OVERVIEW: Students may be aware of violations of various treaties and agreements on children's rights issues, but may not know where to turn in order to take action. This lesson will allow for students to get detailed information on a variety of advocacy groups.

CORE QUESTIONS:

1. How do international children's rights group work?
2. Where are they located?
3. What have been their major achievements?
4. What are the setbacks that they face?

TIME REQUIRED: Approximately three 40-minute class periods (can be adjusted to suit grade level and intensity of activity or to block schedule).

SUGGESTED GRADE LEVELS: Grades 9-12, but can be used at lower levels if the teacher has spent time on issues relating to children.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS: Social Studies, Technology

NEW JERSEY CORE CONTENT STANDARDS 6.1: #6,7,12,14; 6.2: #10,11; 6.3: #13,14; 6.4: #7-13.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will distinguish specific historical aspects of international organizations.
2. Students will identify the role played by international organizations such as UNICEF, Amnesty International, International Labour Organization, Human Rights Watch and Childreach.
3. Students will compare the roles of international organizations on the rights of the child.
4. Students will utilize technology in order to gain a greater understanding on international organizations.

STRATEGIES:

DAY 1: Warm Up Question: Name any organization that helps children around the world? What do you know about this organization?

After brainstorming the warm up question with the students, the teacher will explain to the student the purpose of an international organization that is working toward protecting children’s rights. Then the teacher will prepare the students for the “Who’s Helping the World’s Children” Quiz (provided). It is essential that the students realize that there are many more organizations that provide aid to children around the world, however, they will only be focusing on a small number. Computer with internet access is required.

Option 1: Students can be paired or grouped together (depending on class size or available computer access) to complete “Who’s Helping the World’s Children” Quiz (provided). If time remains, the quiz can be reviewed in class.

Option 2: After the teacher briefly reviews the main purpose and brief historical aspects of the organizations provided, students will complete the “Who’s Helping the World’s Children” Quiz for homework. The quiz can be reviewed in class the following day.

DAY 2: After the quiz has been completed and reviewed, each students pair or group of students will create their own “scavenger hunt” of information for the same international organizations. Each pair or group can exchange quizzes for an in-class assignment or a homework assignment.

DAY 3: Teacher Discussion Guide

Directions: The following questions are to act as a guide for a culminating activity and assessment for understanding of material.

To begin discussion, the teacher should focus on general web-site/computer related questions.

For example:

1. Did anyone encounter any problems while navigating the web?
2. Have any of you ever visited these sites before? If yes, why?
3. Were these web sites what you expected? How do they compare to the web sites you have visited?
   Once the class feels comfortable discussing general aspects of the assignment, the teacher should begin to focus on the actual material within the web sites. For example:
4. What organizations have won the Nobel Peace Prize? What kind of an impact does that have on the reputation and future of that organization?
5. Under what circumstances were these organizations established? Is there a common bond that links the causes of these organizations establishing themselves?
6. What traits do these organizations have in common? What traits make them an unique entity?

MATERIALS:

"Who’s Helping the World’s Children” Quiz (provided by clicking the link here--it also follows at the end of this lesson for your viewing).
Teacher Discussion Guide (provided click the link to bring it up in MICROSOFT WORD--it follows at the end of the lesson for your viewing).

RESOURCES:

(WEB SITES): (Click the hyperlinks or type in the URL in your web browser)

UNICEF(United Nation's Children's Fund)(www.unicef.org)
Amnesty International-USA(www.amnesty-usa.org)
International Labour Organization(www.ilo.org)
Human Rights Watch(www.hrw.org)
Childreach(www.childreach.org)

ASSESSMENT:

Quiz is provided. Active participation in the exercises is also graded as participation.

APPENDIX: Clicking on the links above will bring up these forms in MICROSOFT WORD and allow you to adapt them as you need.

Who’s Helping the Children Web Quiz

Directions: Using the following web-sites, choose the organization that fits each description. Identify the correct answer by LETTER.

A. www.unicef.org UNICEF

B. www.amnesty-usa.org AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

C. www.ilo.org INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION

D. www.hrw.org HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

E. www.childreach.org CHILDREACH

1. United States headquarters is located in New York, New York.
2. Created after World War I to relieve child suffering in Western Europe.
3. Executive Director of the United States division: Carol Bellamy
4. Its official name is the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund.
5. Over 30% of its funds come from greeting cards sales.
6. Encompasses the Freedom Writer’s Network.
7. Founded in London in 1961.
8. Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.
9. There are 40 articles within their Constitution.
10. Annual conference held in Geneva each June.
11. Recipient of the 1969 Nobel Peace Prize.
12. Created in 1919 after World War I.
13. This organization was founded by a Canadian boy in 1995.
14. Wrote a book entitled Nobody’s Children which recognizes Jamaican children in Police custody.
15. Originally known as Helsinki Watch.
16. Established in 1978.
17. Focuses on the five domains of: Growing Up Healthy, Learning, Habitat, Livelihood, Building Relationships.
18. Allows you to sponsor a child directly.
19. Ramada Franchise Systems Inc. is their largest sponsor.
20. Founded in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War.