World History Unit 5: Human Rights

“To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity.”

- Nelson Mandela

UNIT OVERVIEW, Daily Plans

Day 1 Agenda: Intro to Human Rights

Do Now: Right v. Privileges of Citizens (Day 1)

1. Explain the difference between a RIGHT and a PRIVILEGE in your own words.
2. Categorize each of the following list items into one of these two categories.
3. Explain why you categorized 2 rights and 2 privileges as such.

Mini Lesson: U.S. Declaration of Independence

• Product of the European Enlightenment
• Published in 1776 after American Revolution
• One of the first declaration of universal human rights that applies to everyone
• Beginning of the modern era conception of human rights in world history

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Mini Lesson: French Revolution & Human Rights

• The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• Product of the European Enlightenment
• Published in 1789 after the French Revolution against the monarchy
• Another example of declaration of universal human rights

“Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.”

For Most of the History of Rights, Who’s Missing?

“Strengthen the female mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience.”

“Nowhere in the world, with few exceptions, are black men accorded equal treatment with white men.”

Mini Lesson: United Nations After WWII

• After World War II, the Allied Nations formed the United Nations, an international organization of countries.
• Every country is a member of the United Nations except Vatican City and Palestine.
• In December 10, 1948, the United Nations published A Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”

Learning Activity: Analyzing UN Declaration of Human Rights (Day 1)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, answer the questions 1 and 2 for the articles in your group using a few sentences each.

1. Rephrase each of the FIVE rights from your group into your own words. Be sure to look up any confusing terminology.
2. Identify which ONE of the five is the most important to you and explain why.
3. Assign each group member a Letter A-D (if possible).
4. Answer the discussion questions on next slide.

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Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Discuss: Historicizing Human Rights

1. Share the simplified articles with your new group.
2. How could the events of World War II have impacted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
3. Do you believe the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be the gold standard of international human rights? Should all countries be forced to adopt this list? Why or why not?
4. What was missing from this list of human rights? Should anything else be included in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Explain.

(Hint: Think back to the Do Now)

Day 2 Agenda: Decolonization & Revolution

Do Now: War - Bob Marley (Day 2)

1. What was your reaction to listening to this song and reading the lyrics? Describe the emotions and thoughts you had while listening to the song.
2. Marley wrote the song after Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie's 1963 speech at the UN, deeply moved by its call for the liberation of Africa. How does his lyricism relate to what learned about human rights last class?
3. Reflect on a human right that you believe is worth fighting for. Try to write an additional verse to this song about why that right is so important to you and why all people should fight to stand up for it.

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War Lyrics

New States

Cambodia

Pakistan

African decol.

Israel

As these new states formed, populations were displaced or resettled (India/Israel)

Mini-Lesson: Modern Day Latin American Exploitation

• After WWII, the United States has intervened and overthrown democratically elected governments in Latin America countless times. Just as before, the goal has been to keep an easy access to underpaid labor; cheap access to resources; avoidance of environmental regulations; and control over the region.

Mini-Lesson: Decolonization Revolutionaries

• Che Guevara and Fidel Castro led revolutionary forces through Cuba and Latin America against US imperialism
• Frantz Fanon wrote extensively in support of Algerian Independence from France
• Ho Chi Minh led revolutionary forces through Vietnam against French and US imperialism
• Mahatma Gandhi organized wide-scale anti-British protests all through India which led to its independence

Learning Activity: Quotes by Famous Postcolonial Writers (Day 2)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, answer the questions below for the quotes in the file to the right in a few sentences each.

(Total 4 quotes, at least 1 per grouping)

• Rephrase the main idea of the quote into simpler terminology. For example, imagine you are explaining this quote to a middle school student.
• What questions does this quote raise for you? Explain your thoughts while reading the quote, such as whether or not you agree with its sentiment.
• How does this quote relate to the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights or to the process of decolonization?

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Quotes by Famous Postcolonial Writers

Discuss: Postcolonialism Today

• Which of the quotes today was the most interesting to you and why?
• Did you learn anything today from these postcolonial writers that surprised or interested you? Explain.
• How might the quotes provided in today’s handout relate to what we learned about the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights or to our world today?
• Do you think you the areas of the world that we saw in today’s quotes are truly more free from colonialism than when these quotes were written? Explain.

