Objective

• To define the concept of human rights

Materials

• Activity 1: Human Beings and Human Rights http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-3/Activity1.htm
  
  
• Activity 13: Literature and Human Rights http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-3/Activity_13.htm

Procedure

1. Tell students most people would say that Maya Angelou overcame the adversities that stood between her and human dignity. Many of the problems she faced, racism being the most pervasive and the most virulent, were created by others or by situations outside her control. Her autobiography, thus, raises issues of human dignity and human rights. Tell students that they will spend the next week developing an awareness of human rights issues and exploring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which seeks to protect those rights.
   
   
2. Proceed to Activity 1: Human Beings/Human Rights—Parts A and B
   
   
3. Return the discussion to Maya Angelou after completion of Part B. Ask students to give evidence of human dignity or the lack thereof as illustrated in her autobiography. Who enjoyed dignity? Why? Who did not? Why?
   
   
4. Distribute copies of “Activity 13: Literature and Human Rights,” and tell students to complete as many questions as possible tonight and that they will continue working on this handout on the following night as well. (NOTE: Some questions may be too difficult for students to understand and answer, so the teacher should encourage students to answer to the best of their ability before the class discussion and to add information during and after class discussions.)

Homework

Complete Activity 13.