Journalism, Justice, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Project Based Learning

This unit was created by Stephanie Naegele, a ninth grade history teacher in Chicago, IL, as part of the spring 2021 Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellowship program on Journalism and Justice. It is designed for facilitation across approximately 15 60-minute live or virtual class periods.

For more units created by Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellows in this cohort, click here.

Unit Objectives:

• Understand the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Understand the role of journalism in ensuring justice in society.
• Identify human rights violations in underreported global news stories. 
• Identify human rights violations in underreported local news stories.
• Identify human rights violations within your own community. 
• Analyze how individuals and groups uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the world and our community.
• Identify various ways you can take civic action to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
• Use the Design Thinking Process to develop and refine a plan to take civic action. 
• Use the Design Thinking Process to develop and refine a plan to take civic action. 
• Take civic action and reflect on it.

Unit Overview:

What is the role of journalism in ensuring justice in society? In what ways has the Universal Declaration of Human Rights been violated in the world and our community? How do individuals and groups uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the world and our community?

This 15-day unit focuses on the fragility of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and our responsibility to uphold the document. It looks at the role of the media in defining our universe of obligation and highlights the importance of underreported news stories. 

In their analysis of journalism, justice and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, students will use Pulitzer Center texts and materials to identify human rights violations in underreported global and local news. Students will analyze how individuals and groups uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the world and our community. In the culminating project for this unit, students will take civic action to address an underreported  violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights within their community using the LAUNCH design thinking model.

Performance Task

In the culminating project for this unit, students will take on the role of a journalist to determine the ways in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been violated in their community. The performance task utilizes students’ knowledge of their community by allowing them to identify any issue they feel passionate about.

Unit Plan

Fifteen-day unit plan, including warm-ups, texts and video resources, discussion questions, and activities. Each day of instruction features a teacher presentation, worksheets in both English and Spanish, and an overview of the performance task for the unit. This unit also includes adapted texts for featured news articles in both English and Spanish.

Performance Task

In the culminating project for this unit, students will take on the role of a journalist to determine the ways in which the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have been violated in their community. The performance task utilizes students’ knowledge of their community by allowing them to identify any issue they feel passionate about. The authenticity of the task engages students in the rigorous extended process of asking questions, finding resources and applying information. At the end of this process, students will have taken action to end an underreported violation of human rights in their community.

Assessment

This project utilizes the LAUNCH design thinking process, in which students develop solutions to real world problems. This design thinking model is a continuous process in which we seek a deeper level of understanding & empathy, challenge assumptions, workshop ideas/solutions, revise, and finally take action.

Student Work Packet

View samples of work from Ms. Naegele's students, including examples of student performance tasks.

Common core state standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a self-generated question or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Illinois Learning Standards for Social Studies:

SS.IS.4.9-12: Gather and evaluate information from multiple sources while considering the origin, credibility, point of view, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources.

SS.IS.8.9-12: Use interdisciplinary lenses to analyze the causes and effects of and identify solutions to local, regional, or global concerns.

SS.H.3.9-12: Evaluate the methods utilized by people and institutions to promote change.

SS.H.7.9-12: Identify the role of individuals, groups, and institutions in people’s struggle for safety, freedom, equality and justice.

National Council for Social Studies Curriculum Standards:

NCSS 1.6 Power Authority and Governance- study of the dynamic relationships between individual rights and responsibilities, the needs of social groups, and concepts of a just society, learners become more effective problem-solvers and decision-makers when addressing the persistent issues and social problems encountered in public life.

NCSS 1.9 Global Connections- students think systematically about personal, national, and global decisions, and to analyze policies and actions, and their consequences. Students develop skills in addressing and evaluating critical issues such as peace, conflict, poverty, disease, human rights, trade, and global ecology.

CPS STEM Standards for Success:

CPS STEM Standards for Success-4.i -Purposeful learning leads students to action- solving problems meeting needs, and designing solutions.