Day 3 Agenda: Social Constructionism

Do Now: Sorites Paradox (Day 3)

1. Which number is the “best” dark blue? Light blue? Green?
2. At which SPECIFIC point does it transition from (A) dark blue→light blue? (B) Light blue→green?
3. What might this mean about our perception / conception of colors? Are colors even real? Explain.

Mini Lesson: Struggle for Meaning

• After witnessing the horrors of WWII, there was a struggle to find meaning in the world and human existence.
• New philosophical movements arose to tackle these issues, including existentialism, postmodernism, and social constructionism.

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

Mini Lesson: Social Constructionism

• A social construction, or social construct, is an invention of a particular culture or society and exists only because people agree to behave as if it exists, or agree to follow certain conventional rules.
• Traditional beliefs about race, gender, and sexuality soon began to be questioned by philosophers, sociologists, and everyday people.

“Reality enters human practices by way of the categories and descriptions that are part of those practices. The world is not ready categorized by God or nature in ways that we are forced to accept. It is constituted in one way or another as people talk it, write it and argue it.” �- Jonathan Potter

Learning Activity: Social Constructionism and Games (Day 3)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, answer the questions in the document to the right while playing your game with your group.

• Based on your learning activities questions today, do you believe that games are social constructions?
• Some have argued that everything from language, race, gender, and sexuality are similar to games in that we play by certain made up rules and that’s what makes them real. Do you agree or disagree with this idea?
• Are human rights real? What makes them real?

Social Construction of Games Handout

Discuss: Thoughts on Social Constructionism?

• Share your findings with the larger group. What game did you play? How did it meet the criteria of a social construct?
• What are the implications of social constructionism? Does this mean that everything we know and live through is all made up?
• Do social constructions matter more or less than things that are “real”?
• How might these conversations regarding social constructions relate to our discussion of human rights in the post-WWII era and present moment?

Day 4 Agenda: What is Race?

Do Now: The Myth of Race (Day 4)

• What does race mean to you? Explain what it means to be a part of one race or another. Discuss what factors shape a person’s racial identity.
• Do you believe how we enact our racial identity is similar to how we play games? (I.e. following certain made-up rules)
• What are your thoughts and reactions to the video? Reflect on something you may have agreed or disagreed with or discuss how it made you feel.

Mini Lesson: Theories of Race in History (Pre-1700)

• For most of human history, race was linked to geography and discrimination was based on power.
• For example in Ancient Roman times, most enslaved people were European and likely white-skinned. However, there was no formal recognition of race in most ancient societies.

Mini Lesson: Theories of Race in History (1700s)

• Carolus Linnaeus, an eighteenth-century Swedish naturalist, was among the first scientists to sort and categorize human beings. He regarded humanity as a species within the animal kingdom and divided the species into four varieties: European, American, Asiatic, and African.

Mini Lesson: Theories of Race in History (1795)

• Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German scientist, coined the term Caucasian in 1795 “to describe the variety of mankind that originated on the southern slopes of Mount Caucasus” along Europe’s eastern border. He claimed it was the “original” race and therefore the most “beautiful.”

Mini Lesson: Theories of Race in History (1800s)

• Samuel George Morton, an American anthropologist, theorized in the mid-1800s that intelligence is linked to brain size. After measuring a vast number of skulls from around the world, he concluded that whites have larger skulls than other races and are therefore “superior.”

Today’s Headlines

Learning Activity: Creating an Argument with Multiple Reasons (Day 4)

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Directions: Complete the argument using reasons and evidence from the sources. You may alter the format for the number of supporting arguments and counter-arguments.

Debate Question:

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How should our society conceptualize race?

Thesis Statement

In this debate, I will argue that race should be defined as ...

