Human Rights -- when, where, what, and how

[clay dube]

In this section of the discussion board, let's take up the subject of human rights.

-- Where does it belong in the curriculum? What subjects, what grade level, after covering what and before moving on to what? Are there curriculum standards requiring it to be addressed?

-- What should we be teaching about human rights? What topics should we focus on? What skills can we develop using human rights content?

-- How should we raise the subject with our students? How can we interest them in it? What should we have them do? How can we know if we've realized our aims?

[clay dube]

Teachers in Southern California may wish to participate in a Teaching about Human Rights workshop at UCLA on February 7-8, 2004. Los Angeles Unified teachers (and those whose districts accept LAUSD credit) can receive salary point credit upon completing the workshop requirements.

Read more about the workshop at: http://international.ucla.edu/asia/article.asp?parentid=5932.

The workshop website is http://international.ucla.edu/asia/rights.

[Edit by="Clay Dube on Jan 8, 2:45:06 PM"][/Edit]

[clay dube]

Aren't we already overburdened as educators? Haven't we gotten the message that we're supposed to focus on math and literacy? Isn't trying to bring Human Rights isn't just too much?

[clay dube]

After hearing Geoff Robinson's presentation and reading Nobel Economics Prize Winner Amartya Sen's essay on "What Li Peng and Lee Kuan Yew Don't Know About Asian Values," how might we explain to students that while we must be tolerant of others and understanding of cultural differences, we must also insist on our common humanity and, therefore, our inalienable rights (i.e., can't be taken nor given away) as humans?

*****

One of my favorite passages in the Confucian classics comes from Mencius. A student asks about an instance in which a king was killed. He expects Mencius to take an absolutist position that such a killing must always be condemned. Mencius, however, argues that the king had not behaved in a kingly fashion and so his murder was not regicide.

Thus, even the elitist Mencius has expectations of rulers and rulers who fall short and not really rulers.

You won't be surprised that the Ming dynasty founder Zhu Yuanzhang (c. 14th century) elected not to include this passage in the official version of the classics that he had printed and distributed.

[Edit by="Clay Dube on Feb 13, 8:22:55 AM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

i really enjoyed the day @hr today. trying to catch up with pre-reading materials, i decided to take public transportation this morning. (' ')btw, reading in a moving vehicle isn't a hot idea! (' :~ ')suggest not trying~ well, back to reaing in a traveling vehicle, it made me think about how the world operates... in my little understanding of the human history, invasion throughout the history was for the purpose of economical, political, and religious gains, and in the order i have listed. what interests me the most, in such chaos, someone has decided to take another step forward, and opened the box of human rights like pandora's box. i know, pandora was not supposed to open hers, but this box of hr, it should ve never been boxed in the first place... [Edit by="rlee on Feb 7, 8:13:14 PM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

Very good seminar on Sunday. I keep thinking that as a 5th grade teacher this project keys right in on the need for depth and complexity in elementary classroom teaching. It really lends itself to tiered assignments and really meaningful teaching molments. I think problem based learning really gives the kids something they can dig their little teeth into, and allows the high acheivers tha ability to be high acheiving in a meaningful and interesting way.

I keep going back to the issue of American exceptionalism and the definitional issues surrounding civil vs. human rights. I think this is a true teachable molment right now with what is going on in this country, and the possible links to other infringements on citizen rights through american history in the last 100 years. This brings up red scare ideas, relocation camps, stereotyping, etc..

[Anonymous]

The organization, Facing History and Ourselves (www.facinghistory.org), is active in Los Angeles in the area of human rights. They are hosting a workshop titled, “The Chinese American Experience” on Thursday, May 20, 2004, 4:30 -8:00 pm at the Chinese American Museum, 423 North Los Angeles Street (Hellman Quon in the Garnier Building). The workshop is full, but there may be cancellations. Call Marti Tippens at 626-744-1177 ex 25.
If you cannot make it, I will be attending and will report back here after the meeting.

Ron Walcott

[Anonymous]

Especially with regard to the spotlight that was just shone upon China during the recent Olympics, I think that human rights is an issue that should be forefront in our educational efforts. I teach at a private, Catholic school and human rights is definitely a part of our religion department curriculum, but it is also huge in history and English. I teach both of those latter subjects and I find that it is often easy to use literature and historical events to bring the discussion up to the modern era, especially when it comes to human rights. I do not know if human rights are actually present in the state standards, though they should be, but I do know that many teachers do teach about them. Also, if human rights are not present in your curriculum, you could also reach out to Amnesty International, a group dedicated to preserving human rights around the world. It is easy to open and operate a chapter at a high school, and they offer great free resources and information about global issues.

[Anonymous]

A great resource I have used that has amazing human rights lesson plans is "Teaching Tolerance" It deserves a look for all of us who want to instill empathy and and sense of justice in our students with our day-to-day lessons.

http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp

[Anonymous]

Human rights belong at every level of education. What is important is how those rights are framed so that they can be understood by the students. I think that we do a disservice to our kids if we don't discuss these issues. Kids in America's ghettos live in conditions where many of their basic rights get violated on a daily basis. So many educators have never experienced conditions in the impoverished neighborhoods and so they can't relate to their students. Human rights is a way for everyone to connect and voice their frustrations in a healthy classroom setting. As educators we should never shy away from the hard topics and it is extremely helpful for students to begin championing the cause of human rights from a very early age and learn that these rights belong to everyone and not just a select group of people. Learning about human rights also helps students understand the importance of political participation.

[Anonymous]

Is this still a viable opportunity. I would very interested in knowing more about the project and attend if possible. Can you please provide more details? I think it is a great concern and it would be best that children become aware of human rights issues and problems as early as pre-K where they already begin to discern the "I" and the "Others" and how selfhood-selfishness and altruism play a significant role in developing human rights attitudes and concepts.

[Anonymous]

Not at all. It is imperative to focus on humanity for students, and worldwide problems. My students have little awareness about what is going on in Haiti, let aloe with the pictures of the Norwegian Cruise docked at a private beach right after the disaster. It is our mandate to make them accountable for humanity.

[Author]

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