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CONTENTSUsing this resource ..................................................................... 1

Materials ................................................................................... 2

Lesson 1 sequence ..................................................................... 3

Lesson 2 sequence ..................................................................... 4

Looks like, sounds like, feels like ................................................. 5

Word search ............................................................................... 6

Cloze passage ............................................................................. 7

Case: Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabia .................................................. 8

Annotated letter ......................................................................... 9

Letter writing scaffold ................................................................. 10

Self assessment of my letter ........................................................ 11

Quality teaching frameworkThis resource supports students to:• Develop deep knowledge and understanding of the language of

discussion, exposition, persuasive writing, argument and opinion. • Use the meta-language associated with argument and persuasive

writing.• Integrate knowledge by making meaningful connections between texts.

Overarching questions• What are human rights?• What does it look like when human rights are not respected?• How can human rights be promoted and ensured across the world?• How can our role as a writer help others?• How can persuasive letters be most effective?

Objectives• Identify human rights and human needs.• Analyse cases where human rights are not being respected.• Identify organisations that defend human rights around the world.• Expose students to the real-life applications of effective letter writing.• Provide students with an opportunity to write letters that contribute to

a desired impact.• Review parts of a letter and their purpose.

Students will be able to• Analyse a sample letter and identify key components of a letter.• Develop and support a position on a particular human rights case and

write a letter of support.• Publish their letter and mail it to the appropriate entity.

WRITE FOR RIGHTS UPPER PRIMARY TEACHING RESOURCE

October 2014

USING THIS RESOURCEThis lesson plan is on persuasive letter writing for human rights as part of Amnesty International’s 2014 Write for Rights global letter writing marathon.

It has been created using:

• National English curriculum (Year 5 Content ACELY1704 and Year 6 Content ACELY1714) .

• NSW HSIE (Stage 3 SSS3.7).

• PD.H.PE outcomes (Stage 3 IRS3.11).

It is designed to be implemented in two 70-minute class sessions but there are many ways it can be expanded and made into a more in-depth lesson, depending on the needs and time available in your classroom.

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MATERIALS

PROVIDED BY AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL• Case sheets for all six Write for Rights cases at www.amnesty.org.au/write

You may choose to focus on a particular case for the whole class if one is more appropriate or convenient for your class.

• Links to additional learning resources, including video clips.

• Sample letters www.amnesty.org.au/write

Students can use the sample letters to acquire basic information and supportive evidence. Also, depending on time and teacher permission, they may choose to use sentences/phrases and incorporate these into their own letters.

PROVIDED BY TEACHER OR STUDENTS• Interactive whiteboard or data projector.

• Paper and writing utensils (if hand writing letters).

• Computers and printers (if typing letters).

• Downloaded and printed resources from this resource and www.amnesty.org.au/write

• An envelope / postage satchel*

*Teachers can collect letters and mail them in one package to Schools Write for Rights, Locked Bag 7, Collingwood VIC 3066 for delivery to their final destination. Please include in your package a completed action return form, found at the end of this resource.

A 2011 Write for Rights event in Melbourne. © AI

Acknowledgement

This resource was prepared as a voluntary contribution to Amnesty International Australia by Shere Hinchey BEd,GradDipSpecialEd; Bree Hinchey-Holley BA, DipEd; and Dan Wardle.

Sutherland Shire group 'Write for Rights' with a special lunch and letterwriting session. Sydney, November 2012. © Amanda Atlee/AI

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LESSON 1 SEQUENCE (70 minutes)

ACTIVITY 1 (25 minutes)

UNHCR’s ‘What are Human Rights?’ video

http://ow.ly/pOF0L

• Watch the video as a class.

• Discuss what they believe human rights are, having watched the video.

• From the discussion above, in groups or pairs, get students to identify the basic human rights they have.

ACTIVITY 2 (20 minutes)

Universal Declaration of Human Rights powerpoint presentation www.amnesty.org.au/hre/comments/30204/ reading and discussion

• As a class, view the powerpoint presentation, taking time to discuss relevant articles.

ACTIVITY 3 (25 minutes)

• In pairs or groups, complete the ‘Looks like, sounds like, feels like’ brainstorming activity on page 5. Ask students to identify what it would look like, sound like and feel like when human rights are being respected.

• Ask students to report their findings back to the class and discuss what it would look like, sound like and feel like if these rights were not being respected.

Extension Activity: Human rights word search and cloze passage

• Students complete the human rights word search on page 6.

• As a class using an interactive whiteboard, or individually using student handouts, have students use the words from the word search to complete the human rights comprehension cloze passage on page 7.

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LESSON 2 SEQUENCE (70 minutes)

Room preparation

Print out each article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the powerpoint presentationwww.amnesty.org.au/hre/comments/30204/ on A4 paper. Place each article on a wall around the room.