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Reason 1

One reason why the we should conceptualize race in this way is because …

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Evidence 1

For example, according to source …

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Reason 2

Another reason why …

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Evidence 2

For instance, based on …

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Counter-Argument

On the other hand, some may argue that …

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Evidence 3 (For Other Side)

As stated in source …

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Your Response

However, this perspective is insufficient because …

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Evidence 4 (For Your Response)

Source X demonstrates how …

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11 Ways Race Isn’t Real Article

Discuss: The Reality of Race

• Share your outline with someone who disagrees with you. How do your learning activities relate to each other?
• Do you think race actually exists? Why or why not?
• If race is a social construct, does that make it more or less “real”? Why?
• How might our understanding of race relate to other social issues? Gender? Sexuality? Borders of countries?
• Any other text→self, text→world, or text→text connections that other people have made?

Day 5 Agenda: Racism in Today’s Society

Do Now: Racism Outside the U.S. (Day 5)

• Outside of the United States, do you know of any examples of racism happening in other countries? If so, describe them. If not, look up a few and record your findings.
• What are your thoughts and reactions to the video? Reflect on something you may have learned or already knew about or discuss how this video made you feel.
• What do you think can be done to rectify racism at the global level? Explain a potential solution and why it could work.

“Just because race is a social construct doesn’t mean racism is too.”

Learning Activity: The Impact of Race in Today’s World (Day 5)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, answer the questions below for the countries in your group in complete sentences.

• Who are the main racial targets of discrimination in this country and why?
• When did this form of racial discrimination begin in this country and how has it evolved over time?
• What are some current examples of racial discrimination going on in this country and how does it compare to other situations around the world?
• What do you think could be done to stop this form of racial discrimination in this country? Explain your reasoning.

10 Worst Countries for Racial Equality

Discuss: Impact of Racial Inequality Today

• Share your findings with the larger group. What similarities did your countries share? How did they differ from one another?
• What are the implications of what you learned today? Is there anything that can be done for the rights of people in these parts of the world?
• How might these conversations regarding social constructions relate to our discussion of human rights in the post-WWII era and present moment?

Day 6 Agenda: Gender Trouble

Do Now: What is gender? (Day 6)

In your notebooks, create two lists:

1. In one list, identify interests, social roles, cultural expectations, behavioral expectations, activities, hobbies, toys, and other things that are commonly associated with FEMININITY
2. In another list, identify interests, social roles, cultural expectations, behavioral expectations, activities, hobbies, toys, and other things that are commonly associated with MASCULINITY
3. Do you believe that gender is a social construct or a product of nature? Explain your thinking.

Be prepared to share out in 5 minutes!

Do Now: What is gender?

Mini-Lesson: Role of Gender in History

An argumentative thesis states the topic of your paper, your position on the topic, and the reasons you have for taking that position.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

Despite [counter-argument], because [evidence 1] and [evidence 2], [my argument].

In this essay, I will argue that [my argument] because [reason 1], [reason 2], and [reason 3], despite [counter-argument].

How to Write Supporting Body Paragraphs

Learning Activity: Writing a Thesis and Body Paragraph(s) About Gender (Day 6)

Directions: Read the article below and try to write the following:

• a thesis statement,
• at least one supporting body paragraph

Debate Question:

Is gender a social construct or natural?

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Article for Today’s Class Activity

Discuss: Does Gender Exist?

• What are some ways gender has been “constructed” over time?
• Do you agree that gender is different than biological sex? Why or why not?
• Do you think gender actually exists? Why or why not?
• What are the similarities and differences between our conversation about gender and race?
• How might our understanding of gender relate to other social issues? Race? Sexuality? Borders of countries?
• Any other text→self, text→world, or text→text connections that other people have made?

Day 7 Agenda: Women’s Rights Today

Do Now: International Women’s Rights (Day 7)

• What are your thoughts and reactions to the videos? Reflect on something you may have learned or already knew about or discuss how this video made you feel.
• Outside of the United States, do you know of any examples of sexism happening in other countries? If so, describe them. If not, look up a few and record your findings.
• What do you think can be done to rectify sexism at the global level? Explain a potential solution and why it could work.

