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Vid - Intro to goals - How Can you/child help with GG - Vimeo

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Vid - Intro to goals - How Can you/child help with GG - Vimeo

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Global Citizenship School - General Class Videos

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Global Citizenship School - Lesson Plans

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English World's Largest Lesson Part 3 : Take Action! from World's Largest Lesson on Vimeo .

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Why is sustainability is important 5 mins

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Why is sustainability is important 5 mins

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Why is sustainability important? A tip to explain it

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Vid 5 mins Discrimination - Exploring Diversity

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Vid 5 mins Discrimination - Exploring Diversity

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A Peacock in the Land of Penguins by BJ Gallagher

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The Science of Stereotypes?: Keith Jason at TEDxEMU - Bing video

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I've always strived to make my book lists useful for parents, especially when they want to talk to their kids about important topics. Social justice, whether it be environmental, political, gender oriented, or economic is a crucial subject and we must discuss it with our children if we want them to grow up to be compassionate global citizens.

I've gathered a list of social justice books for kids that address a variety of global issues, but of course the troubles around the world are endless. At the bottom of the post are links to more picture book lists that will help you in your endeavor to talk to your kids about important problems facing the world. (Note: covers and titles are affiliate links.)

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan. Many Western children take school for granted, and often (like mine) complain about having to go every day, their homework and sigh about how they would rather play all day. Instead of lecturing them about the importance of education, I prefer to read them books that encourage them to understand what a privilege school is and how we should fight for everyone's right to safely go to school. This is a powerful story of how the Taliban forbid girls to go to school, yet Nasreen's grandmother took great risks to sent Nasreen to a secret school. It is narrated by the grandmother, which is an unusual choice by Winter, but an effective one in allowing kids to have a bit of distance from the emotional roller coaster of the story. There is violence, so preview the book to ensure it is appropriate for your child.

Granddaddy's Turn. As our country is turning back the clock on voter's rights, it is more crucial than ever that we encourage our children to remember how those rights were hard won. I really enjoyed the recent book, Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and this one is another to add to your reading list. Michael's granddaddy heads out to vote for the first time, but when he gets to the polls and he admits he can't read, he does not get to vote after all. Years later, when Michael goes to vote, he brings along his granddaddy's photo. I like the way the book emphasized the generational progress, which is a great hook for talking about this subject with your kids.

One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia is based on the true story of women who will help you discuss how environmental and social justice are intrinsically linked. When Isatou noticed that plastic bags do not degrade like traditional baskets when discarded she comes up with a plan to return beauty to her home and help the economic situation of her neighbors. Together, the women crochet plastic strips into small purses to sell at the market. This book is a good lesson on how communities can take action on their own, as well as pursuing more widespread measures through legislation.

A is for Activist. A board book that's not just for babies! With a fun sense of humor, this alphabet book introduces kids to the idea that life may not be all about acquiring the latest Thomas Train. I was worried this book would be annoyingly didactic, but the rhymes and wit make this introduction to social justice a worthwhile read. The book teaches generosity, compassion, consideration for others. Use the book as a starting point for further discussions about the topics. Counting on Community is a companion book which turns a simple counting book into an inspiring call to action.

Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She was recognized for her work restoring trees to Kenya. The wonderful thing about Maathai's story is that it involves the cooperation of an extended community of women and will make kids aware of the power of individuals to bring positive, long-lasting global change. As always, Kadir Nelson's illustrations are stunning. In addition, I enjoyed Jeannette Winter's version of Wangari's story in the picture book, Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa. You can find several other books about Wangari at your library, too.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This is a good beginner's guide to MLK. It's informative but not overly long as some picture book biographies can be. It gives a solid introduction to MLK's life and work and is beautifully illustrated. I'm not a teacher, but I imagine this would be a great choice for a Kindergarten or first grade classroom.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Clara comes to NYC dirt poor but full of grit. She works a miserable, backbreaking job at a garment factory. An extraordinary individual, she taught herself to read and led the largest walkout of women workers in U.S. History, despite being beaten and jailed for participating in labor strikes. Melissa Sweet's books and illustrations just keep getting better and better and she tells a valuable story of the history of women workers and the importance of fair labor practices, which still resonates today.

Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation tells the story of school desegregation 10 years before Brown v. the Board of Education. In 1944, Sylvia's family moved to a new community. When she tried to attend school, she was told that she would have to go to "the Mexican school". Sylvia and her family fight back and eventually win a very important court battle, setting the stage for future desegregation cases. This is a great book to teach our kids that segregation extended beyond the Jim Crow laws of the South.

Ruby's Wish. In old China, Ruby lives with her enormous family. Boys are considered lucky and girls are expected to embroider and get married. Ruby is dissatisfied with her family's emphasis on traditional gender roles. Ruby doesn't want to get married, she wants to go to university like her brothers. Ruby tells her grandfather her wish, but doesn't expect things to change for her. Just before she thinks she will have to get married, however, she finds her wish has been granted. This is a great book to start a conversation, not only about how society's expectations for girls has changed ( or not changed) over time, but also about the importance of speaking up for what you want.

