The Practical Guide to Humanitarian Law
2nd English Edition
February, 2007
Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) More..
History teachers face an uphill battle
Teachers are the key to keeping our country's history alive, but at least one noted historian questions their ability to handle the responsibility. "It's a bleak picture . . . I wish they were up for the job," says Jack Granatstein, chairperson of the Council for Canadian Security in the 21st Century. "Many teachers think war is something that should be taught as a bad thing, which neglects the heroism."
Schools teach children their rights in Canada, but not the responsibilities that come with citizenship, he says. We don't even know what opinions teachers are giving children, he adds, and whether they're sound.
"History is very important in a country that is as multi-cultural as we are. It's very important to understand the price we pay for that. "We teach a kind of human security, peacekeeping history, which strikes me as nuts, given all the violence. You need soldiers who can fight a war when you need to." More ..
Canada's Parliament broke its 1989 promise to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000
Campaign 2000, a network of over 85 national, regional and community organizations fights on to end poverty in Canada and to hold the Federal Government accountable.
Since 1989, the number of children living in poverty has increased by 402,000 and child poverty is clearly a signal of the increasing hardship for Canadian families.
Youth Parliament Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
The Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories shows leadership in support of the rights and responsibilities of our youth to be involved in our democracy.
A great example for all provincial, territorial legislative assemblies and the Parliament of Canada More..
Canadian Children's Rights Book
(Published May 2005)
Empowering Children:
Children's Rights Education as a Pathway to Citizenship
University of Toronto Press
Authored by Canadians, Dr. Brian Howe and Dr. Katherine Covell, Directors of the CBU Children's Rights Centre, Cape Breton University (CBU)More..
Print Resources
Dear World/Cher monde
Canadian Children's Project. Agincourt, ON: Methuen Publications,
1986.
Canadian children's drawings, poems and stories explore
the question "What would you do to put the world right?"
Every Kid's Guide to Understanding Human Rights
Berry, Joy. Chicago, IL: Children's Press, 1987
Explores why children have the right to be themselves, to
have basic needs met, to contribute to decisions that affect
them and their responsibilities.
In 2004, we searched for this book. it appeared to be out of print
All Kinds: Who cares about race and colour?
Child's Play. New York, NY: Child's Play (International)
Ltd., 1989
Examines similarities and differences between people. Emphasizes
the need to care for one another because we are all part
of one family.
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If You Could Wear My Sneakers! Fitch, Sheree. Toronto, ON: Doubleday (couldn't find on their website), 1997 This book contains fun illustrations and children's poems which reflect children's rights as outlined in the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. About $10 CDN |
For Every Child, A Better World
Gikow, Louise and Ellen Weiss. New York, NY: Muppet Press/Golden
Book, 1993
Children learn that some children do not have the basic needs of life met. Vivid illustrations and simple text explain the rights of all children. ISBN: 0307156281
In 2004, we searched for this book. it appeared to be out of print
Review From Publishers Weekly
This eager-to-please picture book wins plaudits for good
intentions, though unfortunately for little else. Executed
in a style that could well be called "Muppet multicultural"
(the critters appear in just about every skin color imaginable,
including purple, green and blue), the work is dedicated
to the memory of Audrey Hepburn and published "in cooperation
with the United Nations" (a portion of the proceeds will
help support various U.N. projects). The double-spread pages
present a series of happy/sad contrasts that employ minimal
text ("Every child needs food to eat") and cartoon-like
illustrations to depict the world's haves and have-nots.
Kermit the Frog narrates and appears on the "happy" pages,
declaring what every child has a right to--food, clean water,
clean air to breathe, a home, education. The bright borders
of these scenes evoke various settings--Africa, the Australian
Outback, India, Greece, the Tyrol--and contrast sharply
with the drab, mud-colored "sad" pages ("But sometimes there
isn't enough"). The book's motive--to open children's minds
and hearts to the world's problems--is admirable; however,
the commercial tone and simplistic format lack subtlety
and depth. Ages 5-9.
BBC World Service Teaching Activity
Video Resources
Claiming our Place in the Circle:
Indigenous Children's Rights:
The Caring for Indigenous Children Capacity Building Workshop
(1997, VHS Video, 27 min.)
International
Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD),
at the University of Victoria, & Hildebrand Productions
This 27-minute video documents the extraordinary people and the circle that gathered in 1996 to create community and global strategies to strengthen indigenous children's rights to culturally-appropriate health care, education, protection and participation. An excellent educational tool for anyone working at the community-level in health care, education, social services or youth and child care and interested in promoting children's rights. $20.00 More ..
