This lesson focuses on the language of human rights. Learners examine the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and analyze the rights from a personal perspective. They discuss how well they perceive that the rights are enforced.

The youth reflect on basic needs that may be difficult to meet when one doesn’t have a home. They take action by creating personal hygiene kits or asking a local nonprofit how they can help support their efforts to assist people who are homeless.

Learners discuss the word homeless and how it is used in a sentence (as adjective and noun). After reading an article about homelessness by Anna Quindlen, they discuss a respectful way to use the language that describes a group of people who are vulnerable.

The learners define philanthropy and relate it to environmental stewardship. They compare mission statements from environmental organizations and write their own personal mission statement. They self-select a group to work with to plan and implement an environmental service project.

The youth compare and contrast the uses and aesthetics of dirt and pavement groundcover. They define permeable and impermeable ground surfaces and discuss the merits of each in relationship to the environment.

Young people learn about global efforts for universal mandatory education and equity for girls in school.

A cooperative game demonstrates that we are all connected and that others are affected by things that we may believe only affect us. They read about and discuss gender inequality in global schools and explore what policies and measures are in place for achieving universal primary education for kids all over the world.

Youth explore the effects on themselves, the community, and the world if the government failed to provide U.S. children with an education.