Welcome to the first issue of the Partners in Human Rights Education (Partners Project) Newsletter! The Partners Project is growing -- you are 300 partners throughout Minnesota! This newsletter will be a forum for sharing curricula, resources, and experiences between YOU -- the teachers, lawyers, and community representatives involved in teaching human rights and responsibilities in the classroom. We look forward to hearing about your successes, frustrations, and suggestions. What is my name?"Hi. I am your newsletter. Please give me a name! I have a right to a name...." (Please send, fax, or call in suggestions for names for the newsletter by January 10, 1995. Partners Project staff will choose the name.) Team Tips In every issue the Partners Project will provide team tips. These are suggestions which your team may find useful. If you have a team tip, please let us know. You can leave a message by phone or send it by fax or mail. November Tip Each team is responsible for planning lessons together and presenting lessons and activities to the students. The following suggestions may be useful for getting started:
Lesson Plans To help generate ideas for lessons and share classroom experiences, each issue we will highlight a lesson plan that teams have used. The lesson plan can be a lesson for one class or a unit. Please include the following:
Please include the names of the team members, grade of class, school and city. Depending on the number of lesson plans received and accompanying handouts, the Partners Project may print short descriptions for lessons for the three grade levels. You will be able to contact the Partners Project for a complete copy of the lesson. Please send in any lessons that you feel were successful and worthwhile. In May, we will have available a compilation of the lesson plans used by Partners Project teams. This will be the cumulation of your efforts! Rights and Responsibilities Age Level/Appropriateness for Special Needs Students K-4, 5-8, 9-12, Special Needs Students: Each level may need to have some adaptions of the lesson. Objectives: Students will: * Define right and responsibility. * Write a list of rights and corresponding responsibilities for the classroom. Materials: Overhead and markers or chalkboard Dictionary Time: One class period. Introduction: In pairs students write their own definition of right and responsibility. Students then look up the definitions in the dictionary. Body:
Conclusion:
Evaluation: Student: participation in team work and class discussion. Team: clarity of the objective. Community ACTION! Projects Students work hard to understand the concepts of human rights and responsibilities. This section will be devoted to sharing the successes of the students who act on what they have learned to make our world a better place to be. Please send a short description of the community action project including planning steps and results, the name of the school, grade level or class, team names, along with any media coverage to the Partners Project. Government
Class, 9th Grade The attorney analyzed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the students. The project was based on an idea from the attorney. The students were paired and given two rights. Each pair developed a list of organizations on the local and state level applicable to each right, i.e. Habitat for Humanity for housing. The students developed their research skills, using phone books, First Call for Help (United Way publication), and the public library. Developing their communication skills, students called each organization. They created a list of questions to obtain information for their summaries on each organization. The students also contacted one organization outside of Minnesota that related to the rights. The students learned about resources and gained an awareness of what was going on their local community. The St. Thomas students compiled the research. The project is a resource for students interested in community service projects. Students need access to resources and adult supervision. Take A Look! This section will be an active bibliography with resources that you have found thought-provoking, inspirational, helpful, etc. Please submit titles of articles about human rights topics and human rights education, novels, non-fictional works, poetry, music and art along with a short summary about the work or author and the title of the publication as appropriate. Your local public library may have some of the resources.