Echoing Of The Elders: Teachings For Coast Salish
Youth.
(2000, VHS Video, 42 mns.)
International
Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD),
at the University of Victoria, & Hildebrand Productions
This exciting video introduces the voices of traditionally trained Elders, Chiefs and youth in and around the Greater Victoria area. Echoing of the Elders seeks to transform the feelings of disconnection and displacement often felt by young people and place them in the context of the peoples' strong beliefs for each other. It offers a way of transforming those changes in directions that foster and encourage a flow of teachings to the youth, while honouring the teachers -the Elders- in a good way. These teachings can help guide and direct Aboriginal youth to help them find a balance in today's world.
The youth of today are the leaders and Elders of tomorrow. It is, therefore, important that our future leaders be firmly grounded in the teachings of the Elders now. The words of the Elders, Chiefs, and youth represent the echoes of at least twenty generations and speak of belonging, being strong and helping out. Our people have always believed in change, transformation and the gifts of the creator. The old peoples voices Echo for a new time and place. See it with friends, family and loved ones and especially with our youth. $20.00 More ..
Rights On!
1991: UNICEF Canada and YTV. (English). (20 minutes/segment;
Gr. 3+)
Three video segments address participation of children and
youth in Canada and in developing countries. Informal discussions
explore youth opinions relating to the rights of the child.
Children First
1996. UNICEF, Reader's Digest, and National Film Board:
English video # 96702; French video #96703 (55 minutes;
Gr. 3 +)
Animated film addresses the basic rights of all children
to a family, food, shelter, peace and dignity.
Kidzone III Your Rights
Vancouver, BC Knowledge Network (20 minutes)
Four short video stories address: cultural diversity; special
needs and education; children's rights; environmental pollution;
and the right to be heard.
Kidzone IV Child Rights
Vancouver, BC Knowledge Network (20 minutes)
Four short video stories address: children's right to privacy
and the need to protect all rights; different families;
environmental protection; and propaganda about different
cultures.
Rights From the Heart/Droits au coeur
Hull, PQ: Canadian International Development Agency, and
National Film Board. NFB # 0092093 (33 minutes)
A collection of seven wordless animated vignettes demonstrate
children's right to learn with dignity, to be heard, to
play, to adequate food, to be respected and to have a family,
and that all children have the same rights.
Degrassi Kids Rap on Rights
1989. UNICEF-Canada: English & French (7 minutes; Gr. 3+)
A rap song enhances children's awareness of the need for
universal human rights for children throughout the world.
Online Teaching Resources
Approaches to Human Rights Teaching: Materials for Schools. Helsinki: Finnish National Commission for UNESCO, 1989. Allahwerdi, Helena and Jaaskelheinen, Lisa. A detailed, well-organized book of approaches, activities, and games to teach human rights to children, originally developed for Finnish schools but for use anywhere.
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Global Schoolhouse / cole plantaire
UNICEF Canada Lists curriculum resources for various age groups by theme. Some are on the internet and can be ordered. They have learning activities available for download too. |
CPU Children's Rights Centre
Cape Breton University
Full curriculum available for grades 6 and 8. These rights
curricula are part of Nova Scotia's education system. Site
also offers information and many resources for kids, parents
and educators.
It's Tough to be a Boy in American Schools
It's a bad time to be a boy in America, Christina Sommers says in her important new book, The War Against Boys. We are turning against boys, she writes. Boys need discipline, respect and moral guidance. They do not need to be pathologized. Sommer's book is packed with examples of the anti-male attitudes that pervade the public schools.
In my eldest daughter's pre-kindergarten class, run by parents in Greenwich Village, the children were from all sorts of ethnic and class backgrounds, but they always sorted themselves out by sex. The girls sat quietly at tables, drawing and talking. The boys all ran around screaming like maniacs, bouncing off the walls, raising so much ear-splitting commotion that my first reaction each day was a fleeting urge to strangle them all.
I do not believe that these male tots were acting out
their assigned masculine gender roles in the patriarchical
order. I think the obvious is true: Boys are different from
girls. They like rough-and-tumble play. When they alight
somewhere, they build something, then knock it down. They
are not much interested in sitting quietly, talking about
their feelings or working on relationships. They like action,
preferably something involving noise, conflict and triumph.
Teachers know that girls are better suited to schooling.
So if you want to teach boys, allowances must be made. One
of the tragedies of the last 20 years or so is that school
systems are increasingly unwilling to make those allowances.
