Active Citizenship and Democratic Action · 3rd Year

Active learning ideas

The United Nations: Working Together for Peace

Active learning deepens understanding of human rights defenders by moving beyond names and dates to lived experiences. When students engage directly with profiles, debates, and local research, they connect emotionally and intellectually to the courage and strategies of defenders.

• NCCA Curriculum Specifications
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - Global Citizenship
• NCCA: Primary - Myself and the Wider World - Peace and Conflict

• 30–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Gallery Walk
• 40 min · Whole Class

Gallery Walk: Profiles in Courage

Students create posters for different human rights defenders (e.g., Mary Robinson, Catherine Corless, or Greta Thunberg). The class moves around the room, using a rubric to identify the specific human rights each person defended and the methods they used.

What is the United Nations and what does it do?

Facilitation Tip

For the Gallery Walk, place profile cards at eye level with key quotes highlighted to draw attention to the methods each defender used.

What to look for

Give students a card with one of the UN's key goals (e.g., maintaining peace, promoting human rights, providing aid). Ask them to write one sentence explaining what the UN does to achieve that goal and name one country or region where this work is happening.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Social Awareness

Activity 02

• Formal Debate
• 45 min · Small Groups

Formal Debate: The Cost of Activism

Organize a debate on whether it is ever justified to break a minor law (like trespassing or blocking a road) to defend a major human right. Students must argue from the perspective of both the defender and the state.

Why is it important for countries to work together?

Facilitation Tip

During the Structured Debate, assign roles in advance so timid students can prepare their arguments and feel confident speaking.

What to look for

Pose the question: 'Imagine a global problem like a widespread disease outbreak. Why would it be more effective for countries to work together through the UN rather than trying to solve it alone?' Facilitate a class discussion, guiding students to consider resource sharing, coordinated responses, and equitable solutions.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Inquiry Circle
• 30 min · Pairs

Inquiry Circle: Local Defenders

In pairs, students research a local Irish charity or advocacy group (e.g., Focus Ireland, Pavee Point, or FLAC). They must identify one specific change this group has achieved in Irish law or society.

How does the UN try to help people in different parts of the world?

Facilitation Tip

For the Collaborative Investigation, provide a simple template with guiding questions to keep small groups focused on local defenders' specific actions and challenges.

What to look for

Present students with three short scenarios: one depicting a problem solved by a single country, one by a group of neighboring countries, and one by the UN. Ask students to identify which scenario best represents the UN's approach and explain why, focusing on the scale and nature of cooperation.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

A few notes on teaching this unit

Approach this topic by balancing inspiration with realism. Highlight famous defenders to motivate students, but immediately connect their work to ordinary people making daily differences. Avoid presenting activism as heroic; frame it as a collective effort where small actions build over time. Research shows students engage more when they see rights defenders as problem-solvers using everyday skills like writing, organizing, and collaborating.

Successful learning looks like students recognizing the diversity of human rights defenders, understanding the range of non-violent methods used, and beginning to see themselves as potential agents of change in their own communities.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Gallery Walk, watch for students assuming only famous people can be human rights defenders.

  Use the profile cards to highlight that many defenders are teachers, parents, or community leaders working quietly in their towns. Ask students to note the professions listed next to each defender's name.

• During the Collaborative Investigation, watch for students believing defending human rights always involves public protests.

  Direct students to the 'Tools of Defenders' section on their template. Have them categorize each local defender’s actions into quiet or public methods, using examples like petitions or legal support.

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Methods used in this brief

• Gallery Walk
• Formal Debate
• Inquiry Circle