What works with students? What doesn’t Why?

As a social studies teacher, what skills do you want your students to learn?

21st Century Skills• Critical thinking• Creativity and innovation• Collaboration• Media and technology literacy• Global awareness• Civic literacy

Approach and CredibilityIn each Choices unit, students…

• Recognize the relationship between history and current events

• Analyze and evaluate multiple perspectives on an issue• Understand the internal logic of a viewpoint• Identify and weigh the conflicting values represented by

different points of view.• Engage in informed discussion• Develop and articulate original viewpoints on an issue• Communicate in written and oral presentations• Collaborate with peers

Human Rights Unit

Diversity of MaterialsImportant for Teachers and Students

Choices at a Glance

40 curriculum units

Web resources support units• Almost 1,000 Scholars Online videos• Teaching with the News lessons

Professional Development• Leadership institute, conference

presentations, online learning module, district work

Current Issues

Historical Turning Points

Multiple Formats • PDF• Print• iPad• eText• iBook

Content Integration• US History/Government• World History• International Relations• Applicable across disciplines

What role should the United States play in protecting human rights around the world?

Competing Visions of Human Rights: Questions for U.S. Policy

Prioritizing Human RightsA lesson from Competing Visions of Human Rights:

Questions for U.S. Policy.

What exactly are human rights?How should governments protect them?How do human rights influence the lives of people around

the world?

Unit Preview

Prioritizing Human RightsA lesson from Competing Visions of Human Rights: Questions for U.S. Policy.

Arrange these statements in order of most important:

• Right to freedom of expression• Right to health

• Right to take part in cultural life• Right to be free from torture and degrading punishment• Right to life • Right to a fair trial • Right to a free and basic education• Right to vote• Right to fair wages and safe working conditions• Right to worship as you choose• Right to adequate food, clothing and housing• Right to marry and have a family

Persuade the congressional panel why your policy should be the foundation for US foreign policy.

Options:1. Led the world to freedom2. Work with the international community3. Act only when US interests are directly threatened4. Focus on our efforts at home

Some Questions to Consider:• Should the US be a member of the ICC?• Why are/aren’t human rights an important concern for the

US?• Does the UN have a role to play?

Role Play: What Role Should the US Play?

Beliefs About Human RightsRate each of the statements according to your personal beliefs:1 = Strongly Support 2 = Support 3 = Oppose

4 = Strongly Oppose

1. Human rights are not universal. The United States should respect other cultures’ interpretations of human rights.

2. In today’s interconnected world, human rights can be addressed only through international cooperation.

3. The United States should improve its own track record on human rights.4. The United States has too many problems at home to focus on those abroad.5. Promoting human rights should be the United States most important foreign policy.6. Trying to make deep changes in the way the world works in naïve and dangerous.7. Countries do not have a right to intervene in the internal affairs of other nations.8. The United States should promote economic, social and cultural rights as actively a it

supports civil and political rights.9. The United States has a moral obligation to try to stop injustices around the world.10. Human rights violations abroad will eventually affect US interests and security.11. A strong economy and national security should be the United States’ top policy interests.12. The United States should remove itself from international agreements that threaten US

constitutional rights or require changes in US laws.

Debrief:How could these materials be adapted to fit into a middle school classroom?

What applications might they serve beyond Social Studies?

Prioritizing Human Rights

• Supplemental Materials• Online Scholars