Instead, in the wake of the feminist movement, they have
absorbed anti-male attitudes almost without controversy.
They are now more likely to see ordinary boy behavior as
something dangerous that must be reined in. Or they may
tighten the screws on boys by drafting extraordinarily broad
zero-tolerance and sexual-harassment policies. Worse, they
may simply decide that the most active boys are suffering
from attention deficit disorder and dope them up with Ritalin.
More ..
The Big Blue Bus - Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Learn about oceans and all things watery. More..
Canada Science and Technology Museum - Kids' Zone. Games, information and interactive fun for kids. More..
Canadian Children's Museum - Site for the museum made just for kids! More..
Canadian Museum of Nature - Discover nature on-line. More..
Canadian Wildlife Service Kids' Zone More..
CBC Kids Games and useful links for school projects. Even a section for preschoolers More..
Confederation for Kids (Ages 9 to 13). Learn how Canada became a country. More..
First Among Equals: Canadian Prime Ministers: Children's Site (Ages 9 to 12). Learn about Prime Ministers, past and present, and their very important job - Teachers' resources. More..
First Among Equals: Canadian Prime Ministers (Trivia and Concentration Games) Learn about Canada's Prime Ministers with these fun games. More..
Virtual Museum of Canada - Fun and Games - On-line educational games on a variety of Canadian topics. More..
Great Lakes Kids - Games, activities and info about the Great Lakes. More..
Kids Can Savelink was www.kidscansave.gc.ca (link not working 01DEC08)
Play in the Land of Toog to learn about
saving money.
KidSpace - Canadian Space Agency
Fun and learning about space, science
and astronauts.
Kids' Stop - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Learn about Aboriginal Peoples and culture.
Learning Centre for Students
Great sites and information about award-winning
Canadian books.
NRCat -
Games and Information About Canada's Natural Resources
Games and information that could help
with your homework.
Page by Page: Creating a Children's Book
Learn how children's books are made.
Passageways: True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers
(Ages 8 to 13)
Learn about the explorers who discovered
Canada.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police - RCMP Safety Tips Colouring Book
Print the book, colour the pictures, and
learn about safety.
SchoolNet
Over 7000 learning resources for students
and teachers.
Safe Summer Fun
Learn how to keep your summer safe.
Stamp Quest
A stamp collecting adventure from Canada
Post.
Statistics Canada's Students Page
Learning resources, activities and statistics.
Tale of Tulips
A true fairy tale about tulips and princesses.
General education links not related to children's rights.
The Big Blue Bus - Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Learn about oceans and all things watery.
Canada Post - Explore the Planet!
Entertaining and educational lesson guides
with a postal theme.
Canada Science and Technology Museum - Kids' Zone
Games, information and interactive fun
for kids.
Canada's Physical Activity Guides for Children and Youth
For children, youth, families and teachers.
Canadian Children's Museum
Site for the museum made just for kids!
Canadian
Museum of Nature - Discover!
Discover nature on-line.
Comprehensive School Health
Promoting healthy students in healthy
schools.
Confederation for Kids (Ages 9 to 13)
Learn how Canada became a country - Teachers'
resources.
Dig It!
Educational programs at the Currency Museum.
First Among Equals: Canadian Prime Ministers: Children's
Site (Ages 9 to 12)
Learn about Prime Ministers, past and
present, and their very important job - Teachers' resources.
Great Lakes Kids
Games, activities and info about the Great
Lakes.
Learner's Toolkit - CanLearn Interactive
Links to learning resources from on-line
geology labs to the complete works of Shakespeare.
KidSpace - Canadian Space Agency
Fun and learning about space, science
and astronauts.
Kids' Stop - Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Learn about Aboriginal Peoples and culture.
Learning Centre for Students
Great sites and information about award-winning
Canadian books.
Learning Centre - Library and Archives Canada
Education products and services for teachers
and students.
Page by Page: Creating a Children's Book - Lesson Plans
Learn how children's books are made.
Public
Safety - SafeCanada.ca
Safety and security information for teachers.
Road Safety - Child Safety
Road and car safety information from Transport
Canada.
Statistics
Canada's Learning Resources
For teachers and for students from elementary
to post-secondary.
Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill - Lesson Plans
From Library and Archives Canada.
The Virtual Museum of Canada
Drawing upon treasures from across Canada's
museum community.
Voices and Choices
An on-line strategic planning tool that
engages students in identifying their health and school
needs, and helps to develop strategies to address these
needs.