ACTIVITY 1 (10 minutes)

Amnesty International video ‘When a letter is all that is needed’

http://ow.ly/pOEXj

• Watch the video and introduce the idea of Write for Rights.

• Discuss with students the ways in which writers and letters can help others.

• Refer to the ‘A few simple rules for writing letters’ on page 8.

ACTIVITY 2 (20 minutes)

Case: Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabia

• As a class, students read Raif Badawi’s case sheet on page 8.

• In groups, students use the articles displayed around the room to identify the human rights that are being abused or ignored in Raif's situation.

• The groups then report their findings to the class.

ACTIVITY 3 (5 minutes)

Sample letter

• As a class on an interactive whiteboard or data projector, read through the sample letter on page 9, highlighting the key elements of a persuasive letter.

ACTIVITY 4 (30 minutes)

Joint text construction

• Using an interactive whiteboard or data projector, the class uses the attached letter-writing scaffold to construct a letter addressing the issues and concerns identified in the case sheet for Raif Badawi.

• Students use the class-constructed letter to write their own individual letter.

ACTIVITY 5 (5 minutes)

Self-evaluation sheet

• Students use the checklist on page 11 to evaluate their letter writing.

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HUMAN RIGHTS BEING RESPECTED ...

LOOKS LIKE?

SOUNDS LIKE?

FEELS LIKE?

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HUMAN RIGHTS WORD SEARCH

W S F R E E D O M E K Y Z T Y

H L A I C Z D E U C P U S O O

H H I G I W I Z P O V I N R H

V E R H V O S F A N I S J T I

S A N T I M C M T O O H U U M

L L E S L E R H Q M L E S R P

A T S Y C N I F D I E L T E R

V H S D O H M R I C N T I I I

E D U C A T I O N P C E C S S

R R J X C N N L R M E R E O O

Y F C J U B A M D K C F A C N

Z P G Y D L T C W R N I S I M

J P O L I T I C A L E Q C A E

Q K F G R N O N C J T N F L N

D K U D B O N D H F E A R G T

CHILDREN FEAR CIVIL FREEDOM SHELTER

Find these words in the Find-A-Word above.

HEALTH SLAVERY IMPRISONMENT SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION

ECONOMIC JUSTICE TORTURE EDUCATION POLITICAL

VIOLENCE WOMEN FAIRNESS RIGHTS

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CLOZE PASSAGE: ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS

Human r_________________ are about making sure that all people are treated with f___________________.

Human rights are also about f___________________________ and security. All human beings have a right to live without f_________________.

There are TWO main types of human rights: s____________________, e_________________________ and cultural rights; and c__________________ and p________________________ rights.

Everyone has a human right to be treated without d_____________________________ based on their gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or p____________ beliefs.

There are human rights that are especially for w__________________ and c_______________________ because they are more likely to suffer human rights abuses.

All human beings have the right to s___________________, an e____________________ and access to h__________________ care.

No human being should suffer unjust i___________________ or be t______________________ under any circumstances.

All human beings have the right to be free from s____________________ and v_________________________.

HUMAN RIGHTS ARE ABOUT J__________________________ FOR EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE!

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CASE: RAIF BADAWI, SAUDI ARABIA

Raif Badawi is a Saudi Arabian man sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for starting a website for political debate, and for ‘insulting Islam’. In Saudi Arabia, people can be put in prison or even executed for insulting Islam or for leaving their religion (which is called ‘apostasy’).

Not only this, but Raif’s trial was unfair as the judge said before the trial and before seeing any evidence that he thought Raif was guilty of apostasy.

Since March 2011 the Saudi Arabian authorities have cracked down on peaceful people who want change or who protest against human rights violations. Hundreds have been imprisoned, and many remain in detention and are yet to be charged or taken to court.

Power in Saudi Arabia rests almost entirely with the King and the ruling family. The Constitution gives the King absolute power over government institutions and the affairs of the state. This power is used to stop people arguing against the King or the government. The media is very restricted and those who express dissent face arrest and imprisonment, whether they are critics, bloggers, activists or academics.

Case vocabulary

Apostasy: A total departure from one's religion, principles, party or cause

Dissent: Arguing against the government or another person.

Violation: Breaking of rules or laws.

Academics: a teacher or specialist on a topic, at a university.

A few simple rules for writing letters

1. Always be polite. You want to stop human rights abuse by persuading the government involved to take immediate action.

2. It is important to show respect for a country's legal processes and an understanding of its current difficulties. This will make it easier to point out how the human rights situation could be improved.

3. Take care to follow Amnesty International's instructions on a case because it has carefully researched the situation and developed an appropriate and respectful course of action.

