T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
I N T R O D U C T I O N T O C H I L D L A B O R & C H I L D R I G H T S
H U M A N T R A F F I C K I N G
G I R L S E N V I R O N M E N T
A G R I C U L T U R E E D U C A T I O N
T H E S T A T E O F T H E W O R L D & A C T I O N S T E P S
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C h i l d h o o d U n b o u n d i s c o n c e i v e d a n d
p r o d u c e d b y M e d i a V o i c e s f o r C h i l d r e n
P r o j e c t D i r e c t o r
Morgan Keyt
E d i t o r i a l D i r e c t o r Len Morris
A u t h o r s
Fernanda Mora Brenes, Valeria Popolizio & Morgan Keyt
E d i t o r s
Petra Lent McCarron & Morgan Keyt
A s s o c i a t e D i r e c t o r
Petra Lent McCarron
T e c h n i c a l D i r e c t o r Christopher Mara
A r t D i r e c t o r Melissa Knowles
P h o t o g r a p h y Umberto Roberto Romano & Melissa Knowles
F o o t a g e
Galen Films & Media Voices for Children
I n c o n s u l t a t i o n w i t h :
The United States Department of Labor
International Labor Affairs Bureau
The University of Connecticut
The Dodd Center for Human Rights
The Institute for Human Rights at UCONN
NEAG School of Education, University of Connecticut
With special thanks to the many students and teachers whose insights and feedback made this possible.
© 2022 Media Voices for Children
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Childhood Unbound engages teachers and students in a rich discourse about children's rights and child labor. It embeds online tools and best practices used by leaders in the field to combat the commercial exploitation of children The curriculum includes case studies, in class activities, educational exhibits, artistic resources, video playlists, apps, licenses to stream four full length documentaries, and more
Before you begin, you are about to enter a sensitive topic with your students The issue of child slavery and child labor of all sorts is challenging The best way to prepare your students is to let them know ahead of time that they will be learning about some harsh realities, but they will also see great strides in the fight to end child labor
There is no faster way to lose our students than talking at them, rather than putting them at the center of their own learning As the teacher, you are the expert on how to best engage your youth After reading through Childhood Unbound, you might wish to select only the units or lessons that connect to your existing curriculum. You may also choose to teach the entire curriculum, using the suggested resources to adjust to your classroom Build flexibility in your plans to, whenever possible, take your cues from student interest
Childhood Unbound empowers both children and adults to champion children’s rights at home, at school, in their community, and at the national and global levels
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T R O D U C T I O N T O C H I L D
R & T R A F F I C K I N G
1 U N I T I . I N
L A B O
Introduction to Child Labor and Child Rights
This unit is dedicated to helping students develop their awareness around core issues regarding children’s rights and child labor By the end of this unit, students will have an understanding of what is considered child labor. They will learn about supply chains, children’s rights policies, child labor issues, and the basic pillars of human rights. This unit provides baseline knowledge necessary for further lessons in this curriculum
L e a r n i n g O u t c o m e s
Increase understanding of children’s rights worldwide
Identify the root causes of widespread injustice
Highlight modern day examples
E s s e n t i a l Q u e s t i o n s :
What protections are in place for children’s rights? How effective are they?
What are child labor, forced labor, and hazardous work?
What are the root causes of child labor?
What is a supply chain?
S k i l l s :
Analyze documents
Apply investigative skills
Report on issues taking place
L e s s o n s :
Get Up Stand Up An Introduction
Child Labor, Forced Labor and Work
Root Causes of Child Labor
Supply Chains
U N I T 1
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Introduction to Child Labor and Child Rights
Humans have debated moral codes since the beginning of society Throughout history, the question of who is granted rights and protections has been determined by ideas of hierarchy and power
Mesopotamian, Incan, Indus Valley, and many other ancient civilizations created laws that included basic principles of justice and protection (Youth for Human Rights) Though their ideas, in principle, serve as a framework for contemporary human rights, they did not pertain to everyone in society. Ideas of equality, representation, and freedom have been developed throughout history
What we know as human rights today was created after the mass violence and destruction during World War II Following the end of the war and the creation of the United Nations, representatives from around the world formed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948 Unlike historic calls for freedom and justice, the UDHR was the first document to state fundamental rights as inalienable and universally protected (Amnesty International)
Since then, there have been over 70 human rights treaties around the world Though the UDHR consists of articles detailing an individual's basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, it does not recognize the special needs of vulnerable groups such as children and young people.
40 years after the creation of the UDHR, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) It was not put into force until 1990 when 194 countries ratified the convention excluding Somalia, South Sudan, and the United States That was until 2015, when Somalia and South Sudan finalized ratification, leaving the United States as the only state party that has failed to join the convention (Human Rights Watch)
The CRC protects children as individuals rather than as possessions of parents or the state (UNICEF). In many cases, children are not involved in the political process, leaving issues that affect them in the hands of adults The CRC states 54 universal rights and protections such as access to quality education, a decent standard of living, and protection from economic and sexual exploitation, among others
Like other conventions, the CRC serves as a set of guidelines and goals that governments, industries, and the global community must strive for Since ratification, the lives of children around the world have improved drastically According to Human Rights Watch, kids are more likely to be enrolled in school, female genital mutilation has decreased, and kids are twice as likely to reach their fifth birthday than a child born over 30 years ago
However, as governments and communities are still implementing the convention, we are far from fully ensuring all children have access to a quality life and healthy development
Lesson 1
U N I T 1 : L E S S O N 1 3
T E R M S T O K N O W
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
E S S E N T I A L Q U E S T I O N S
What protections are in place for children’s rights?
How effective are they?
S U G G E S T E D R E S O U R C E S
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (simplified)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Social Justice Songs (pg 19) & Folkways
Amnesty International: “A Brief History of Human Rights”
UNICEF: “Child Rights and Why They Matter”
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