Curricula/Resources Curricula, materials, and videos may be checked out for one week. Please return materials promptly. The Partners Project continues to purchase materials for the library. If you have suggestions for curricula, resource materials or videos, please let us know. In addition, please let us know about sources for human rights education posters, bookmarks, etc. that you find helpful. We will reprint the information in the newsletter. Currently a listing of resources available in the U of M Human Rights Center is being developed. You will receive a copy in Spring 1995. Partners Publications The Partners Project encourages team members and students to be creative about human rights in the arts, literature, and journalism. In May the Partners Project will publish two collections of human rights journalism, creative writing and art. One will be for team participants and the other for their students. Please send copies of writings and art to the U of M Human Rights Center by April 1, 1995. The collections will be available at the 1995 Partners in Human Rights Education Recognition Event. Greater Minnesota Partners in Human Rights Education is growing and reaching youth in Greater Minnesota. Teams are in Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Grand Rapids, and Remer. The first training in Itasca County was held on October 29, 1994 in Grand Rapids. Expansion of the Partners Project to Greater Minnesota communities takes place through focus group meetings, community meetings, trainings or introductory workshops, and follow-up workshops. The Partners Project plans to expand to at least one area in southern Minnesota this spring. If you know anyone in any area who might be interested in becoming involved in the Partners Project, please let Maria know who they are and how they can be contacted. Human Rights Events Calendar This space is devoted to information about upcoming human rights events. We hope that you will become involved in this effort -- the possibilities are extensive! Events can include theatre performances, author visits, storytelling, speakers, films, dance performances, and commemorative event dates. These are only some ideas. Please include a brief description of the event, location, and contact name and phone number. You may also want to include how the event will affect understanding human rights and responsibilities. Just give us a call or drop us a note! December 1994 3 World Solidarity Meeting in Cuba Report, Pastors for Peace, Resource Center of the Americas, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Pastors for Peace who attended the November 21-25 international conference in Cuba will report on this meeting and the fourth U.S.-Cuba Friendshipment and National March on Washington. (612)627-9445. 10 Partners Project Refugee and Immigrant Workshop, Hubert Humphrey Institute, 10:00 a.m. to 12-:30 p.m. Activities and curricula will be presented on the myths and facts about refugees and immigrants. Curricula will be available for purchase for $5. Call (612)626-0041 to r.s.v.p. 14 Current Issues in Guatemala. Presentation by Peter Martin Morales at the People of Faith Peacemakers Breakfast. 8:00 a.m. St. Martin's Table. (612)784-5177. January 1995 26 1995 Beijing Women's Conference Briefing. Persons interested in volunteering to work with Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights delegation to Beijing, China for the Fourth World Conference on Women in September 1995 should plan to attend the briefing. Offices of Briggs & Morgan. 8:00 a.m. (612)341-3302. 28 Partners in Human Rights Education Training. U of M Law School, Minneapolis. Registration, 8:30 a.m. Training and Luncheon, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Training will be held for new team participants. Anyone interested must sign up by January 20, 1995. Call (612)626-0041 for more information and to sign-up. Upcoming Issues Deadline for the
January 15, 1995 issue: January 5, 1995. Please send materials to: Attn: Maria Baldini,
Andrea Knutson You can also fax them to: U of M Human Rights
Center Partners Project Staff & Office Hours General Office Hours Monday to Thursday: 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Other hours to check out materials from the Human Rights Resource Library can be arranged. Please call two days in advance. Partners in Human Rights Education is located in the Human Rights Center, Room 437, 4th floor, at the U of M Law School. NOTE: Semester finals begin December 12, 1994. Some staff may not keep regular hours during this time. We will try to return calls as quickly as possible. Please call before coming to the Human Rights Center. Thanks for your understanding and patience! Winter Break: The office will be closed for the winter break December 22, 1994 to January 8, 1994. ?????? Staff The Partners Project is staffed by the Partners Project Director, several students and a volunteer. The following is to acquaint you with the staff and the best times to contact them. Kristi works half-time as the Partners Project Director. She is also a Co-Director of the U of M Human Rights Center. In addition, Kristi is the U of M Law School Public Relations Coordinator. Lisa Cramer is a Master's Degree student in International Development Education. Lisa coordinates recruitment and matching in the Twin Cities as well as the December Refugee Workshop and the February Media Workshop. She can be reached at the Human Rights Center between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Christine Young is a third year law student. Christine coordinates the Speaker's Bureau and works on several projects. She can be reached between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. and between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Maria Baldini is a first year law student. Maria coordinates development and expansion efforts in Greater Minnesota and the newsletter. She can be reached between 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Andrea Knutson is a volunteer. She works on various projects, including the newsletter. Her hours are flexible. Sandra Schreur Jones is a second year law student. Sandra coordinates the Human Rights Education Resource Library.
|
Plan to meet for at least an hour.