4. Use plain language rather than technical terms. You will be more effective if you say that your concern for human rights is about equality and the principles of international law, not about the country’s politics.

5. It is good to give them an idea of who and what you are. Tell them your age, your interests, a bit about the place you live. It will prove your letter is genuine and show the government that different people from across the world are watching their country.

6. If you have a special interest or link with the country, it is good to mention this in your letter. For instance, you may have been on holiday there, or studied its history, or been a member of a local friendship association.

7. Be brief. Sometimes a simple, one-line letter is adequate. Try to write one page at the most, as long letters are less likely to be read.

8. Emphasise how the person you are writing to has power to make a difference.

Signing off

To end your letter, you can say ‘Yours sincerely’.

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ANNOTATED LETTER

Lic. Felipe Calderón

President of the Republic

Residencia Official de 'Los Pinos'

Col. San Miguel Chapultepec

Mexico D.F., C.P. 11850

MEXICO

Dear President Calderón:

I am writing to express my grave concern over the treatment of Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú, Indigenous women who were mistreated by Mexican soldiers in 2002. Although they were brave enough to report the attacks to the authorities, no one has been brought to justice.

I respectfully urge you to investigate this case and do what you were asked to do by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

I call on you to ensure there is a swift investigation into the mistreatment of Inés Fernández Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantú. I urge you to acknowledge the state's responsibility for identifying the people who committed the crimes, to apologise to the victims and their families and to grant adequate compensation to the victims. Finally, I ask you to transfer all cases of human rights violations committed by members of the military to courts of law.

Thank you for your attention to these urgent matters.

Sincerely

Alex Citizen

Formal title and address of recipient

Formal greeting to recipient

Statement of the desired outcome of the letter

Introductory statement that outlines purpose of the letter

Your signature – remember, it is more powerful than you think

Formal sign off to the letter

Description of the specific action required to meet the desired outcome

Key

…… = Strong emotive language

President = Formal respectful language

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LETTER WRITING SCAFFOLD

Formal title and address of recipient

Formal greeting to recipient

Introductory statement that outlines the purpose of the letter

Statement of the desired outcome of the letter

Description of the specific action required to meet the desired outcome

Formal sign off to the letter

Your signature

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SELF ASSESSMENT FOR MY LETTER

Student name: ....................................................................... Date: ....................................

Expected quality Indicators of student performance

High Medium Low

Relevant and detailed content organised to support a point of view

□ I argued a clear point of view about my chosen topic.

□ I supported my point of view effectively with appropriately-selected and highly relevant factual information.

□ I argued a generally clear point of view about my chosen topic.

□ I supported my point of view with some relevant factual information.

□ I argued a point of view.

□ I supported my point of view with some information.

Structure and organisation □ I demonstrated logic, coherence and controlled development of ideas.

□ I used a highly engaging introduction and highly effective conclusion.

□ I demonstrated logic and controlled development of ideas to some extent.

□ I had a clear and consistent introduction and conclusion.

□ My exposition had a number of ideas.

□ I had an introduction and/or conclusion.

Style appropriate for intended audience and purpose

□ I consistently employed language styles appropriate to expositions eg emotive and persuasive language, in an effective manner, and for the intended audience and purpose.

□ I employed some language styles appropriate to expositions and the intended audience and purpose, but I did not do so consistenly.

□ I used one of the language styles appropriate to expositions.

Control of written language □ I used effective vocabulary and accurate and persuasive language.

□ I used accurate paragraphing, spelling and punctuation.

□ My choice of vocabulary was generally effective and I used accurate language.

□ My spelling and punctuation was generally accurate.

□ I occasionally used accurate language, including spelling and punctuation.

Adapted from NSW DEET 2009

THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL ______________________________________________________________________________________

TYPE OF ACTION (EG PETITION, LETTER) ____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ARE YOU AN AMNESTY SCHOOL GROUP? ____________________________________________________________________________

BEST CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE SCHOOL __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW MANY ACTIONS?______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mail to: Amnesty International, Locked Bag 7, Collingwood VIC 3066 Australia

Please photocopy and post this form back every time you send letters, cards and other actions to Amnesty.

RETURNINGYOUR

ACTIONS

THE NAME OF YOUR SCHOOL ______________________________________________________________________________________

TYPE OF ACTION (EG PETITION, LETTER) ____________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ARE YOU AN AMNESTY SCHOOL GROUP? ____________________________________________________________________________

BEST CONTACT DETAILS FOR THE SCHOOL __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

HOW MANY ACTIONS?______________________________________________________________________________________________

Mail to: Amnesty International, Locked Bag 7, Collingwood VIC 3066 Australia

Please photocopy and post this form back every time you send letters, cards and other actions to Amnesty.

RETURNINGYOUR

ACTIONS