"WE THE CHILDREN..." Assignment Sheet
Your class just received a special invitation from Carol Bellamy, the
Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund. Ms. Bellamy has invited four
members of your class to travel to New York City in May of 2002 to join with government
leaders and Heads of State, NGOs, children's advocates as they re-evaluate the success of
the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child. These four students role at this
conference will be to communicate to the United Nations how well the intentions of the
1989 Action Plan for Children has been carried out among the students in your country,
city and school.
You have been one of the four lucky students to be chosen to speak on behalf of the young
people of the world. To prepare for the Meeting With the United Nations in New York you
will research the meaning and intent of the 1989 Action Plan for Children, evaluate its
success and make recommendations for the Meeting in New York.
PART SEVEN is the main assignment in this project. Although PARTS 1-6 are optional
activities, students will benefit from participating in as many of them as possible.
PART ONE: GETTING GROUNDED
You will need to become familiar with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Go to the
BASIC LINKS and read through the "Rights of the Child" page. From here you will
read "My Convention". This page was written by a grade 9 student. He has put the
intent of each article in his own words.
Once you have read both these pages, go to the larger set of links and try out the
"Children's Rights Quiz on Children".
PART TWO: NORMAN ROCKWELL ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Take a look at the Norman Rockwell links at the bottom of the ASSIGNMENT page. Think about
why Norman Rockwell chose these four basic rights to profile in his paintings. Draw four
individual Brainstorming Charts. Write the "right" (ex: Freedom of Speech) in
the center of the chart and off this center connect 5-10 reasons this right is so
important to our quality of life. (for example, off "Freedom of Speech" you
might connect "the ability to share your own thoughts", or "the chance to
speak up when wrong is happening" or, "the right to challenge other people's
thinking" etc. Gather as a class and share your ideas on a large brainstorming chart,
one chart for each of the four human rights. Post these four charts on the wall of your
classroom.
PART THREE: MORE BACKGROUND
Go to the LINKS page and click on the "United Nations Special Session on
Children" link. Go into the "Under 18 Zone". Read this page. You will
discover that some 140 children and young people, under the age of 18 years, from all
around the world were in New York City last June to attend the third and final Preparatory
Committee meeting for the UN Special Session on Children. Be sure to read what the
interviews of 10 of the delegates.
PART FOUR: LEARNING TO EVALUATE
Go back to the UNICEF homepage and click on the "How is Your Country Doing?"
link. Scroll down and choose your country. Look through the report and make note of any
information (facts, quotes, charts etc) that you can use in your final report. On the
LINKS page, take a look at the "Your Voice Matters" link as well. Read what
young people in Canada think about the progress made for Children's Rights.
PART FIVE:
On the UNICEF homepage, go into the "Under 18 Zone", in the "Resources for
Young People" click on the "Spread the Jam" link. Here you can view a
number of cartoons specially created to spread the message of Children's Rights.
PART SIX: EXPRESS YOURSELF
On the LINKS page, click on the "Voices" link. Here you will see ways young
people have expressed their feelings on Children's Rights. Choose one of these creative
mediums (or any other that you'd like) to express your feelings on Children's Rights.
Present your artwork to your class.
PART SEVEN: "REALITY OR RHETORIC" REPORT
For the final part of this project you will take your findings and write a report to
present at the Convention for the Rights of the Child in New York City in May, 2002. In
your writing you will discuss how well the 1989 articles are being implemented in your
country, city and school. Be prepare to give reasons for your opinions. Share some of your
thoughts on Children's Rights and make several suggestions for ways your immediate
environment (your city, school or classroom) could become more closely aligned to the
Convention for the Rights of Children. Go to the "REALITY OR RHETORIC? REPORT"
link (found on the project menu bar). This page will walk you through the steps of this
assignment.
NORMAN ROCKWELL ON BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS
Take a look at the following Norman Rockwell paintings that illustrate four
basic human rights:
FREEDOM FROM FEAR:
http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/big.jpg/freedomFromFear.jpg
FREEDOM OF SPEECH:
http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/big.jpg/Freedom_of_speech.jpg
FREEDOM FROM WANT:
http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/big.jpg/Freedom_From_want.jpg
FREEDOM OF WORSHIP:
http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/big.jpg/Freedom_to_Worship.jpg
NORMAN ROCKWELL MOSAIC
Do
Unto Others...
In 1985, this mosaic was hung in the United Nations on the occasion of the fortieth
anniversary of the United Nations.
Norman Rockwell Artwork...(Source: http://www.normanrockwellvt.com/big.jpg/
)
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