Lesson One:  Slavery and Human Rights

Grade Level: 7/8                                              Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Needed: 2 60 minute class periods           Topic: Modern Day Slavery

Lesson Essential Question:
What is a “human right?”
Are there universal human rights and what are they?
How does the UN Declaration of Human Rights apply to slavery?


Materials Needed:     


Objectives/Goals:
Students will be able to explain the basic tenants of the UN Human Rights Agreement.
Students will be able to describe how these rights relate to slavery.

NCSS Standards:

III.  People, Places, and Environments
V.  Individuals, Groups, and Institutions
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance
X.  Global Connectedness

MMSD Standards:

 Behavioral Science

·         Identify common problems, needs and behaviors of people from similar and different environments and cultures.
·         Use concepts such as role, status, and social class in describing the interaction of individuals and social groups.
·         Compare and contrast the rights and responsibilities of citizens in diverse societies.
·         Identify and interpret examples of stereotyping, conformity, propaganda, and racism.

History

·         Use primary &  secondary sources to interpret and develop an understanding of a historical event
·         Use historical sources to create questions, conduct research and develop conclusions

Political Science

·         Analyze and evaluate local, state, tribal, national, and international problems and issues
·         Identify and explain democracy’s basic principles including individual rights, responsibility for the common good, equal opportunity, equal protection of the laws, freedom of speech, justice, and majority rule with protection for minority rights.
·         Identify, cite, and discuss important political documents, such as the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and landmark decisions of the Supreme Court and explain their function in the American political system.
·         Explain how laws are developed, how the purposes of government are established, and
how the powers of government are acquired, maintained, justified, and sometimes abused.

Lesson Context: This lesson takes place during a unit focused on modern day slavery (also called human trafficking), with the overarching goal of teaching about slavery within the context of human rights and responsibilities. 

Lesson Opening: December 10 is Human Rights Day.  Have the class brainstorm a list of things every person should have a right to.  This might include freedom, access to clean water and food, participation in their government, etc.  Explain that on December 10, 1948, after the human rights abuses of World War II, the United Nations adopted a universal code of human rights, meaning that all countries would adhere to it.  Today we are going to see how that list compares to ours and look at how it applies particularly to slavery.

Procedures:

·         Break the class into at least six groups of 3-4 students.  Each group will be given a copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  Give each group 5 articles to focus on.  The group members will work together to restate those articles in their own words.  They will create a visual representation of their articles to share with the class.  This should include their restatement of each article, but may also include pictorial or other visual representations of the articles.

·         After each group shares, discuss which articles relate to slavery.  Article 4 of the UDHR states, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.”  However, most of the articles relate in some way to slavery because by definition, slaves are guaranteed none of the rights in the UDHR. 

·         Next discuss how the UN list is different or similar to the class list. 

·         In light of this UN document (ratified-or accepted-by the US) let’s take a look at our own constitutional rights.  The 13th Amendment:
  • Section 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
  • Section 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

·         Lead the class in discussion of the implications of the 13th Amendment and the UDHR.  How is this Amendment similar to or different from any of the articles in the UDHR?  What does this tell us about slavery in the United States and in the world as a whole?

Closing:  Journal –What, if anything, surprised you about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?  Would you add or change anything?  How does the UDHR relate to slavery?

Assessment:  Visuals created by each group will serve as formal assessment of the students’ understanding of the UDHR.  Journal entries will act as a formal, formative assessment on student understanding of human rights and slavery within the context of human rights.  Informal assessment will be conducted through monitoring of class discussion by the teacher.