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson is written and illustrated by a stellar team: Pam Muñoz Ryan and Brian Selznick. Like her jazz counterpart, Josephine Baker, contralto Marian Anderson found true acceptance first in Europe because Americans were unwilling to accept a black woman on the stage . When the DAR refused to allow her to perform at Constitution Hall, Eleanor Roosevelt arranged for her to sing at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. ( Watch a video of that performance here.) Like all the other women on this list, Anderson had to overcome strong barriers to achieve her success. Ryan skillfully recounts Anderson's life as a singer and civil rights activist and captures the emotional ups and downs of Anderson's journey. Selznick's illustrations shine. An extensive author's note is included.

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq. When war threatens to destroy Alia's precious library collection, which includes rare editions, she bravely works to move 30,000 volumes to safety. This is a powerful story about courage and determination.

Malala, a Brave Girl from Pakistan/Iqbal, a Brave Boy from Pakistan: Two Stories of Bravery is actually two books in one. Both extraordinary protagonists figure in the fight for the rights of children. Malala, who survived an assassination attempt, was the recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. Iqbal fought for child-labor rights in Pakistan but was tragically shot and killed at the age of 12. The stories are well written with simple, yet effective text ( Winter has a number of good non-fiction biographies for children) but parents may decide the seriousness of the subject matter means this book is best for older kids.

UPDATE: I received a comment below asking for books about justice for people with disabilities. This is a great theme. I am adding Emmanuel's Dream; if you know of any good picture books, please let me know.

This social justice book list is by no means complete! Add your favorite titles to the comments below, but also check out the following lists which include many books about global social justice that I could easily have added here:

We have over 100 book lists for kids. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don't miss any of our upcoming Monday book lists.

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Social Justice Books for Kids to Teach about Global Issues

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I've always strived to make my book lists useful for parents, especially when they want to talk to their kids about important topics. Social justice, whether it be environmental, political, gender oriented, or economic is a crucial subject and we must discuss it with our children if we want them to grow up to be compassionate global citizens.

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What Is Justice?: Crash Course Philosophy #40

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Lesson Plans/Resources - Global Citizenship

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Lesson Plans/Resources - Global Citizenship

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Today's youth has a broad global perspective, and as you may have seen in the news, young people are committed now more than ever to advancing human rights. This December 10 th, as we celebrate International Human Rights Day, take some time to educate students on their human rights and how they can protect their freedoms.

What is International Human Rights Day?

International Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 th, as it commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. According to the UHCHR (United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner), the formal inception wasn't until two years later in 1950 when the assembly asked all states to adopt December 10 th as Human Rights Day.

The Declaration of Human Rights Day sets out a broad range of human rights that all individuals, regardless of their race, nationality, sex, religion, or any other status, are entitled to. For example, everyone is entitled to rights such as the right to life and liberty, the right to work, the right to an education, as well as freedoms such as freedom from slavery, freedom of expression, and so on.

Why is it Important to Celebrate International Human Rights Day with Students?

Educating our youth about human rights is important because many of us take them for granted every single day. Having knowledge of these rights and these laws that protect us all will give students the skills they need to defend them or apply them in their own daily lives. It will also help them understand how they should be treated as well as how they should treat others. Educating students about human rights empowers them with learning outside of the classroom and onto the playgrounds, their homes, and even in their community. It can help create a healthier school culture that can lead to reduced bullying and other negative or unwanted behaviors.

Ways to Celebrate International Human Rights Day in Class

One of the best ways to educate students on human rights is to start by showing them the history. Have students watch this short YouTube video to get some background about human rights before you dig deeper into the topic. Once they understand the basics and the history, you can move on to classroom activities.

Human Rights as a Human Being

To continue the conversation about human rights, show students the abbreviated version of the Declaration of Human Rights. Explain that after World War ll, all of the countries agreed on a document that would make the world more peaceful if everyone respected every human being.

Then ask students, "What does it mean to be human?" Write down student answers as they brainstorm. Then ask, "What is a right when we speak of a human right?" Record these different meanings as well. Next, write down this definition:
Human rights belong to all people regardless of their sex, race, color, language, national origin, age, class, religion, or political beliefs. They are universal rights, simply because we exist as human beings.
Ask students to write a brief paragraph explaining one way they could make their community more peaceful by showing respect to others.

Mapping Human Rights

Each community and neighborhood has a variety of different landmarks that can each be associated with a different human right. For example, a church or other place of worship would be associated with the freedom of religion. This activity challenges students to work together in small groups to create a map of their community as well as identify what human right is associated with each landmark. Younger students can be given a map as well as a list of human rights, while older students can draw their own map and research which human right correlates with each landmark.

Create a Human Rights Tree

Fruit trees only produce one specific fruit, but a magical (pretend) human rights tree can produce a variety of different fruits. For this activity, have students use craft supplies to create a one-of-a-kind piece of fruit that has a specific human right written on it. Students can choose from the United Nations copy of the Declaration of Human Rights. Create a wall display of a tree with a lot of branches that students can attach their magical human rights fruit onto.

