your passion on a right you want to stand for.

  • Think of a right that you can support with the people in your life.
  • Think about why this right is important to you and how it has affected your life in a positive way.
  • Challenge everyone to support your cause. For example, you might say something like: "The right to education is an important right for all children." Then, you could challenge children at home to learn something new every day that will help with their education.
  • Share your video with friends and family.

Hello from Around the World

Respect for diversity is an important part of human rights.

  • Think of a friend who speaks a language that you don’t speak.
  • Call them and ask how to say ‘hello’ in their language.
  • When you call your friend again, start by saying hello in their language.

Example: Hola (Spanish) Richard, how are you today?

#Hashtag Right to Health and Wellbeing

Supplies:

  • Paper
  • Pencil

Create 5-10 hashtags to promote good health during COVID-19 outbreaks. For example, #cleanhands or #stayhome.

Share your #hashtags with your family and friends to express your right to health and wellbeing.

If you are on social media, think of something you can post that can use those hashtags.

Review Questions

  • What did it feel like to talk about something you are passionate about? Was it easy or hard?
  • How do you think learning other languages fits in with child human rights?
  • What are other ways we can help people stay healthy and safe at this time?

Trivia Answer:

Answer: A: you use 75 muscles when you’re talking.​

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