A study of human rights prepares students for their role as global citizens and their study of practices in the world's countries that relate to the rights of human beings. Today, when one talks of human rights it is usually with reference to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). It is the task of teachers to give students the…

A recent survey commissioned by the American Red Cross about the attitudes of the post-9/11 generation toward the Geneva Conventions reveals that 59% of youth, compared with 51% of adults, believe that torturing the enemy is always or sometimes acceptable. The Geneva Conventions are at the core of international humanitarian law (IHL) and protect…

Topic 8, Our Contemporary World: Problems and Issues, in a theme issue on Teaching World History Through Science Fiction, presents this short story to motivate discussion on dehumanization, resulting in a society where the single driving force is order and unity and promptness and clocklike precision. (JB)

A science fiction story humorously relates the discovery of human computational abilities in an age when computers are believed to be the only means of solving number problems. (AV)

Discusses assumptions underlying human need for privacy. Provides case studies and teaching strategies related to privacy, constitutional principles, legal cases, and decision making. Strategies include role playing, class discussion, writing, and art projects. (KC)

Provides a brief history of the development of the United Nations. Identifies achievements of the United Nations in the promotion of human rights, the translation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into binding international covenants, and the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to ensure the protection of human rights. (KO)

Describes a World Core Curriculum which applies to education of the United Nations framework for dealing with complex issues. Contends that this curriculum gives children a picture of their home and family, a sense of the time flow in which they exist, and an idea of their importance to humanity's progress. (KO)

Explores the meaning of distributive justice and considers the importance of teaching the concept in social studies classes. Delineates characteristics of reasonable arguments for treating people differently to bring about justice. Presents situations to generate classroom discussion of the concept of justice. (NL)

Presents the address delivered by President Tedd Levy at the 78th National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference. Stresses that social studies offers students a place to discuss social-environmental problems the culture is suffering from and gives teachers a chance to promote values inherent in a more humane world. (CMK)

Asserts that, in teaching about human rights, the international standards should be the fundamental core of the content and values to be communicated. Recommends that teachers should use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the standard by which the actions of individuals and governments should be compared. (CFR)

Describes recent developments and resources in the rapidly growing field of human rights education. Explains the importance of teaching this subject with a global perspective. Includes a human rights lesson plan, student exercises, and a list of selected resources. (MJP)

Outlines and describes a fifth-grade unit of study examining issues of freedom and oppression. Students began with a biography and a presentation on an individual who had experienced discrimination. They then interviewed local people who had experienced significant freedom or oppression. Culminating activities included writing one-act plays. (MJP)

Criticizes primacy of the Eurocentric world view in social studies education. Argues that demographic realities demand that students understand and respect disparate, pluralistic values. Recommends curricular emphases and classroom methods for fostering analysis, clarification, and integration of differing ideologies. Contends that social studies…