Civil Rights/ Liberties
Standards
Materials
Students copy of Declaration of Human Rights
Class listing of rights, from earlier lesson
Definitions of civil rights/liberties/political rights
Student journal/spare paper
Objectives
Students will
- be introduced to the difference between civil rights and civil liberties
- recognize that these differences hard to determine or define
- recognize that human rights and civil rights can, and often do,overlap
Lesson Context
After being introduced to the idea of human rights, students will be introduced to the idea of civil rights and liberties/political rights. These are often defined through governments, though there are governments who do not have them, claiming that individuals have the rights unless they are restricted by government documents and laws, which was the original argument around the Bill of Rights. In addition to be introduced to the terms and their definitions, they will see how hard it can be to tell the difference between the two, for they along with human rights, often overlap each other in terms of definition and enforcement.
Lesson Body
To start the lessons, we will quickly review what human rights. I will then pull out the students original class list of the rights that they believe they have. Some of the list may be human rights, but most will be civil rights and liberties. To start this part of the lesson I will ask the students which ones are human rights. After we have identified and circled all of them, I will ask what the remaining rights are.
Students are most likely to say that they are government, or political rights, which is mostly correct. Most of the rights that people think they have are political, or civil. It is here that the difference between civil rights and civil liberities should be pointed out. After the students have come up with their anwsers, a definition should be presented for civil rights - (the nonpolitical rights of a citizen; especially : the rights of personal liberty. Civil rights laws generally include a list of characteristics that cannot be used to favor some people over others: race, religion, gender and so forth.) and civil liberties/ political rights - (freedom from arbitrary governmental interference, rights that individuals have against government)
Once presented with these definitions, the teacher should give one example from the class list for each in order to clear up any confusion between the two. Students should then form into small groups and split up the remaining list into the two categories. If there is debate within the group, those examples should be left for the large group discussion. Once each group finishes their list, the class should come together for a large group discussion. Each group should present their examples that are up for question. If this debate is short and uninvovled. The teacher should be guiding this discussion, pointing out what may make or not make a 'right' a civil right or a liberty. If the discussion is struggling present a situation which may present a in depth discussion
- should students have the same rights as everyone else
- should all individuals have the same rights as the nation they live in
To end the day, students should pull out their copy of the declaration of human rights, as a group we should look at the first half of this list and discuss whether these are civil rights and liberties because they are here, in the United States and most other nations.
Special Considerations
Assessment
Informal: Involvement in the class discussion
Formal
Materials
Students copy of Declaration of Human Rights
Class listing of rights, from earlier lesson
Definitions of civil rights/liberties/political rights
Student journal/spare paper
Objectives
Students will
- be introduced to the difference between civil rights and civil liberties
- recognize that these differences hard to determine or define
- recognize that human rights and civil rights can, and often do,overlap
Lesson Context
After being introduced to the idea of human rights, students will be introduced to the idea of civil rights and liberties/political rights. These are often defined through governments, though there are governments who do not have them, claiming that individuals have the rights unless they are restricted by government documents and laws, which was the original argument around the Bill of Rights. In addition to be introduced to the terms and their definitions, they will see how hard it can be to tell the difference between the two, for they along with human rights, often overlap each other in terms of definition and enforcement.
Lesson Body
To start the lessons, we will quickly review what human rights. I will then pull out the students original class list of the rights that they believe they have. Some of the list may be human rights, but most will be civil rights and liberties. To start this part of the lesson I will ask the students which ones are human rights. After we have identified and circled all of them, I will ask what the remaining rights are.
Students are most likely to say that they are government, or political rights, which is mostly correct. Most of the rights that people think they have are political, or civil. It is here that the difference between civil rights and civil liberities should be pointed out. After the students have come up with their anwsers, a definition should be presented for civil rights - (the nonpolitical rights of a citizen; especially : the rights of personal liberty. Civil rights laws generally include a list of characteristics that cannot be used to favor some people over others: race, religion, gender and so forth.) and civil liberties/ political rights - (freedom from arbitrary governmental interference, rights that individuals have against government)
Once presented with these definitions, the teacher should give one example from the class list for each in order to clear up any confusion between the two. Students should then form into small groups and split up the remaining list into the two categories. If there is debate within the group, those examples should be left for the large group discussion. Once each group finishes their list, the class should come together for a large group discussion. Each group should present their examples that are up for question. If this debate is short and uninvovled. The teacher should be guiding this discussion, pointing out what may make or not make a 'right' a civil right or a liberty. If the discussion is struggling present a situation which may present a in depth discussion
- should students have the same rights as everyone else
- should all individuals have the same rights as the nation they live in
To end the day, students should pull out their copy of the declaration of human rights, as a group we should look at the first half of this list and discuss whether these are civil rights and liberties because they are here, in the United States and most other nations.
Special Considerations
Assessment
Informal: Involvement in the class discussion
Formal