Mini Lesson: Global Women’s Rights Issues

• Equal employment
• Right to vote
• Property rights
• Freedom of movement
• Discrimination
• Right to health
• Right to education
• Reproductive rights
• Birth control
• Abortion
• Child marriage
• Forced marriage
• Freedom from violence

Headlines: Global Women’s Rights Issues

Taliban Orders Female TV Anchors to Cover Faces on Air in Afghanistan | HEADLINE: May 23, 2022

Supreme Court Is Prepared to Overturn Abortion Rights, Leaked Draft Opinion Shows | HEADLINE: May 3, 2022

Guatemalan President Rejects Bill Banning Marriage Equality and Increasing Penalty for Abortion | HEADLINE: March 11, 2022

More Than a Quarter of World’s Women Worldwide Have Experienced Domestic Violence | HEADLINE: February 18, 2022

10 Women and Girls Killed Each Day in Mexico, Warns Amnesty International | HEADLINE: September 21, 2021

A 2019 report from the World Bank found that women have full legal rights to men in only six countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

Mini Lesson: UN Convention on Women’s Rights

• On September 3, 1979, the United Nations published Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

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• Only Iran, Palau, Somalia, Sudan, Tonga, Vatican City, and the United States have refused to ratify this document.

“The Charter of the United Nations reaffirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women.”

Learning Activity: Analyzing UN Declaration of Women’s Rights (Day 7)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, answer questions 1-3 for the articles in your grouping using at least a few sentences for each article.

• Simplify each of the rights from the grouping into your own words. Be sure to look up any confusing terminology.
• Identify which of the rights from your grouping are the most important to you and explain why.
• Research the history of women’s rights in another country (non-United States). Evaluate the extent to which these rights are active here.
• Answer the discussion questions on next slide in new groups.

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UN Declaration of Women’s Rights

Discuss: Historicizing Women’s Rights

• Share the simplified articles with your new group.
• How could the implementation of these rights have an impact on women’s rights today?
• Do you believe the UN’s Declaration of Women’s Rights should be the gold standard of international women’s rights? Should all countries be forced to adopt this list? Why or why not?
• What was missing from this list of women’s rights? Should anything else be included in the UN Declaration of Women’s Rights? Explain.

(Hint: Think back to the Do Now)

Day 8 Agenda: History of LGBTQ+ Movement

Do Now: LGBTQ+ Past and Present (Day 8)

• What are your thoughts and reactions to the videos/quote? Reflect on something you may have learned or already knew about or discuss how this video / quote made you feel.
• Do you think a lot of people are less tolerant towards the LGBTQ+ community than they are to other populations (e.g. women, African American, Latinos)? Explain your answer.
• How do you think we could make our society become more tolerant of LGBTQ+ issues? Explain your answer.
• How do you think attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community will be in 30 years from now? Explain why you think it will be this way.

“Sexuality is a cultural production: it represents the appropriation of the human body and of its bodily capacities by a socially- constructed idea. Sexuality is not a biological fact; it is a cultural effect.” - David Halperin

Mini Lesson: Homophile Movement (1945-1969)

• After World War II, gay folks in Britain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian countries and the United States started homophile movements across the world.
• By 1967, Britain passed the Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalized homosexual acts between two men over 21 years of age in private in England and Wales.
• At the time, public attitudes toward LGBTQ+ folks were largely negative (Remember the Nazis killed tens of thousands of queer people during Holocaust)
• In the United States, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), classified homosexuality as a mental disorder until 1973
• Being transgender is still classified as such in the current DMS-V

Cover of U.S. lesbian publication The Ladder from October 1957. The motif of masks and unmasking was prevalent in the homophile era, prefiguring the political strategy of coming out.

Mini Lesson: Gay Liberation Front (1969-1974)

• The new movement was inspired by the Stonewall Riots, a series of protests in the summer of 1969 against NYPD for arresting people for going to LGBTQ bars.
• “Out, loud and proud” was the motto of this new movement – Instead of being quiet and hidden, sexuality was put at the forefront.
• In 1972, Sweden became the first country in the world to allow transgender individuals to obtain gender-affirming surgery

Mini Lesson: LGBTQ+ Movements (1974-Present)

• After the Reagan administration failed to act on the AIDS epidemic, a new generation of LGBTQ activists emerged
• The new generation saw terms like “gay” and “lesbian” as increasingly restrictive, and began using “queer” as a defiant statement of all sexual minorities and gender variant people
• In 2001, the Netherlands was the first country to allow same-sex marriage – Belgium in 2003 and Spain and Canada in 2005
• In 2004, Massachusetts became the first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage before it was nationwide in 2015 (during Mr. Blaisdell’s senior year of high school)

