Unit 6 (Primary school, Class 6) – Children’s rights: a work of art!

A  Lesson plan

B  Background and educational objectives

Children’s and human rights are often related to complex political, social and personal problems. In addition, this project resumes a long-standing tradition of artistic in­terpretation of children’s and human rights, which can be referred to and used as inspiration for this project.

Artists received the task of ex­pressing the contents of a certain article – or part of one – creatively. In this way, many wonderful cards, calendars, books, and even films have been made.

For those pupils who have already worked on the treasure box project in Unit 3, this art project will offer a further opportunity to study children’s rights from a creative angle in more depth.

Using this artistic tradition (which was already the case in Unit 3 with the treasure chest project) fol­lows our conviction that a creative and integral approach to learning is very valuable: children should learn about a challenging theme not only cognitively, but artistically and musically. A spoken or written statement can only be expressed as an image if it has been fully understood.

We recommend planning the teaching sequences early enough to allow the pictures to be exhibited on Universal Children’s Day, (20 November) in the school, town hall or another public building.

This objective of the project is both climax and motor in one, stimulating the pupils to carry out the task with the necessary care and creativity.

Note: the first lesson or even the entire project could also be carried out in collaboration with an­other Art teacher or Design and Technology teacher or in collaboration with a local artist. The pupils may also have suggestions that may also be integrated into the planning. It may also be possible to carry out the project together in part­nership with another class.
 

C  Key questions for reflection in children’s rights classes

D  Procedure

Lesson 1 (duration approx. 1 ½ lessons)

The teacher introduces the class in detail to the new project. The important thing is that the chil­dren:

• possibly have another introduction to the sub­ject of children’s rights;
• understand the underlying principles and aims of the project;
• are able to estimate what the time schedule demands of them;
• have seen examples of artistic expression of children’s (or human) rights.

In view of the last point, the teacher must not only show examples illustrating different human or chil­dren’s rights. He or she must also demonstrate different styles, media and work processes used to support the children in finding their personal means of expression.

After the introduction, the teacher or the pupils form small groups (of around six children). (This will form the basis of the subsequent fixed groups.) Each group receives a copy of the children’s rights declaration (see appendix). Task: Find three chil­dren’s rights for which you would like to create a matching work of art (picture, painting, sculpture, object).

A reading and discussion phase follows. After this, a plenary discussion is held to finalise the groups who will work on the chosen children’s rights (for example, on each main copy of the declaration, each group marks the rights they have chosen). Then the class compare and clarify overlaps, so that the most satisfying solution can be found for all groups.

The groups should clarify questions such as the following:

• first thoughts on the concept of the planned pic­ture or object;
• chosen colours, material, tools;
• time schedule (note: the teacher must monitor and advise the children to ensure that their chosen project is realistic in terms of the time available);
• ideas for the planned exhibition (can also be discussed later during a plenary session).

The groups then discuss and exchange their ideas and concepts in class.

The task for the next lesson is for the groups to formulate ideas for the project, to look for inspir­ation and information in newspapers, on the Inter-net and in the library, to make sketches or descrip­tions and to possibly begin with collecting material. Each group prepares a short presentation of their plans for next lesson, whereby the starting point is a chosen children’s right, illustrated by ex­amples.

Lesson 2 (first half)

The pupils share and comment on the ideas that they have developed since the last lesson and show each other the sketches or notes they have made. It is important for the pupils to have under-stood the children’s right underlying their concept and they should be able to give examples in class of how these rights could be respected or violated. As such, they should be ready to clearly and plausibly inform the class of their plans: which right they have chosen to illustrate creatively, the steps they need to take to do this and at which point(s) they will need the assistance or input of the class or their teacher.

Clarification of the definitive concept for the project that will be concluded with the exhibition to be held on or around 20 November (an option would also be to assign the planning and finalisation of the project as a homework task-to be discussed in the third lesson).

Lessons 2 (second half) to 4

The pupils may use all the time in the last half of the second lesson and the following two lessons to carry out their project (depending on the type of project they have planned, homework time can also be allocated for this). Experience has shown that the pupils will be more motivated if working together rather than isolated from one another. The teacher should encourage them to modify, develop and optimise their ideas.

The teacher may support the class by bringing a collection of posters, illustrations from advertise­ments, diagrams, etc., cut out of newspapers and magazines, art books, websites etc. The pupils may also bring suitable documents from home. This collection of illustrations need not necessarily be related to the topic of children’s rights, but is there to offer various different options for the chil­dren to express themselves.

Some tips for the exhibition:

• If an exhibition is foreseen in the school build­ing, in the classroom or in a public building, then a particular format for displaying objects in the exhibition should be agreed upon (e.g. using the same print and format for the exhib­ition plaques).
• A competition could also be held before a jury panel. The jury could be put together out of pupils as well as local public figures for ex­ample a local artist or journalist.
• If the project (with or without premier) is men­tioned in the local press, this can contribute greatly to the pupils’ motivation.