Woven Teaching believes that human rights education is essential for students to understand and assert their own rights and to protect the rights of others. As a result, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) lies at the core of Woven Teaching’s materials. The document’s 30 articles outline fundamental human rights: basic rights and freedoms which every human being is entitled to, regardless of the person’s race, religion, birthplace, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. Although its articles are not legally binding, the UDHR serves as the moral compass for the international community.

Article 1 of the UDHR establishes the equality and dignity of all people.

A lesson about Article 1 has many applications in the classroom. For example, it could be added to units about:

• Historical oppression of a group or groups (e.g., Jews in Nazi Germany, colonialism/imperialism, etc.)
• The American Civil Rights Movement
• 504 Sit-In and the disability rights movement

Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not legally-binding, the rights described in its articles can be found in international covenants and treaties which are legally-binding. The equality and dignity of all people is outlined in the Preamble of the UN Charter, which was signed in June 1945 with the establishment of the United Nations. As a Member State of the United Nations, the United States must abide by its articles.

What are Human Rights? (20 Minutes)

Students will watch a video and consider important concepts in the field of human rights.

1. Begin by asking students to spend a few minutes writing a response to the following prompt:
   
   A right is a moral or legal entitlement to have something or to act in a certain way. Why is it important for people to have rights? What are two rights that you think every human should have, and why?

   After a few minutes, ask a few students to share their ideas with the class. Record their answers on the board.

2. Before watching the video below, explain that human rights are rights which all people have, without exception, just for being human. They are:
   
   • inalienable: unable to be revoked or taken away;
   • indivisible: unable to be separated;
   • interdependent: they work together, each one needed for the exercise of other rights; and
   • universal: applicable to all people.
3. Watch “What are the universal human rights? (TED-Ed, 4:46) then discuss the following questions:
   
   • Why did the United Nations believe that a Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was needed?
     Possible answers: Devastation caused by World War II, persecution of Jews, Roma, and others during the Holocaust, etc.
   
   
   • The video gives examples of civil/political rights and social, economic, and cultural rights. Can you guess what the definition of these terms are? What do civil and political rights guarantee? What do social/economic/cultural rights guarantee?
     Possible answers: Civil and political rights restrict the government from interfering with an individual or their freedom (e.g., freedom of speech, right to a fair trial). Social, economic, and cultural rights require the government to provide support or protections (e.g., right to education, right to medical care).
   
   
   • What are some of the criticisms of the UDHR mentioned in the film?
     Possible answers: Too Western-focused, extremely difficult to enforce and prosecute, etc.
   
   
   • The UDHR is not legally binding. Do you think it is important for the international community to have a document like the UDHR, even if it is not enforceable? Why or why not?

   Teaching Tip: If your classroom is not equipped with technology or you are implementing this lesson in a distance learning plan with limited technology, students can read the “What are Human Rights?” handout in place of viewing the short film.

Examining Dignity and Equality (25 Minutes)

Students will explore their beliefs related to freedom, dignity, and equality.

1. Distribute one copy of the “What Do I Believe?” handout to each student.


2. Ask a volunteer to read Article 1 of the UDHR:
   All humans are born free and equal. You have the same rights as anyone else and should be treated with dignity and respect.
   
   
3. Review Article 1 vocabulary together (at the top of the handout) to ensure understanding. Ask for a volunteer to analyze the Equality/Equity drawing and explain the difference between the two concepts.


4. Explain that you will read a series of statements (see below). At the end of each statement, students will mark “agree” or “disagree” on the handout, and will be given 1 minute to make a quick note about why they chose their answer. Remind them that there are no wrong answers and that they should mark their answers quickly, without spending too much time thinking about the question.


5. After you have read all of the statements, review each statement and ask students to share their opinions. Before the discussion, remind students that their classmates may have different opinions, particularly as a result of their own lived experiences. Encourage respectful dialogue between students who disagree, noting that treating people with dignity includes respecting that others may share different opinions.
   • Were there differences of opinion? Why do you think that is?
   • What might freedom look like in our country?
   • What might equality look like in our country?
   • What might equity look like in our classroom? In our school?

   Belief Statements – I believe that… everyone in my country is free. everyone in my country is equal. everyone in my country is treated equally. everyone in my community is treated with dignity. the ability to vote makes everyone equal. access to education makes everyone equal. I am treated with dignity at school. others are treated with dignity at school. equality is more important than equity.