Human Rights Group Project

Students will work in teams or small groups to illustrate a specific human right that they choose from the abbreviated Universal Declaration of Human Rights list. For this presentation, students can create a skit, commercial, online presentation, iMovie, song, dance, or any other way they feel will best illustrate their chosen topic. Once projects are completed, classmates must try and guess which human right each group is presenting.

Take-Action through the Youth for Human Rights Organization

The actions of young people and other like-minded individuals can create awareness and even build movements in their community. The website Youth for Human Rights helps young people become one voice for human rights awareness by helping them take action. Students can get involved by petitioning their government and making human rights education part of the curriculum or get involved in creative competitions like art, essay, and poetry contests.

Start a Family Service Project

Human Rights Day is the perfect opportunity to challenge students to start a family service project. This can be anything from putting together care packages for those in need to dropping off extra food from home to the local food bank. If volunteering isn't something that students and their families are able to do, then children can simply make cards for those in need.

An education in human rights will help students appreciate the rights they have. Knowing about their rights and responsibilities, as well as understanding them, will help them gain a better understanding of the world around them. Children of all ages may feel or see something unjust at some point in their lives, and having a human rights education can help build upon that understanding of injustice and explore the human rights that are around us.

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Celebrating International Human Rights Day in your Class - TeachHUB

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Today's youth has a broad global perspective, and as you may have seen in the news, young people are committed now more than ever to advancing human rights.

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There are three resources designed and piloted by practicing primary teachers for use in the primary classroom. The resources mirror the spiral curriculum with each resource building on the knowledge and skills acquired in the previous. The Right Start is designed for use with Junior Infant to 2nd classes, Lift Off is for 3rd and 4th class and Me, You Everyone is for 5th and 6th class.

Human Rights Education Whole School Approach (PDF)
Qatar 2022: Fair or Foul
Human rights are at the core of a sustainable future here in Ireland and across the globe. Having educated citizens to advocate in support of human rights is critical to create such a future. Amnesty International Ireland has a long and positive record in supporting human rights education and 'Qatar 2022: Fair or Foul' is another important contribution to that work. All teachers are invited to use the lessons from our newest resource and to join Amnesty's efforts in educating our children to both claim their own human rights and to stand up for the human rights of others.
Human Rights Stories (PDF)
This resource provides five tales of human rights defenders - Fela, Maria, Bobo, Ishmael and Farai. Each story is written in a version for older and younger learners. The resource includes a range of curriculum links, lesson activities class questions, worksheets and teacher's notes. Engaging with the stories through discussion, creative thinking and character exploration can support the development of literacy. Through the familiar medium of storytelling, human rights situations can be explored on a level which children can encounter the real life impact of human rights in practice.

The Right Start (PDF)

This resource is designed for use with Junior Infants to Second Class and is focused on developing the skills of empathy, communication, cooperation, respect and responsibility and conflict resolution. With these skills young children can live the message of human rights in their daily lives and then use these skills to engage fully with knowledge based learning on human rights contained in the next resource. The activities outlined in The Right Start resource link directly to strands and strand units of the SPHE curriculum.

Lift Off (PDF)

This resource is designed for use with third and fourth class. It focuses on knowledge of human rights issues while also building on the human rights skills and attitudes fostered and developed in "The Right Start". This resource contains ten lesson plans focusing on equality, refugee issues, the role of human rights promoters, needs, wants and rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The lessons described in the Lift Off resource link directly to strands and strand units of the SPHE curriculum. An Irish language version of this resource is also available: Lift Off - Irish (PDF) Me, You Everyone (PDF)

This resource is designed for use with fifth and sixth class. It again focuses on knowledge of human rights issues while further fostering and developing the skills and attitudes acquired from the previous resources. The resource contains ten lesson plans focusing on identity, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, taking responsibility, gender issues, valuing difference, child labour, conflict and dialogue, the role of children's rights promoters and defenders and how to take action for human rights. The lesson units outlined in the Me, You, Everyone resource link directly to strands and strand units of the SPHE curriculum.
Human rights education toolkit
School children from around the world have sent messages of solidarity to the thousands of children who have been detained and separated from their families at the US border, as a result of the Trump administration's outrageous immigration policies. Schools interested in taking part in the letter writing action can download the human rights education toolkit.

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Human Rights Education Resources - Primary School - Amnesty International Ireland

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Inspiring people against injustice to bring Ireland and the world closer to human rights & dignity enjoyed by all.

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Global learning in the classroom

We offer a huge range of free curriculum-linked resources for developing global learning in the classroom, across the school and beyond. Lesson plans, assemblies, videos, games and more! We've been working with teachers for more than 50 years, helping young people to learn about global issues, think critically, and take action for a better world. Here's a selection of our most popular resources.

Photo: Nigel Willmot / Oxfam

Global learning in the classroom

We offer a huge range of free curriculum-linked resources for developing global learning in the classroom, across the school and beyond. Lesson plans, assemblies, videos, games and more! We've been working with teachers for more than 50 years, helping young people to learn about global issues, think critically, and take action for a better world. Here's a selection of our most popular resources.

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Free ideas, resources and support for active global citizenship in the classroom and beyond.