Headlines: LGBTQ+ Rights Issues Today

Chile Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage

HEADLINE: December 8, 2021

Texas Republicans Pass Bill Banning Trans Youth from School Sports

HEADLINE: October 18, 2021

Argentina Issues Gender-Neutral ID Cards in First for Latin America

HEADLINE: July 22, 2021

3 Suspects Arrested in Homophobic Killing That Spurred Massive Protests in Spain

HEADLINE: July 9 ,2021

Millions Worldwide Celebrate LGBTQ Pride, Defying Police Harassment

HEADLINE: June 28, 2021

Learning Activity: Creating a Historical Timeline of Global LGBTQ Issues (Day 8)

Directions: In your Learning Activities Journal, create a timeline of the LGBTQ movement in a world region of your choosing using the instructions below. You may also choose 1 non-US country if you’d like.

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Link to Timeline �Instructions

Discuss: Historicizing LGBTQ+ Rights

• Share and compare your timeline with other members of your group.
• Have you noticed changes in attitudes regarding LGBTQ+ issues in your own family, school or community? If so, what have you noticed?
• Do you think that the LGBTQ+ community is currently portrayed positively, negatively or with neutrality in the popular media?
• Where do you think our country is headed in the next few decades in terms of our attitudes about LGBTQ+ issues?

Day 9 Agenda: Post-WWII World Migration

Do Now: Question of Open Borders (Day 9)

• What are your thoughts and reactions to the videos/quote? Reflect on something you may have learned or already knew about or discuss how this video / quote made you feel.
• Are you in favor of open borders? Why or why not?
• Should having proper legal documentation include/ exclude immigrants from having equal legal rights? Why or why not?
• What kinds political, economic, and social rights should be automatically granted to migrants and refugees? Explain your answer.

Quote 1: “When we imagine an alien planet, we rarely imagine it to be divided into countries — because that would be, you know, backward.” �- Neel Burton

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Quote 2: “My vision of the border with Mexico is that a truck from the United States going into Mexico and a truck coming from Mexico into the United States will pass each other at the border going 60 miles an hour.” �- Gary Johnson

Discover of Americas, 1492

Industrialization, 1800s

Holocaust, 1942

Transatlantic Slavery, 1600s

British Colonialism, 1700s

Instability / Famine, 1890s

Stalinism, 1960s

Drug / Political Violence, Present

Current World Migration Patterns

Headlines: Refugee Crisis Today

160 Refugees Drowned Off Coast of Libya over the Weekend HEADLINE: December 22, 2021

Truck Carrying Asylum Seekers Crashes in Mexico, Killing 54 and Injuring Over 100 HEADLINE: December 10, 2021

Polish Border Guards Fire Tear Gas and Water Cannons at Asylum Seekers HEADLINE: November 16, 2021

U.N.: 84 Million People Worldwide Displaced by War, Insecurity and the Climate Crisis HEADLINE: November 12 ,2021

World’s Most Polluting Nations Spend Twice as Much on Border Militarization Than Climate Crisis HEADLINE: November 4, 2021

Learning Activity: Migration & Borders (Day 9)

Directions: In your Learning Activity Journal, answer the questions below in complete sentences.

• Do you agree with Bryan Caplan’s comparison of racial, gender, and sexual discrimination with immigration status? Explain.
• Why does the U.N. want Central American migrants to be classified as refugees? Do you agree with this idea? Explain.
• Do you believe that the conditions in Central America's Northern Triangle are dire enough to be comparable to conditions of war? Why or why not?
• Do you believe that more powerful countries like the United States have a moral obligation to take in refugees struggling with war, famine, and other catastrophes? Explain.
• What solutions do you think are possible for the problems described in the article you read today? Elaborate.

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Reading For Today

Discuss: Immigration Today

• Which of the quotes today was the most interesting to you and why?
• Did you learn anything today from the Do Now video, Mini-Lesson, or the reading during the Learning Activity that surprised or interested you? Explain.
• How might the information provided in today’s class relate to what we learned about the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights or to our world today?
• If you were the Emperor of the World for a day, how would you handle the current refugee / migration crisis raging around the globe? Explain.