Closing (15 Minutes)

Everyone has a role to play in promoting and protecting human rights for all. How can students help uphold and defend human rights?

1. Ask students to answer one of the following questions in their notebooks:
   • What does being treated with dignity look like to you? What does it feel like?
   • Is equality/equity an important social goal? Why or why not?
   • What can you do as an individual to ensure people are treated with dignity at school?
2. After 5 minutes, instruct students to move into groups of three and briefly share what they have written. Give students another 5 minutes to discuss in their groups.


3. Bring the class together, asking groups to share what they discussed. As students share what they can do personally to ensure people are treated with dignity at school, write their responses on the board. After class, transfer student responses to chart paper or poster board and display in your classroom as a reminder of the small actions that your students can take to promote a human rights-forward environment at school.

What are Human Rights?

What is a right?
A right is an entitlement to do something or to be protected from something. Rights are different from privileges, which are special benefits granted to a specific person or group of people.

What are human rights?
Human rights are basic rights and freedoms which every single human being is entitled to, regardless of their race, religion, birthplace, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristic. This means that they are universal–rights apply to everyone. Human rights are also inalienable, meaning that they cannot be taken away.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Throughout history, different cultures have developed ideas about justice and human rights, but it was not until 1948 that these ideas were adopted by the international community.

In the wake of World War II and the Holocaust, the international community struggled to figure out how it could prevent such atrocities from happening again. At the end of the war, a new organization, the United Nations, gathered experts from around the world to draft a document outlining the basic human rights.

Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) contains 30 articles. Its core principle is that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The document contains positive freedoms (the freedom to do something, such as the freedom to get married) and negative freedoms (the right to be free from something, such as the right to be free from slavery or servitude). The document contains both civil/political rights and social, economic, and cultural rights.

Civil and political rights restrict the government from interfering with an individual or their freedom. Examples: Freedom of speech Right to a fair trial

Social, economic, and cultural rights require the government to provide support or protections. Examples: Right to education Right to medical care

The UDHR does not claim that one type of right is more important than the other. Instead, it says that all rights are interdependent and that one type of right cannot exist without the other.

Criticism of the UDHR Since 1948, people around the world have used the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a tool to create a more equitable and peaceful world; however, the UDHR has also been the subject of a great deal of criticism. Some critiques include:

• Although it laid the foundation for modern human rights law, the UDHR itself is not legally binding. Human rights laws do exist, but they are extremely difficult to enforce and do not always prevent human rights abuses. While the United Nations monitors and investigates human rights abuses, it cannot force a government to change its policies or actions.
• The document was written under the leadership of the United States at the beginning of the Cold War. As a result, critics argue that it is biased toward Western values and ignores cultural differences that exist between societies.
• The UDHR privileges the rights of the individual over collectives such as tribes, communities, or religious groups. This focus on the individual is a reflection of Western values. By definition, genocide is the mass killing of people with certain characteristics or identities, so by not focusing on group rights, critics argue that the UDHR does not help to prevent this type of violence in the future.

Even with these limitations, the creation of the UDHR was an important step in outlining the rights of each person around the globe. It was the first document of its kind and continues to guide international law and values. At its core is the belief in the inherent dignity of each individual and the prevention of discrimination.

The UDHR has been translated into 500 languages and in 1999, it became the most translated document in history.

  

What Do I Believe?

Vocabulary dignity: the right of a person to be valued and respected equality: each person treated the same way or is given the same resources Example: Each student must read 100 pages per week. All students are given the same book. equity: each person is given what they need to succeed. Equity acknowledges that each person has different circumstances, so different resources or opportunities might be needed to reach an equal outcome. Example: Each student must read one hour per week. Students are given different books based on their individual reading levels. freedom: the condition of being able to do, say, and think whatever you like without restraint

Read each statement. On a separate piece of paper, write whether you agree or disagree with the statement, and why.

1. I believe that everyone in my country is free.
2. I believe that everyone in my country is equal.
3. I believe that everyone in my country is treated equally.
4. I believe that everyone in my community is treated with dignity.
5. I believe that the ability to vote makes everyone equal.
6. I believe that access to education makes everyone equal.
7. I believe that I am treated with dignity at school.
8. I believe that others are treated with dignity at school.
9. I believe that equality is more important than equity.