What Happens If...?

Suggested Activities

In this challenge, students develop an awareness of how the rights of young people protect their ability to enjoy a quality of life. Begin this challenge by asking students if they believe that all children around the world are equally happy or satisfied with their quality of life. Discuss the reasons why some children may not enjoy a satisfying quality of life (e.g., access to education, poverty, community support, safety, conflict, natural disasters, family situation).

Introduce the United Nations' Rights of the Children. Explain that it contains 54 articles protecting children's rights and the class is going to read a book describing 14 of these rights. Arrange for students to work with a partner to record the rights they predict might be in the book. Read "For Every Child" by UNICEF. After reading this beautifully-illustrated book, invite students to identify the rights they heard about. Record these rights in a list on the board. Select one of these rights and discuss how not having this right would impact a child's quality of life. As illustrated below, record the consequences if a child did not have the identified right.

Model this cause and effect relationship with three or four other rights. Invite students to work with a partner to imagine the consequences for several more of the rights. Share each pair's findings with the class, adding to the chart as students offer their ideas.

Ask students to select a right that they think is especially important and to create individual slides on the Kid Pix slideshow or on a PowerPoint program showing the importance of ensuring that every child enjoys the specified right. Assemble the slides as a class presentation (or use paper and felt pens to produce a class book). Encourage students to illustrate and explain how not having the particular right affects a child's quality of life. Encourage students to show the most important consequences of this right in a manner that other students will understand.

After completing the class project, share with other classes to increase awareness of children's rights.